RAJAH HUMABON: AN INTERNATIONAL HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTRE

CHAPTER 7: Design Focus

CHAPTER 7: DESIGN FOCUS

7.1 Introduction

This chapter focuses to

improve the research on

the applicability of new

innovations. In this

chapter, the researcher

sought to find a design

that will help the structure

have a more sustainable

savings cost per year. The

researcher used the

Building Integrated

Photovoltaics (BIPV) in order to maximize the lot’s vast area.

Solar panels gives the building the advantage of using the natural

resource, sunlight, to its proper potential.

7.2 Discussion of the Design Focus

PV applications for buildings began appearing in the 1970s.

Aluminum-framed photovoltaic modules were connected to, or

mounted on, buildings that were usually in remote areas without

access to an electric power grid. In the 1980s photovoltaic module add-

ons to roofs began being demonstrated. These PV systems were

usually installed on utility-grid-connected buildings in areas with

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CHAPTER 7: Design Focus

centralized power stations. In the 1990s BIPV construction products

specially designed to be integrated into a building envelope became

commercially available. A 1998 doctoral thesis by Patrina Eiffert,

entitled An Economic Assessment of BIPV, hypothesized that one day

there would an economic value for trading Renewable Energy Credits

(RECs).

The design focus is the Building Integrated Photovoltaics

(BIPV). It is use to address the different needs of the convention center

and the hotel. By making the photovoltaic flexible enough to be put in

critical major areas of the building it can serve two purpose at once.

The BIPV focuses on many priducts. There are many options for

different uses of the photovoltaics. These are:

Solar Louvres

The use of louvres to shade south facing facades is a proven

means of reducing solar gain, reducing the need for artificial cooling.

Solar shading also reduces glare for convention users and increase

occupant comfort whilst generating clean renewable electricity.

Plant Screens

Photovoltaics are an obvious choice as a protective solution for plant

equipment and roof mounted facilities. Plant screens are naturally well

positioned to incorporate solar panels, receiving a large amount of

solar radiation on at least two sides of the building. Standard ‘cassette’

solutions, incorporating multiples of solar panels, are easily

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CHAPTER 7: Design Focus

manoeuvred into position and can be mounted on a range of existing

standard framing systems.

Solar Glazing

Solar Glazing is a unique combination of solar photovoltaics and

glass, where the PV cells are laminated between two panes of

specialised glazing. The resulting glass laminate serves the dual

function of creating energy and shade at the same time. Solar Glazing

can be used wherever conventional glass would be specified - such as

curtain walling, atria, windows and shading canopies, and can be

integrated into sealed glazing systems or conventional bolted glass

structures. Laminates can be tailor made or bought in standard

formats. Bespoke designs allow architects to vary light penetration by

changing the spacing between individual cells. The finished effect of

Solar Glazing offers a unique aesthetic, where natural lighting is

combined with dappled shading to provide comfortable naturally lit

spaces.

7.3 Specific Details

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Optimised Facades replace conventional rainscreen cladding

with rows of PV panels tilted towards the sun. This maximises the

amount of electricity generated, offering up to 30% more energy from

each square metre of PV panel. However, rows of panels are spaced

to avoid self-shading which means less PV panels per square metre.

For a given area this solution offers a cheaper alternative to

Vertical Solar Facade and provides optimal energy generation for the

size of the PV system installed. It is best for buildings with large areas

available for Solar Facade installation.

Using PV panels as rainscreen cladding is a tried and tested

solution. PV panels are either pre-assembled in multi-panel cassettes

and installed using a typical facade background support structure, or

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CHAPTER 7: Design Focus

smaller panels are installed individually. Solarcentury’s PV facade

solutions can be designed to interface with a wide range of existing

horizontal and vertical background support systems such as the

Eurofox MacFOX system. Vertical mounting systems are often used on

brickwork, concrete or masonry, whilst horizontal mounting systems

are used on beam and column constructions.

7.4 Applicability

7.4.1 Use

The convention center and hotel will use this technology

specifically on the parking, curtain walls and some panels of the hotel.

It will give the client a sense of relief on the everyday cost of electricity

and at the same time not compromising the design of the structure.

BIPV Curtain Walls

Curtain walls have many of the same construction

characteristics as atrialsloped glazing, but they suffer from reduced PV

output as a consequence of their vertical orientation. Nevertheless, the

market size for curtain walls is substantially greater than for atria, and

products developed for atria should be usable in curtain walls with little

or no modification. In addition, a wider range of PV products is suitable

for curtain walls than for atria. Curtain walls often contain opaque

surfaces (spandrel areas), where non-transparent modules can be

used. Vision glass areas will require highly transparent PVs with good

optical properties; no such modules exist yet, but they may be

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CHAPTER 7: Design Focus

developed in the future. Semitransparent PVs with medium optical

quality might be used in parts of curtain wall glazing, such as high

glazing in tall spaces, where daylighting is the primary criterion and

view is secondary. At the APS facility, amorphous PV modules are

combined with vision glass panels in standard curtain wall framing (fig

5). The PV modules are sealed at the back with an opaque insulating

panel, much like spandrel panels in a multi-story curtain wall. From the

exterior, the clear vision glass and PV modules look the same. Figure 6

shows an interior view of the vision glass and sealed PV panels. Two

of the PV panels are left unsealed to compare their transparency with

the adjacent vision glass. In addition, large-area amorphous modules

(2.5'by 5') were used to fit standard curtain wall framing dimensions. To

penetrate the curtain wall market, PV modules should be available in

dimensions compatitible with curtain wall standards.

