On-site energy generation provides an opportunity to achieve net-zero energy goals. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) technology has emerged as a promising renewable energy source for building facades. However, the conventional BIPV system has shortcomings, such as sub-optimal tilt angle orientation. Optimization of the tilt angles is essential to harvesting maximum solar irradiance for energy output.

Most BIPV installations are fixed systems with a majority of them being vertically oriented leading to less energy conversion efficiency and low output throughout the year. Thermally-adaptive BIPVs can maximize the exposure to solar irradiance by optimizing the tilt angles on the south facades. Thermally-adaptive BIPVs use composite materials that bend based on temperature and without the need of motors or sensors. This allows for responsive tracking of daily and seasonal variations in solar incidence angles throughout the year by curving up and down in response to temperature changes. This research compared the electrical output of a fixed vertically mounted BIPV system to a thermally-adaptive BIPV system utilizing a full scale experimental set up located in Lawrence, Kansas. Initial study results showed that the thermally-adaptive BIPV system outperformed the fixed vertical BIPV system by 35% through better tracking of solar-incident angles throughout the year.