Work

Analytical Modeling of Solar Radiation Distribution on Vertical PV Facades in Urban Settings

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: With the need for increasing energy demand due to population growth in cities, and advancements in the efficiency of semi-transparent photovoltaic (ST-PV) technology, the integration of ST-PV modules into building windows has become feasible. This manuscript presents a novel analytical methodology for estimating incident solar energy on vertical PV modules integrated into building facades in an urban environment, emphasizing shade caused by nearby buildings. Monthly and annual direct-beam, diffusion, and global energies are calculated for different wall heights, building separation, and orientation. In addition, the distribution of the incident energy along the height of the wall is evaluated, indicating a non-uniform distribution. The incident diffusion energy is compared between isotropic and anisotropic models. The anisotropic model predicts higher diffusion energy by 3.5% to 14.5%, depending on the building separation. The incident energy on building facades is calculated for locations at low-mid (32°6’ N) and at high-mid (52.2° N) latitudes. The results show, for example, that both the front side of a front-building wall and the front side of a rear-building wall receive the same amount of annual global energy—913 kWh/m2—for a separation of 25 m between the buildings. Decreasing the distance from 25 m to 10 m decreases the annual incident global energy on a rear-building wall by 15%.

Source: Urban Science

DOI: 10.3390/urbansci10050258

Authors: Joseph Appelbaum, Assaf Peled

Institution: Tel Aviv University

Language: English

Topic: Solar Radiation and Photovoltaics

Subfield: Artificial Intelligence

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

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

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,930