Performance assessment of building-integrated photovoltaic facade system in harsh climate: A case study in Aswan

ABSTRACT Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) systems are given considerable interest as sustainable energy solutions for buildings, especially in harsh-climate-conditions regions. The current study investigates experimentally the actual performance of an 87.75 kWp grid-connected full-size BIPV facade system installed at the Arab Academy for Science in Aswan, Egypt, as one of the sunniest and hottest cities in the world. The system performance has been monitored for 12 months of 2024 during the extreme seasonal variations. The system energy generation, electrical parameters (output power, current, and voltage), photovoltaic module operating temperature, meteorological data (ambient temperature, plane-of-array solar irradiation, and wind speed), and the building monthly energy consumption were recorded and analyzed. Typical indicators used to analyze the performance are system efficiency, final yield, reference yield, capacity factor, and performance ratio. The best system performance was observed during the winter months, when the system achieved an average monthly energy generation of 365.2 kWh and an average efficiency of 16%, due to the higher direct solar exposure, less shading, and low photovoltaic operating temperature. As a result of these effects, the performance ratio reveals a significant fluctuation (an average 80% to 35%), capacity utilization factor range (an average 5% to 17.4%), and final yield variation (an average 1.2 h/d to 4.2 h/d). The building energy consumption is based upon the severity of outdoor ambient conditions. The best contribution of the BIPV-system was in winter, for more than 25% of the building loads. Results of the present study offer valuable and important insights into optimizing the design of BIPV-systems in extreme climates and enhancing their long-term viability for sustainable energy production.