Any building surface that intercepts the sun is a candidate for

PV integration. Many buildings incorporate semi-attached elements in

addition to walls and roofs, such as awnings, light shelves, canopies

and fences. All of these surfaces can deliver the multiple benefits of

BIPV: producing energy while performing other architectural functions.

This report concentrates on two of the most straightforward

applications: atrialsloped glazing and curtain walls. In these systems,

PVs form the weathering skin for a building while directly replacing

expensive glazing.

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Glass-based PVs are the only PV products available today that

can be readily integrated into existing construction systems. Metal

substrate PVs are being developed, which promise to be able to

replace sheet metal in building roofs and skins. Since little cost or

performance data is yet available for these products, this study focuses

on glass-based BIPVinstallations. BIPVsystems may be built as part of

new construction, or retrofit to existing buildings. This report evaluates

only new construction, since there are many additional constraints and

unpredictable costs associated with retrofitting an existing structure.

Recladding a building with a PV curtain wall, for example, is a very

similar process to recladding with a conventional curtain wall, with the

exception that wiring must be accommodated. Depending on the

existing construction, wiring may be difficult or even hazardous. In the

best cases, retrofit applications will perform as well as new

installations, but each retrofit project must be evaluated individually.

7.4.1Case Studies

CIS Tower

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Solarcentury provided specialised PV knowledge to design a

weatherproof cladding solution by integrating photovoltaics (PV)

around the tower’s structure.

Solarcentury provided specialised PV knowledge to design a

weatherproof cladding solution by integrating photovoltaics (PV)

around the tower’s structure, offsetting building material cost of

replacing the traditional mosaic tiles. In total, 7,244 80W modules were

used to clad the entire service tower. From this total, 4,898 PV

modules are live, 870 ‘full size’ dummy modules and 109 ‘medium size’

dummy modules and 1,367 edge modules were used in order to

optimise the system’s electrical generation and minimise costs.

Summary of electricity comparisons:

o Generates total electricity for 61 average three-bed houses each

year

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o Generates enough electricity each year to light an average

three-bed house for over 305 years

o Summary of CO2 comparisons:

o Annually saves over 100 tonnes of CO2 emissions, a major

greenhouse gas, equivalent over 7 million party balloons or 63

Olympic swimming pools.

o Annual CO2 savings: account for 141 trees required to absorb

CO2 over 100 years.

o To achieve the Kyoto Protocol, the UK is required to reduce

CO2 emissions by 12.5% below 1990 levels by 2010. This

installation offsets the contribution of 303 UK individuals to this

target every year.

Gazeley 'Blade'

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The example of Gazeley illustrates the sharp cuts in carbon

emissions that can be achieved through the application of

photovoltaics, which combined with other environmentally friendly

technologies can make a significant positive impact on the

environment.

Generating over 28,000 kWh each year, the system is likely to

save the CO2 emissions equivalent of eight three-bedroom houses and

provide 75% of the offices' electricity needs. For the fast-moving

industry, the SB1000 energy roof system has been designed to slot

simply into the work flow of a building project and provide a simple PV

solution. The majority of the system is built offsite and can be installed

in as little as four man hours per 1 kWp generator, with the role of

roofers and electricians clearly split to provide a simple handover of

trades. This is a critical factor for success, with the turnaround of

modern commercial buildings as fast as ten weeks.

Manchester College of Art & Technology

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Manchester College of Arts and Technology (MANCAT) has

incorporated pioneering solar design in their North Manchester Sixth

Form Centre. The south facade of the building is clad in a striking

monolithic array of solar PV panels. Taking advantage of the building’s

flat roof, rows of PV panels crown the building providing further clean

energy. The new library roof also incorporates solar hot water

technologies. Solarcentury provided specialised PV knowledge to

assist in the design of the ventilated rainscreen cladding system on the

south facade of the new development, offsetting building material costs

of traditional cladding materials. The positioning of the solar modules in

relation to the main wall created a “cladding void” to help regulate the

internal temperatures of the building by minimising solar gain in the

summer and, secondly, by encouraging a ‘thermal stack effect’ which

helps to draw fresh warm air through the building spaces. This helps to

minimise the year-round energy demand of the development and

keeps the PV panels operating at their highest efficiency, maximising

the contribution of the PV to the building’s energy requirements.

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7.5 Conclusion

The researcher found that the use of the Building Integrated

Photovoltaics is essential to the project since it will offset the long term

cost of the project. The different uses of the system will especially in

the parking area will mitigate the electrical cost of maintaining a large

number of facilities.

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