Work

Energy harvest and daylighting performance of dynamic photovoltaic shading system-a comparison study in various climate zones of China

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Dynamic photovoltaic shading systems (PVSDs) that can automatically adjust PV angles according to solar altitude and azimuth to enhance solar energy utilization, have become an important research focus in building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). The geographical and climatic characteristics of different cities have a significant impact on the optical performance and power generation efficiency of PVSDs, yet prior studies generally lack systematic cross-climate evaluations and regional correlation analyses. To address this gap, this study assessed the daylighting performance of dynamic PVSDs in six representative Chinese cities under diverse climatic conditions and conducted a regional correlation analysis. The results showed that, regardless of dynamic or static control strategies, south-facing PVSDs consistently achieved the highest annual electricity generation, followed by west-facing PVSDs. Compared with horizontal static systems, dynamic systems significantly increased annual power generation by 16.1%–29.9%. Using the south-facing configuration as an example, Beijing's dynamic PVSDs yielded the highest annual power generation at 240 kWh, while Chengdu recorded the lowest at 110.54 kWh. In addition, during summer, dynamic PVSDs effectively met indoor lighting demands and improved illuminance uniformity; for instance, in Harbin, illuminance uniformity increased by 1.1%. Overall, dynamic PVSDs balanced power generation and daylighting objectives across different urban contexts, demonstrating practical value and broad applicability for building energy conservation and indoor daylighting environment optimization.

Source: Frontiers of Architectural Research

DOI: 10.1016/j.foar.2025.09.007

Authors: Wanting Wang, Kaiyan Xu, Mingyang Wang, Zhe Kong, Changying Xiang

Institutions: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Southeast University, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)

Language: English

Topic: Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Systems

Subfield: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Climate action, Sustainable cities and communities, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,500