Ricerca su facciate fotovoltaiche BIPV per analizzarne meccanismi di propagazione del fuoco, meccanismi di collasso strutturale e proporre metodologie per il miglioramento della resilienza / Research on BIPV Photovoltaic Facades for Fire Spread Mechanisms, Structural Failures and Resilience Improvement Methodologies

Goal of the project is to run “Research on BIPV (Building Integrated) Photovoltaic Facades for Fire Spread Mechanisms, Structural Failures and Resilience Improvement Methodologies”. 3FiRES activities will span over 24 months. Research activities will take the form of 3 major tasks, organized in the working packages (WP) specified in the following. The continuous interaction between the Italian and Chinese units will represent a fundamental aspect for fulfilment of 3FiRES objectives. Objective is knowledge advancement in terms of fire spread mechanisms, structural failures in fire and fire resilience improvement for innovative but still not well knows BIPV facades. BIPV facades consist of photovoltaic components that are used to replace / with conventional facade materials. Integrated PVs are significantly efficient in facades because of their solar functionality, which is increasingly demanded for NZEB buildings [1]. They are hence increasingly incorporated in new buildings as a strategic source of electricity, but also in the retrofit of existing buildings, for green energy production. On the other side, rather few knowledge is available about their efficient multidisciplinary performance in buildings [2]. Facades are known to represent a rather vulnerable component, given that they represent the physical barrier for indoor spaces and for the protection of customers [3]. Structurally speaking, facades are in fact required to provide adequate load-bearing capacity and mechanical performance under ordinary design loads of typical interest for buildings (such as dead loads, wind, etc.). Most importantly, facades should preserve a minimum functionality and residual capacity, to minimize possible risks for occupants, also in case of extreme accidental events, like fire [4,5]. 3FiRES will thus focused on the experimental and numerical analysis of BIPV facades in fire, and to provide deep advancement in current knowledge, to improve their efficient use in NZEB buildings.

Goal of the project is to run “Research on BIPV (Building Integrated) Photovoltaic Facades for Fire Spread Mechanisms, Structural Failures and Resilience Improvement Methodologies”. 3FiRES activities will span over 24 months. Research activities will take the form of 3 major tasks, organized in the working packages (WP) specified in the following. The continuous interaction between the Italian and Chinese units will represent a fundamental aspect for fulfilment of 3FiRES objectives. Objective is knowledge advancement in terms of fire spread mechanisms, structural failures in fire and fire resilience improvement for innovative but still not well knows BIPV facades. BIPV facades consist of photovoltaic components that are used to replace / with conventional facade materials. Integrated PVs are significantly efficient in facades because of their solar functionality, which is increasingly demanded for NZEB buildings [1]. They are hence increasingly incorporated in new buildings as a strategic source of electricity, but also in the retrofit of existing buildings, for green energy production. On the other side, rather few knowledge is available about their efficient multidisciplinary performance in buildings [2]. Facades are known to represent a rather vulnerable component, given that they represent the physical barrier for indoor spaces and for the protection of customers [3]. Structurally speaking, facades are in fact required to provide adequate load-bearing capacity and mechanical performance under ordinary design loads of typical interest for buildings (such as dead loads, wind, etc.). Most importantly, facades should preserve a minimum functionality and residual capacity, to minimize possible risks for occupants, also in case of extreme accidental events, like fire [4,5]. 3FiRES will thus focused on the experimental and numerical analysis of BIPV facades in fire, and to provide deep advancement in current knowledge, to improve their efficient use in NZEB buildings.