Integration of PV modules in existing Romanian buildings

The paper is based on an on-going national research project focused on the promotion of new architectural concepts i.e. BIPV systems, which include active solar systems (PV generators) and solar tunnels. The advantages of using the distributed solar architecture are more remarkable in the case of large network-connected PV systems, such as the PV systems in the urban area, installed on building´s façades or roofs. Thus, in contrast to other EU states, in Romania there is no photovoltaic building construction branch, the limited number of isolated cases being not enough to argue the start if a photovoltaic market in the building industry. The major purpose of the project is to demonstrate the efficiency of integrating various PV elements in buildings, to test them and to make them known so that they can be used on a large scale. To do this, the new products will be installed on three pilot buildings (two in Bucharest and one in Timisoara) and the PV modules will be integrated in consonance with their architecture. One of them will be a historical building and the other two will be new buildings; they will have different typologies and they will be located in different areas. The installed power for each building will be of approximately 1.000 Wp, including some technologies with PV modules integrated in the architecture of the buildings.