State-of-the-art review of solar design tools and methods for assessing daylighting and solar potential for building-integrated photovoltaics

Abstract Solar design can take many different forms across disciplines with different methodologies and goals, ranging from acquiring architectural visual effects to assessing illumination for daylighting and solar radiation potential on building surfaces for PV implementation. Furthermore, a capability of solar design methodologies and tools to accurately and time efficiently simulate light phenomena can greatly influence performance results and design decisions. This is especially important in complex cases such as dense urban settings with the significant surface shadowing, and vertical facades including daylighting devices and photovoltaics. Consequently, choosing a suitable approach and tool for each design phase is essential for achieving unique design and performance goals. This paper was carried out within the framework of IEA-PVPS Task 15 – BIPV and it aims to facilitate this decision for all parties involved in solar design process. Here presented, is an overview of almost 200 solar design tools, analyzing their numerous features regarding accuracy, complexity, scale, computation speed, representation as well as building design process integration in about 50 2D/3D, CAD/CAM and BIM software environments. Furthermore, tools from various fields have been analysed in a broad interdisciplinary context of solar design with a particular attention for being used for Daylighting and Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) purposes. This approach should open many new perspectives on a potentially wider multidisciplinary usage and interpretation of solar design tools, sometimes well beyond their initial scope of work.