Next Article in Journal
A Multi-Dimensional Approach of Green Marketing Competitive Advantage: A Perspective of Small Medium and Micro Enterprises from Western Cape, South Africa
Next Article in Special Issue
The Edge Effect on Plant Diversity and Soil Properties in Abandoned Fields Targeted for Ecological Restoration
Previous Article in Journal
Theoretical Investigation of Gas Filling and Leaking in Inertial Confinement Fusion Hohlraum
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
Journals
Sustainability
Volume 10
Issue 10
10.3390/su10103762
sustainability-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Edit a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

Printed Edition

A printed edition of this Special Issue is available at MDPI Books....
share announcement thumb_up
...
textsms
...
Article

Design Optimization of Productive Façades: Integrating Photovoltaic and Farming Systems at the Tropical Technologies Laboratory

by
Abel Tablada
1,*,
Vesna Kosorić
1,2,
Huajing Huang
1,
Ian Kevin Chaplin
1,
Siu-Kit Lau
1,
Chao Yuan
1 and
Stephen Siu-Yu Lau
1
1
Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117566, Singapore
2
BauLab GmbH, 4656 Starrkirch-Wil, Switzerland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2018, 10(10), 3762; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103762
Received: 23 September 2018 / Revised: 14 October 2018 / Accepted: 16 October 2018 / Published: 18 October 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature-Based Solutions for Restoration of Ecosystems and Sustainable Urban Development)
View Full-Text Download PDF
Browse Figures

Abstract

Singapore’s high dependence on imported energy and food resources, and the lack of available land requires an efficient use of the built environment in order to increase energy and food autonomy. This paper proposes the concept of a productive façade (PF) system that integrates photovoltaic (PV) modules as shading devices as well as farming planters. It also outlines the design optimization process for eight PF prototypes comprising two categories of PF systems: Window façade and balcony façade, for four orientations. Five criteria functions describing the potential energy and food production as well as indoor visual and thermal performance were assessed by a parametric modelling tool. Optimal PF prototypes were subsequently obtained through the VIKOR optimization method, which selects the optimal design variants by compromising between the five criteria functions. East and West-facing façades require greater solar protection, and most façades require high-tilt angles on their shading PV panels. The optimal arrangement for vegetable planters involves two planters located relatively low with regard to the railing or window sill. Finally, the optimal façade designs were adjusted according to the availability of resources and the conditions and context of the Tropical Technologies Laboratory (T2 Lab) in Singapore where they are installed. View Full-Text
Keywords: building-integrated photovoltaics; vertical farming; shading devices; design optimisation; low-carbon architecture; multi-criteria decision assessment building-integrated photovoltaics; vertical farming; shading devices; design optimisation; low-carbon architecture; multi-criteria decision assessment
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
SciFeed

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Tablada, A.; Kosorić, V.; Huang, H.; Chaplin, I.K.; Lau, S.-K.; Yuan, C.; Lau, S.S.-Y. Design Optimization of Productive Façades: Integrating Photovoltaic and Farming Systems at the Tropical Technologies Laboratory. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3762. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103762

AMA Style

Tablada A, Kosorić V, Huang H, Chaplin IK, Lau S-K, Yuan C, Lau SS-Y. Design Optimization of Productive Façades: Integrating Photovoltaic and Farming Systems at the Tropical Technologies Laboratory. Sustainability. 2018; 10(10):3762. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103762

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tablada, Abel, Vesna Kosorić, Huajing Huang, Ian K. Chaplin, Siu-Kit Lau, Chao Yuan, and Stephen S.-Y. Lau 2018. "Design Optimization of Productive Façades: Integrating Photovoltaic and Farming Systems at the Tropical Technologies Laboratory" Sustainability 10, no. 10: 3762. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103762

Find Other Styles
Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Article Access Map by Country/Region

1
Back to TopTop