# Modelling BIPV and calculating Energy Consumption and Thermal Comfort

**URL:** <https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/modelling-bipv-and-calculating-energy-consumption-and-thermal-comfort/21699>\
**Category:** ladybug-tools\
**Tags:** energy, honeybee, pv, thermal-comfort, building-program\
**Created:** [May 9, 2023, 11:46am UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/modelling-bipv-and-calculating-energy-consumption-and-thermal-comfort/21699 "2023-05-09T11:46:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pokkisianturi](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/9f8e36/32.png) [@pokkisianturi](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/pokkisianturi)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 11:46am UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/modelling-bipv-and-calculating-energy-consumption-and-thermal-comfort/21699/1 "2023-05-09T11:46:05Z")

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Hello everyone, I am currently working on a simulation project where I will be integrating a Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) system onto a building model. I aim to calculate its energy consumption and thermal comfort. However, I am facing a few challenges in the process. Firstly, I am unsure how to model the BIPV system with a custom shape for my simulation. Secondly, I am unsure how to integrate the BIPV system into my algorithm for calculating energy consumption and thermal comfort. I would appreciate any insights or suggestions on how to overcome these challenges.

This is what I’m trying to model

 ![S__1555654](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/default/original/3X/a/3/a33ae3d84dbce222f041a342447771f25b465abf.jpeg)

Here is the rhino file  
[TA\_Pokki\_Bestest900\_ThermalComfort\_updated\_02.gh](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/short-url/xshyInLx25RThCsETGteB4FZNyu.gh) (708.1 KB)

\*Currently I’m substituting the pv with louver. Still, if I use a louver, it will sacrifice the value of thermal comfort due to the different properties of the PV material and the louver. Thank you in advance for any help or advice you can provide. