Research

CIEMAT

CIEMAT is a public body for research in energy, environment, and technology; it develops its R&D around technological projects, which connects R&D&I and social target interests.

The CIEMAT’s Photovoltaic Unit has renowned expertise in testing, characterizing, and modeling photovoltaic modules and systems. It is involved in international groups of experts related to PV, BIPV and solar resource assessments and forecasts.

Testing and Modeling of BIPV

BIPV modules and systems must fulfill specific requirements related to electrical and constructive aspects. Proper testing and modeling of BIPV modules and BIPV systems are necessary for a complete simulation of the building. CIEMAT’s team has addressed some of these challenges, and further steps are part of the RINGS-BIPV project.

Solar Radiation Modeling

Solar radiation incident on the different surfaces available in an urban topology is another key part of this project. CIEMAT’s team has relevant expertise in modeling solar radiation components, transposition models, forecasting solar irradiance, and solar resource assessment, the basis to identify the solar potential on buildings and infrastructure.

UPM

The Technical University of Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, UPM) is a public university that was founded in 1971 from the addition of different Schools, so the institution has much ealier origins. The Higher Technical School of Architecture of Madrid (Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid, ETSAM) is one of these schools and also one of the oldest academic institutions.

The Technical University of Madrid founded the Solar Energy Institute (IES-UPM) forty years ago due to its big dedication to solar energy. This center is focused on researching practical and fundamental applications of Photovoltaics, with global recognition for being a pioneer institution.

Energy Transition in cities

The UPM team has been working in recent years on national and international projects aimed at promoting urban regeneration and energy transition in cities. One important research topic of this team is renewable distribuited energy generation with photovoltaic solar energy integrated in the built environment.

Zero Energy Buildings

The UPM founded the project “INTEGRA: Zero energy buildings”, an integrative methodology for their design with the aim of strengthening the research plans of young researchers, supporting the study of how to design and build zero energy buildings. In the same line, the past year UPM started the project “Transition towards an emission-free university TULE” to support the energy transition of the university by promoting collaborative research between research groups and departments.

Journal Articles

Energy and Buildings

Photovoltaic self-sufficiency potential at a district scale in Madrid. A scalable methodology

Irene Del Hierro López, Jesús Polo, Nuria Martín Chivelet, Francesca Olivieri, Estefanía Caamaño-Martín, Lorenzo Olivieri, 2024

Energy and Buildings

Component-based SHGC determination of BIPV glazing for product comparison

Helen Rose Wilson, Tilmann E. Kuhn, Hisashi Ishii, Daniel Valencia-Caballero, Nuria Martín Chivelet, Jinqing Peng, Rebecca Jing Yang, Yukun Zang, Hua Ge, Kai Ye, Jacob C. Jonsson, Konstantinos Kapsis, 2024.

Energy and Buildings

Digitalising BIPV energy simulation: A cross tool investigation

Rebecca Jing Yang, Yusen Zhao, Sujan Dev Sureshkumar Jayakumari, Astrid Schneider, S. Prithivi Rajan, Jonathan Leloux, Philippe Alamy, Gavin Prasetyo Raharjo, Fedele Rende, Tharushi Samarasinghalage, Ana Marcos-Castro, Nuria Martín-Chivelet, Shin Woei Leow, Pabasara Wijeratne, Yingwen Li, Ling Zhang, Chao Wu, Xin Deng, Duo Luo.

Energy and Buildings

Multi-dimensional evaluation of BIPV installations: Development of a tool to assess the performance as building component and electricity generator

Helen Rose Wilson, Francesco Frontini, Pierluigi Bonomo, Gabriele C. Eder, Markus Babin, Sune Thorsteinsson, Jennifer Adami, Laura Maturi, Rebecca Jing Yang, Nilmini Weerasinghe, Nuria Martin-Chivelet, Simon Boddaert, Rolf Frischknecht, 2024.

Renewable Energy

On the use of reference modules in characterizing the performance of bifacial modules for rooftop canopy applications

Jesús Polo, Miguel Alonso-Abella, Ana Marcos, Carlos Sanz-Saiz, Nuria Martín-Chivelet, 2024

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Challenges for positive energy districts deployment: A systematic review

Louise-Nour Sassenou, Lorenzo Olivieri, Francesca Olivieri, 2024

Sustainability

Technical Feasibility for the Boosting of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) in Existing Mediterranean Districts: A Methodology and Case Study in Alcorcón, Spain

Martina Dell’Unto, Louise-Nour Sassenou, Lorenzo Olivieri, Francesca Olivieri, 2023

Energies

Exploring the PV Power Forecasting at Building Façades Using Gradient Boosting Methods

Jesús Polo, Nuria Martín-Chivelet, Miguel Alonso-Abella, Carlos Sanz-Saiz, José Cuenca, Marina de la Cruz, 2023

Remote Sensing

Solar Potential Uncertainty in Building Rooftops as a Function of Digital Surface Model Accuracy

Polo, J., García, R.J., 2023

Energies

BIPV Modeling with Artificial Neural Networks: Towards a BIPV Digital Twin

Polo, J., Martín-Chivelet, N., Sanz-Saiz, C., 2022

Energy and Buildings

Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) products and systems: A review of energy-related behavior

Nuria Martín-Chivelet, Konstantinos Kapsis, Helen Rose Wilson, Veronique Delisle, Rebecca Yang, Lorenzo Olivieri, Jesús Polo, Johannes Eisenlohr, Benjamin Roy, Laura Maturi, Gaute Otnes, Mattia Dallapiccola, W.M. Pabasara Upalakshi Wijeratne, 2022

Solar Energy

Photovoltaic generation on vertical façades in urban context from open satellite-derived solar resource data

Polo, J., Martín-Chivelet, N., Alonso-Abella, M., Alonso-García, C., 2021

Conferences

RINGS-BIPV Project: Analysis of PV Solutions for Retrofitting Buildings under Mediterranean Climate Conditions

Nuria Martín-Chivelet, Miguel Alonso-Abella, Carlos Sanz-Saiz, José Cuenca, Marina de la Cruz, Ana Marcos Castro, Jesús Polo, Francesca Olivieri, Estefanía Caamaño-Martín, Lorenzo Olivieri