Criteria for Architectural Integration of Active Solar Systems IEA Task 41, Subtask A

AbstractThe upcoming growing use of active solar technologies, photovoltaics and solar thermal, brings an important challenge for designers willing to keep a high architectural quality of buildings. The IEA Task 41 “Solar Energy and Architecture” brought together international experts to address key issues in this process.Subtask A dealt with the specific architectural integration issues brought by active solar systems, solar thermal and photovoltaics. A description of the main criteria and of the various ways the architect can use each technology to satisfy these criteria has been produced.The reasons for the limited use of such systems are presented, as identified through a large international web survey, pinpointing low architects knowledge and low products integrability as major barriers (deliverable T.41.A.1). Architectural integration criteria are defined, based on previous studies, and related guidelines for architects and products developers are presented in separate targeted deliverables (T.41.A.2 and T.41.A.3). Deliverable T.41.A.2 provides a comprehensive set of integration guidelines addressed to architects, highlighting all the integration possibilities offered today by both solar thermal and photovoltaics systems. Deliverable T.41.A.3 is intended to counter the lack of innovative products conceived for building integration, by addressing to manufacturers a detailed set of products development guidelines. Finally, already existing innovative products achieving good integrability characteristics are collected and presented in a new attractive website (T.41.A.6)