Evaluation of Electrical and Thermal Prediction Accuracy for a Colored BIPV Facade Using the System Advisor Model (SAM)

Jinhee Kim; Sangmyung Kim; Hayoung Kim; Subin Jeong; Juntae Kim

doi:10.7836/kses.2025.45.6.149

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2025 Vol.45, Issue 6 Preview Page Next Page

Research Article

Evaluation of Electrical and Thermal Prediction Accuracy for a Colored BIPV Facade Using the System Advisor Model (SAM) 컬러 BIPV 외벽 시스템의 전기·온도 성능 실측 및 SAM 기반 예측 정확도 평가

30 December 2025. pp. 149-164

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Abstract

As the deployment of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) continues to expand, ensuring the reliability of simulation tools used to predict the performance of modules with diverse optical and material characteristics has become increasingly important. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy of the System Advisor Model (SAM) in reproducing the actual operating performance of colored façade-integrated BIPV modules manufactured using ceramic ink dot-pattern technology. A 3.31 kWp façade BIPV subsystem connected to a 3.5 kW inverter at the Asan Youth Library in South Korea was monitored from October 2023 to March 2024. Frequent inverter clipping occurred during periods of high irradiance because the site’s operational constraints prohibited exporting power to the grid. Thus, the subsystem was especially suitable for a detailed performance evaluation. The monitored results showed a total power generation of 1,153 kWh (DC) and 1,107 kWh (AC), with an average module back-surface temperature of 15.3 °C. SAM predicted the annual energy yield with relatively low bias (with a normalized mean bias error (nMBE) = +3.4% for DC and –2.7% for AC) and exhibited a reasonable long-term agreement with the measurements. However, short-term prediction accuracy was limited, as reflected by the high normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) values of 26.4% (DC) and 32.4% (AC). These deviations indicate that the unique optical and thermal characteristics of ceramic dot-pattern colored modules, such as variations in spectral transmittance, non-uniform optical losses, and constrained façade ventilation, are not fully captured by SAM’s standard PV performance and temperature models. Thus, this study provides one of the first real-building validations of the SAM for colored façade-integrated BIPV systems in South Korea. These findings highlight the need for improved optical and thermal modeling, as well as module-specific correction factors, to enhance the accuracy of simulations for practical applications of colored BIPV systems. The results also serve as a valuable reference for the future design, modeling, and performance prediction of colored BIPV systems.

Keywords

Building integrated photovoltaic system

Facade PV systems

Colored photovoltaic modules

System advisor model

Performance prediction

Temperature modeling

키워드

건물일체형태양광

외벽형 태양광 시스템

컬러 태양광발전 모듈

시스템어드바이저모델

발전량 예측

온도 모델링

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Information

Publisher :Korean Solar Energy Society
Publisher(Ko) :한국태양에너지학회
Journal Title :Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
Journal Title(Ko) :한국태양에너지학회 논문집
Volume : 45
No :6
Pages :149-164
Received Date : 2025-12-08
Revised Date : 2025-12-17
Accepted Date : 2025-12-21
DOI :https://doi.org/10.7836/kses.2025.45.6.149

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

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