Building-integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) and Wind Power: Integrated Design with Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

Building-integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) and Wind Power: Integrated Design with Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

Combining solar and wind power into buildings for integrated power generation represents an innovative direction for urban clean energy utilization. Its core lies in the collaborative design and integration of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) modules with small vertical axis wind turbines on the building's exterior, forming a highly efficient and aesthetically pleasing building energy system.

The solar energy component primarily utilizes building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) technology, enabling building materials to generate electricity themselves. Unlike traditional rooftop solar panels, next-generation BIPV can be integrated with glass curtain walls, windows, and even exterior building materials, capturing sunlight to generate electricity while maintaining the building's aesthetic design. Such systems need to balance power generation efficiency, light transmission, safety, and the aesthetic requirements of the architectural design.

The wind power component utilizes small vertical axis wind turbines, which are more suitable for use in urban built environments. Vertical axis wind turbines are characterized by low noise, insensitivity to wind direction, and high safety, making them suitable for installation on building roofs, balconies, or facades. Their design must prioritize integration with the building structure to ensure stability and safety, while controlling operational vibration and wind noise to minimize impact on occupants and the surrounding environment.

The key to the integrated design of these two systems lies in synergy and safety. The system needs to be planned uniformly in the early stages of building design, rationally locating the photovoltaic panels and wind turbines to avoid mutual shading and reduced efficiency. Structural safety is paramount; the stability of the wind turbines and photovoltaic system must be ensured under extreme weather conditions such as strong winds. The power system needs to intelligently merge and manage the power generation from both systems, prioritizing the building's own power needs, with surplus power stored or fed into the grid.

This integrated design not only enhances the building's own power generation and reduces dependence on the external power grid, but also endows the building with new ecological functions and a technological image. It represents an important trend in the future development of green buildings and distributed energy.