A number of challenges and design issues for building-integrated PV in urban areas has been investigated for a specific case study: a large railway station in Utrecht. Because of the surrounding high-rise buildings that are already present around the station or that may be erected in the near future, shading loss could become an important limiting factor for the installable PV potential. Detailed shading loss analyses were performed for the area of the platform canopies and for the terminal roof. At this moment construction is underway to equip a number of platform canopies with semi-transparent PV panels. This study was conducted in commission by Prorail, the Dutch rail network company.

More: Paper Challenge for building integrated PV inhigh-rise urban environments