A comparative study of different PV installations for a Norwegian net zero emission building concept

This paper presents an analysis of how the design of a photovoltaic (PV) system influences greenhouse gas emissions balance in net zero emission buildings (nZEB). In a zero emission building, the emissions associated both with the energy required in the operation of the building (operational emissions), and the energy used to produce the building materials (embodied emissions), are offset by renewable energy generated on-site. The analysis is applied to a nZEB building concept for a single-family building, developed by the Norwegian ZEB Centre. Previous analyses have shown that the installation of a PV system accounts for a significant share of the embodied emissions of a nZEB. The objective of this paper is to assess how the PV system design influences the embodied and avoided emissions and the energy yield. Three different PV technologies and four different module layouts for flat roofs are evaluated. In addition, the influence of two different grid emission factors is studied. Keywords: zero emission buildings, grid-connected PV, embodied emissions, PV system design