Multi-functional, Prefabricated, Energy Positive and Climate Resilient Building Envelope Systems
Project overview
The project focuses on developing innovative building envelope systems that integrate solar power generation, thermal performance enhancement and daylight control. These systems aim to overcome barriers hindering the widespread adoption of Building Integrated PhotoVoltaic (BIPV) and Building Integrated PhotoVoltaic/Thermal (BIPV/T) technologies.
Short-term goals include prototyping and evaluating prefabricated BIPV and BIPV/T wall and roof systems, integrating them with heat recovery and air source heat pump technologies, as well as designing semi-transparent PV windows with dynamic solar control. Ultimately, the project aims to make power-generating building envelope systems practical for achieving Net-zero Energy and Net-zero carbon buildings on a large scale.
Key project details
| Principal investigator | Hua Ge, professor, Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University |
Co-principal investigators |
Andreas Athienitis, professor, Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Director of Concordia Centre for Zero Energy Building Studies, Concordia University; Liangzhu (Leon) Wang, professor, Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University; Caroline Hachem-Vermette, associate professor, Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University; Radu Zmeureanu, professor, Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University; Alan Fung, associate professor, Toronto Metropolitan University; Annie Levasseur, professor, École de technologie supérieure |
Research collaborators |
Ted Stathopoulos, professor, Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University; Luiz Lopes, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University; Pragasen Pillay, professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, NSERC/Hydro-Québec Senior Industrial Research Chair, Concordia University; Joonha Hwang, National Research Council; Michal Bartko, National Research Council; Abhishek Gaur, National Research Council; Lin Wang, National Research Council; Michael Lacasse, National Research Council; Mehdi Ghobadi, National Research Council |
| Non-academic partners | National Research Council, Unicel, Active glass, CapSolar |
| Research Keywords | Building integrated PV, active building envelopes, life cycle carbon assessment, zero carbon buildings, climate resiliency |
| Budget | Cash: $285,000 In-Kind: $250,000 |
Publications:
A. Sigounis and A. Athienitis, “Colored Building‐Integrated Photovoltaic/Thermal (BIPV/T) Roof Systems: Experimental Testing and Modelling Insights,” Solar RRL, vol. 9, no. 22, p. e202500544, Nov. 2025, doi: 10.1002/solr.202500544.
R. Zmeureanu, H. Dou, H. Ge, L. Wang, and Z. Xie, “Thermal time constant estimation of unoccupied school buildings from field measurements over summer,” Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 104, p. 112311, June 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2025.112311.
S. Sahyoun, H. Ge, and M. A. Lacasse, “Freeze-thaw damage assessment of internally insulated historic brick masonry walls under a changing climate,” Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 102, p. 111900, May 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2025.111900.
X. Dang et al., “A state-of-the-art empirical round robin validation of heat, air and moisture (HAM) models,” Building and Environment, vol. 276, p. 112867, May 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112867.
Z. Xiao, L. Wang, H. Ge, M. A. Lacasse, and M. Defo, “Assessing the Moisture Resilience of Wood Frame Wall Assemblies,” Buildings, vol. 14, no. 11, p. 3634, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.3390/buildings14113634.
S. Akhavan Shams, H. Ge, and L. Wang, “Hygrothermal modeling in mass timber constructions: Recent advances and machine learning prospects,” Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 96, p. 110500, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110500.
P. Gholamalipour, H. Ge, and T. Stathopoulos, “Impact of upstream buildings on Wind-Driven Rain Loading: Refining Obstruction Factor in ISO semi-empirical model based on CFD,” Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 97, p. 110717, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110717.
H. R. Wilson et al., “Component-based SHGC determination of BIPV glazing for product comparison,” Energy and Buildings, vol. 320, p. 114592, Oct. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114592.
F. Grossi, H. Ge, R. Zmeureanu, and F. Baba, “Assessing the effectiveness of building retrofits in reducing GHG emissions: A Canadian school case study,” Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 91, p. 109622, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2024.109622.
S. Rayegan et al., “Achieving carbon neutrality at single and multi-building complex levels – A review,” Energy and Buildings, vol. 314, p. 114263, July 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114263.
A. Machard et al., “Typical and extreme weather datasets for studying the resilience of buildings to climate change and heatwaves,” Sci Data, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 531, May 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41597-024-03319-8.
S. Sahyoun, H. Ge, and M. A. Lacasse, “Selection of moisture reference year for freeze-thaw damage assessment of historic masonry walls under future climate: A simulation-based approach,” Building and Environment, vol. 253, p. 111308, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111308.
Accepted publications in national and international conferences:
H. Ge, “Experimental Investigation of Colored BIPV/T Systems for Wood-Framed Roofs,” presented at the EUPVSEC, Sept. 2025.
H. Ge, “Experimental study of a combined heat recovery ventilator and building integrated photovoltaic system in cold climate,” presented at the COBEE 2025, July 2025.
D. Baril, A. Athienitis, and H. Ge, “Air-based BIPV/T for Low-arctic Applications,” in Proceedings of EuroSun 2024, Limassol, Cyprus: International Solar Energy Society, 2024, pp. 1–11. doi: 10.18086/eurosun.2024.01.01.
A.-M. Sigounis and A. Athienitis, “DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A COLORED BIPV/T SYSTEM FOR SLOPED WOOD-FRAMED ROOFS,” in 37th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems (ECOS 2024), Rhodes, Greece: ECOS 2024, 2024, pp. 605–616. doi: 10.52202/077185-0052.
Reports:
H. Ge, “CINUK Solar Energy Resource Assessment - Summary of Findings,” June 2025.
H. Ge, “CINUK Annual Report,” Mar. 2025.
Anna-Maria Sigounis: EU PVSEC 2025 Best Paper Awards, EU PVSEC 2025, September 1, 2025.
Anna-Maria Sigounis: ASHRAE Grant in Aid, ASHRAE, May 1, 2025.
Research focus
Prototype development and performance evaluation
The primary objective is to develop and assess the performance of prototype prefabricated Building Integrated PhotoVoltaic (BIPV) and Building Integrated PhotoVoltaic/Thermal (BIPV/T) wall and roof systems. These innovative systems are designed to cater to various construction needs, including new construction, retrofitting existing buildings, and applications in northern climates.
Integration and optimization with BIPV and BIPV/T technologies
Another key objective is to integrate BIPV/T systems with Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) and Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) technologies. By optimizing the integration of these systems, the project seeks to maximize energy efficiency and overall performance. This involves careful planning and coordination to ensure seamless operation and compatibility between BIPV/T and HVAC systems.
Design and performance characterization of solar windows
The project also aims to design and characterize Semi-Transparent PV (STPV) windows integrated with dynamic solar control and PV-integrated Double Skin Façade (DSF). This objective focuses on developing windows that not only generate solar energy but also provide effective daylight control and thermal insulation.
Framework development for zero-carbon resilient buildings
Lastly, the research aims to develop a comprehensive framework for designing zero-carbon resilient buildings enabled by prefabricated BIPV envelope systems. This involves synthesizing findings from prototype development, integration with HVAC technologies, and solar window design to establish guidelines and best practices for achieving zero-carbon resilience. By providing a structured framework, the project aims to facilitate the widespread adoption of sustainable building practices.
Non-academic partners
Thank you to our non-academic partners for your support and trust.
Volt-Age is funded by a $123-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.
