The Task 41 of Solar Heating and Cooling (IEA-SHC) Programme, initiated by the International Energy Agency, will go into the reasons for not incorporating solar energy harvesting features in building design.
The research project, known as Solar Energy and Architecture, utilizes the services of around 70 professionals, researchers, graduate students, academics from 15 countries all over the world to find why solar energy strategy has not been included in building design.
Professor Miljana Horvat
IEA-SHC Task 41, in a period of three years, will realize the use of high-quality structural designs that incorporate both passive and active solar power generation strategies. It will also introduce methods to upgrade the skill sets of architects in executing solar strategies and their interactions with clients, product engineers and producers. International researchers are aiming to establish the standards for building integrated solar systems, to find systems and tools for designing solar modules and to formulate guidelines, ideas and practical examples.
Team Canada conducted a research survey with the help of a group of architects from 14 countries and their research has introduced digital tools to better the pattern of solar modules to assist the architects by incorporating active and passive solar power strategies during the initial design stage. They also have discovered that proper training will hone the skills of the architects who utilize solar energy simulation tools and deal with the perceived wrong notions about the tools. Team Canada will be engaged in introducing guidelines to surmount the existing barriers in implementing solar technologies at the design stage.
Till date, the team members of IEA-SHC Task 41 have submitted five reports and conference documents that categorize the present roadblocks in enforcing solar technology and the expertise needed for engineers, architects, developers and producers to integrate solar power production strategy into building design.