Optimization and Design of Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Systems for a High-Rise Building in Shenzhen

Cities with large populations and limited space, such as Shenzhen, China, require innovative approaches to distributed photovoltaic (PV) power generation on building surfaces to meet renewable energy production goals. Despite the city's subtropical climate and abundant solar energy resources, along with numerous buildings with potential for PV power generation, architects remain cautious about adopting extensive PV panels on the facades of high-rise buildings. This paper addresses this challenge by integrating engineering and design considerations to facilitate future sustainable design transitions. To achieve optimized Building-integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) in Shenzhen, a case study building is utilized to identify the most suitable PV materials with optimized power generation efficiency, considering solar energy availability and geographical location. The Grasshopper platform, a graphical algorithm editor integrated with the Rhinoceros 3D modeling software package, and PVSyst are employed to determine the angle of solar panels and the physical arrangement of PV modules through building shape modeling and optimization techniques. Four different angles (18°, 45°, 60°, and 90°) of PV module layouts are designed, and simulation results demonstrate their impact on electricity generation efficiency. Notably, a vertical arrangement (90°) of photovoltaic components on the building facade significantly reduces electricity generation efficiency. The proposed simulation method optimizes building PV systems while considering power generation efficiency and supports the future design of energy-efficient residential and office buildings in Shenzhen, supporting long-term reductions in carbon emissions.