BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A new study by Chinese scientists suggests that installing solar panels on the outside walls of buildings could generate huge amounts of electricity while also lowering cooling costs and reducing carbon emissions.
This research effort, led by researchers from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published on Friday in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Most solar panels today are placed on rooftops. But buildings have large vertical surfaces that are largely underused for energy production. The study looked at what would happen if building walls were also covered with solar panels, a concept known as façade-integrated photovoltaics or FIPV.
Using data on building geometries, attributes and weather conditions around the world, the researchers created a model to estimate how much electricity FIPV could produce. They also looked at how such panels affect heating and cooling needs inside buildings, since they can provide shade and reduce heat absorption.
Under the most plausible deployment scenario, the team found that FIPV could generate about 732.5 terawatt-hours of electricity per year globally, which is enough to power millions of homes. At the same time, the panels would reduce building electricity demand by an average of 8.1 percent, mainly by cutting the need for air conditioning. The combined benefits, the researchers said, would translate into significant economic and climate gains. The study estimates that if FIPV reached its full potential by the middle of the century, cumulative carbon emissions could be reduced by 37.7 gigatons.
However, the researchers noted that achieving these benefits would require targeted policies, careful planning and strategies tailored to local conditions.
"As climate change brings more extreme heat and rising energy demand in cities, the study highlights an overlooked opportunity to make buildings more energy-efficient and climate-resilient at the same time," said Yao Ling, a professor from the IGSNRR. ■
