A Comprehensive Review on Design Approaches of Adaptive Photovoltaic Façade

The use of adaptive photovoltaic (PV) facades holds great promise in reducing energy consumption, harvesting clean solar energy on site, and optimizing indoor climate. To improve building facade performance, various design methods have been employed at both the city and building scale to optimize PV facade parameters and geometry. However, while prior studies have focused mainly on technical aspects such as PV energy performance and adaptive technologies, few have systematically investigated design methods of adaptive PV facades, particularly from an architectural or city design perspective. This literature review aims to address this gap by qualitatively analyzing applications of adaptive PV facades at both scales, discussing prevalent design methods and their effectiveness, and analyzing cutting-edge research in related fields. The review emphasizes three major aspects of adaptive PV facade design: energy efficiency, human comfort, and aesthetics. Additionally, the study evaluates the contributions and limitations of optimized design methods in selected papers, identifies research gaps in adaptive PV facades, and provides guidance for future research in this area.