BP AMOCO SOLAR SKIN - A DOUBLE FAÇADE WITH PV

A double facade with photovoltaic (PV) panels is being built on the campus of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. The double facade is a closed glass box on an existing office building. It consists of an outer glass wall "the Solar Skin", a cavity, and a roof and a bottom that can be opened for ventilation. The BP-Amoco Solar Skin combines two contemporary building concepts; the use of double facades in renovation projects, and the use of building integrated photovoltaics. A new external glass facade on an old building will reduce the heat losses in the winter and give shading and extra ventilation in the summer. When the PV-panels are located in the outer skin of a double facade, good ventilation is achieved at the back of the PV cells. This is important for achieving high efficiency of the electricity generation. The BP-Amoco Solar Skin has clear glass windows located in front of the existing windows, and PV-panels located in front of the opaque parts of the existing facade. The PV cells are laminated in clear glass. The transparency of the PV-panels has been carefully studied to achieve satisfactory visual comfort and daylighting. The energy performance of the solar skin, and its impact on the thermal conditions in the rooms facing the new façade, have been simulated. The paper will present the building project that will be finished in June 2000. A one year monitoring programme will follow.