2015 - Residential building renovation

This multi-family building, built in 1982, is the result of a retrofit intervention, with a forth-floor extension. Despite its surface area is increased by 36%, the energy consumption is decreased by 72%, from 343’400 kWh/yr to 96’900 kWh/yr.
The use of 34 cm of thermal insulation made it possible to obtain a very energy-efficient building whose photovoltaic facades and roof allow a production of 95’000 kWh/yr, thus making it almost totally autonomous (self-consumption of 98%).
The PV modules are covered with a layer of colored glass which reduces their efficiency of 39%, on the other hand, it adds architectural quality to the building, blending this technology into the facade in a discrete manner.
The new active layer smartly incorporates the extended part with the existing one. Even though the shape of the building is very articulated, thus not the most appropriate for a solar installation, this building proofs that with a proper planning it is possible to integrate a photovoltaic system even in situations that are not optimal, whether they are new buildings or renovations.