A Study on the Potential of Photovoltaic Panels in Existing Buildings: Housing Example in the Mediterranean

ABSTRACT It is an accepted reality that it is necessary to turn to the use of clean energy resources in the fight against climate change and the environmental problems it brings with it, which has become the common agenda of all countries of the world. In this context, it is one of the prominent research topics that the buildings, which cover a large percentage of the built environment and where life-related activities are carried out, can obtain the energy they need with their own clean energy sources. In this study, which considers the sun-facing surfaces of the components in the outer shell of the building as potential areas of use for photovoltaic (PV) systems, three different scenarios were developed in which PV systems are placed on the south-facing wall and roof surfaces of an existing building in Antalya. First of all, the energy needs of the existing building were determined by using the ‘Design Builder’ simulation tool. In order to measure the potential of the building to obtain some of the energy it needs with PV systems, three scenarios with different usage location, shape and angle of inclination were analyzed with the same simulation tool for the dates of December 15 and July 15, when the daylight level differed. By keeping their numbers, sizes and technical features constant, the different results obtained in terms of the efficiency of energy production of PV systems with varying usage, shape and angle of inclination were examined and evaluated comparatively. As a result, it has been determined that PV system applications, which can be found in the building envelope components of existing buildings with the correct position, shape and inclination angle, have a high potential to provide the energy needed by the buildings from solar energy.