Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society ISSN:1598-6411(Print) 2508-3562(Online) 한국태양에너지학회 논문집

Photovoltaic (PV) modules are used worldwide in building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) applications due to the easy installation, maintenance, and on-site power generation capabilities. Additionally, PV modules installed on vertical facades and roofs of apartments also facilitate energy reductions in apartment complexes and their units. Although many studies have investigated the effective installation methods of PV systems, the lack of BIPV applications persists, considering BIPV designs have been adopted for buildings by designers and engineers. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the significance of PV power generation in apartment complexes located in Daejeon, South Korea, based on surveyed and simulated data. Actual apartment complexes and each building’s exterior surfaces having solar access were surveyed. Based on the details of the survey, a simulation model was developed using Ecotect and EnergyPlus software tools. For the analysis, the shading effects on the surfaces were first analyzed with Ecotect, followed by a detailed analysis of the simulated PV power generation to determine whether each apartment unit and its complexes could potentially reduce energy. The actual energy usage based on the survey data was obtained from the K-apt website, which is a website handled by the Korean government that provides an energy usage database. This study assumed that the range of installed PV capacities would be between 0.3 kWp and 2 kWp for each apartment unit. The results of this study indicated that the PV power generation depended on the PV installation scenario, i.e., the PV angles and azimuth angle, as well as the shading impact on each PV module surface, could potentially affect the overall energy self-sufficiency rates of the complex, according to apartment deployments.