Urbanization and Energy Goals

As urbanization increases in Austria, the challenges of achieving ambitious climate and energy goals grow—particularly the goal of using only renewable energy for power generation by 2030. Conventional rooftop photovoltaic systems often fail to meet the growing electricity demand in cities, necessitating innovative solutions.

Effects of the Urban Heat Island

The Urban Heat Island effect, exacerbated by heat waves, increases the energy demand for cooling buildings. Shading modules that generate electricity and provide cooling through shading are becoming increasingly important.

Innovative Photovoltaic Solutions

A promising solution is the combination of automatically controlled shading systems with flexible photovoltaic technology. Through intelligent control techniques and artificial intelligence, these systems can enhance the energy flexibility of urban buildings and efficiently use the generated electricity. Adjustable blinds combined with thin-film modules provide a foundation for integrating these technologies.

Enhancing Efficiency through Technology

Well-managed shading systems prevent overheating, harness solar energy, and create a comfortable user environment. By adequately selecting various photovoltaic systems, photovoltaics can be cost-effectively integrated into commercial shading systems. Smart control and modeling optimize PV shading systems to adapt flexibly to required scenarios such as reducing cooling needs, increasing light output, or enhancing PV efficiency.

Project PowerShade: Insights and Results

In the PowerShade project, we explored the possibilities and limitations of such solutions. We used AI-driven shading solutions with integrated photovoltaics. We evaluated the modules' efficiency at different temperatures and angles in lab tests. An artificial neural network was developed through simulation and validation that determines the optimal shading angle based on cooling needs and PV production.

Boosting Efficiency and Comfort

Implementing the control system resulted in a 0.9% increase in PV efficiency compared to the cut-off control and reduced the cooling demand by nearly 40%. Data was collected to assess the impact on users, where the control applied both regulation methods, and users documented any irregularities. We found that user comfort during the testing phase was enhanced by artificial intelligence.

Future Outlook

Using photovoltaics in sunshade slats and their control through artificial intelligence has increased efficiency and well-being in space. Expanding the power to include parameters such as glare or daylight could further improve and optimize the system through artificial intelligence.