Monitoring results of CO2 avoidance with an 8.5 kWh solar electric generator integrated in a high rise commercial building in UK

Abstract

Sustainable energy technologies have become very attractive and effective at the moment for use in the UK and other parts of the world as techniques for reducing carbon footprints in the building sectors. These include micro-wind turbines, photovoltaics, small hydro power generators and bio-tech systems. Besides building integrated solar electric generators otherwise referred to as building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), which is aesthetically appealing and forms part of the applied building fabrics, most other options could deform the building aesthetics and require large spaces for both installation and operation especially, the wind turbine. These advantages and more make BIPV one of the most attractive sustainable energy technologies in contemporary building sectors at the moment. The technology involves the integration of photovoltaics (PV) modules into the fabric and shell of buildings like the roofs, asphalt shingles, facade materials and shading elements. Used in this way the integrated PV modules could replace conventional building materials thereby benefiting from improved capital cost and reduction of carbon footprint in the applied environment. However, one major lapse identified with previous studies had been the unavailability of numerical methods and quantification of the CO2 mitigated by applied low carbon technologies. Using a parametric method with the aid of Kyoto platform software integrated into a state of the art SMA data technology, this paper assesses and quantifies the CO2 avoidance by a building integrated solar electric system applied in a business/commercial building in the UK. The CO2 protection capacity of the solar electric system has been confirmed to be influenced by the different seasons of the year providing maximum environmental protection in the summer months.