Use of photovoltaic systems in architecture

Fossil fuels are the oldest available and known energy resources that have provided great benefits in the development of civilization and the welfare level in human life. However, the use of fossil fuels in production as a common and only energy source has brought environmental problems along with all its positive contributions to the development of the industry, and caused irreversible damage to our world by causing air and environmental pollution. Another important problem of fossil fuels, apart from their positive and negative contributions, is that they are running out. This situation has led to studies on obtaining energy with different methods in the world, and the use of renewable energy resources has become the focus of research due to its environmental care. In this context, the use of solar energy comes to the fore endlessly, and the areas of use of photovoltaic panels that convert solar energy into electrical energy are gradually increasing. In this study, taking into account that energy consumption is largely caused by buildings, the use of photovoltaic systems, which are also used as architectural elements, as roofs, facades and shades in buildings has been investigated. The thesis work consists of 5 parts. In the first part, studies on the subject have been researched and evaluated; The purpose of the thesis has been explained, the expectations from the study and the aim of the study are briefly summarized. In the second chapter, the concepts of energy acquisition, use and efficiency are discussed. It was mentioned that the most effective way to achieve energy efficiency is saving. Energy saving practices are evaluated in two parts as cost-oriented concrete measures and direct energy saving. With the increasing need for energy in the process that started with the creation of the information society of humanity and still continues, the issue of clean and low-cost Solar Energy has been handled and studied in this direction. With the insufficiency of known resources to meet our ever-increasing energy need, humanity has turned to different quests. By explaining that the energy produced using fossil fuels causes irreversible damages in nature, instead of fossil fuel-oriented energy production technologies that increase climate change with global environmental problems, the negative impact on the environment has been minimized, and the methods to research and make use of renewable and sustainable energy resources have been examined. In this direction, the development and history of solar cells (photovaltaic), which is the most common application in solar energy use today, has been investigated. In the third stage of the study, it was explained that Photovoltaic Systems are the mechanisms that generate electricity from sunlight by the photoelectric effect. Photovoltaic systems were defined as "Solar Cell" or "Solar Electricity", which was researched by the French Scientist Edmond Becquerel in 1839. Photovoltaic cells developed in 1954 were used in space technology. Photovoltaic cells produce solar energy by converting the light from the sun into electrical energy. However, since they stop generating electrical energy when the sunlight is cut off and in this case, a backup system such as a battery is needed to store or transfer energy, the methods applied in this subject are discussed and explained. In the fourth chapter, it is emphasized that the energy consumption in buildings is significant and that architects and designers have responsibilities to minimize fossil fuel consumption and environmental problems in buildings, and the importance of turning to the use of photovoltaic systems, which are among the renewable energy sources and found to be an important opportunity in creating a clean future, is emphasized. For this reason, the research focused on photovoltaic applications in buildings and the applications in various regions of the world were investigated comparatively. In the fifth chapter, it is mentioned that the use of renewable energy resources has become widespread since the 1990s, and that active and passive methods play an important role in physical environment design. It was explained that traditional building components exposed to the sun can also be used as electricity generators with their own functions, and it was emphasized that buildings can be transformed from energy consumers to energy producers by taking advantage of the potential in building surfaces outside the roof with photovoltaic roof tiles, window glasses, balcony railings, facade coverings and shading elements. The features of photovoltaic modules, which are widely used in buildings, are compared and explained. In the sixth chapter, suggestions are presented by evaluating the results obtained within the scope of the thesis study. Key words; Renewable energy, solar energy, photovoltaic, architectural element, energy efficient building, ecological design.