Optimising BIPV in High-Rise Buildings in Hot Climates: A Parametric Study and Design Tool

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) offer strong potential for high-rise buildings in hot climates, but practical adoption remains limited. This thesis investigates how structural parameters affect the natural ventilation cooling and electrical performance of high-rise BIPV systems, and develops a practical design tool for early-stage use. A mixed-method framework was adopted. A questionnaire survey and structural equation modelling (SEM) were first used to identify barriers to BIPV adoption in practice. A multiphysics model was then developed in COMSOL to simulate coupled radiation, airflow, heat transfer, and photovoltaic conversion. Orthogonal design and regression-based response surface analysis were used to evaluate seven key parameters: module inclination angle, vertical angle distribution, longitudinal coverage, lateral coverage, panel-to-façade distance, building height, and ambient temperature. The optimisation results were then tested through a case study and translated into a practical APP. The findings show that software usability is a significant barrier to adoption. In the numerical study, the laminar model was selected as the most practical baseline because it produced results comparable to the turbulent model at much lower computational cost, whereas the equivalent convection model proved unreliable for optimisation. The parametric analysis established quantitative relationships between structural parameters, ventilation cooling, and photovoltaic performance, and produced optimisation rules for high-rise BIPV design in hot climates. Case analysis showed that optimised configurations can reduce façade temperature while improving electrical output. Based on these findings, a cross-platform APP was developed to support fast, floor-sensitive, and designer-friendly BIPV design. Overall, this thesis contributes a validated multiphysics modelling framework, a seven-parameter optimisation strategy, and a practical design tool that helps bridge the gap between theory and practice in high-rise BIPV design.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

PhD

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

De Montfort University

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Wang, Daben

Licence

• https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/896eac5e-b2b0-4bc6-9d96-cbfd4c4626c0/download