Analysis of the Impact of Photovoltaic Glasses in Daylighting and Thermoenergetic Performances in an Office Room

Contemporary office buildings have been calling attention for intense use of glass on their façades.This way,glazed areas in such buildings may favor the access to natural light and contribute to power generation through photovoltaic systems.However,the application of STPV(Semi-Transparent Photovoltaic)may interfere with the building’s energy performance and good use of daylight.So,this work aims to assess daylighting and thermoenergetic performances in an office room located in southern Brazil,with different types of STPV applied to the building’s glasses.This study was carried out through computer simulation,integrating software’s Rhinoceros with DIVA plugin and EnergyPlus.Results have shown that the application of STPV with proper transparency percentage provides access to daylighting and increases visual comfort for occupants,and also contributes to the building’s energy balance,as it may save from 9.6%to 28%in energy.Its use,in the climatic context analyzed,has boosted energy consumption for cooling and for artificial lighting;however,photovoltaic generation was higher and thus compensated for the increase caused by the system.

The Use of Self-cleaning Materials and Study Their Impact on the Quality of the Visual Appearance of Large Industrial Cities

One of the capabilities of the architecture is to respond to growing and,in some cases,varied needs of users.However,architecture and construction industry,in comparison with other sciences,have been very slow and inadequate to implement this technology despite very suitable ground for improvement.At the moment,one of the most essential discussions in this field is how to achieve qualitative understanding of construction materials.Accordingly,one of the key sections of a construction which plays a significant role in optimizing performance is shell of the building.In this article,in addition to the utilization technique of selfcleaning materials in construction industry which will result in embellishment of urban design,an attempt has also been made to present a suitable model on how to utilize these materials in order to improve the visual appearance quality of megalopolises.The technology of self-cleaning surfaces in order to increase durability and reduce costs and required time for equipment maintenance has currently become the focal point in construction industry.Now providing one answer to the question of whether will selfcleaning,purifying facades change the future of urban architecture?The main panorama of this research is to find and establish a dynamic and sustainable balance in embellishment of urban design.The necessity of research in this field as well as finding the best and most practical solution seem.To achieve all this,an analytical and descriptive research has been utilized,data has been collected by various books and national and international websites.