Trends in integration of photovoltaic facilities into the built environment

Abstract

Cities are consumers of large amounts of energy. They require uninterrupted energy supply but with dynamic power profile.Mainly consumption of energy generated from fossil fuels is present todaywith consequence significant pollution of the environment.The sustainable energy transition in cities means increasing the supply of energy from renewable sources.Thepaperpoints to the integration of PV renewable systems in the built environment, opportunities and constraints, design conditions and tools. The consideration of the constraints which creates urban environment is carried out in order to understand the complexity of selecting locations in the cities. In thissense, the paper gives an overview of the possibilitiesof PV systemsintegration in the built environment, and discusses physical limitations in the urban environment and simulation toolsas well as challenges and research and development issues.