Analysis of the Impact of Photovoltaic Glasses in Daylighting and Thermoenergetic Performances in an Office Room

Contemporary office buildings have been calling attention for intense use of glass on their façades. This way, glazed areas in such buildings may favor the access to natural light and contribute to power generation through photovoltaic systems. However, the application of STPV (Semi-Transparent Photovoltaic) may interfere with the building’s energy performance and good use of daylight. So, this work aims to assess daylighting and thermoenergetic performances in an office room located in southern Brazil, with different types of STPV applied to the building’s glasses. This study was carried out through computer simulation, integrating software’s Rhinoceros with DIVA plugin and EnergyPlus. Results have shown that the application of STPV with proper transparency percentage provides access to daylighting and increases visual comfort for occupants, and also contributes to the building’s energy balance, as it may save from 9.6% to 28% in energy. Its use, in the climatic context analyzed, has boosted energy consumption for cooling and for artificial lighting; however, photovoltaic generation was higher and thus compensated for the increase caused by the system.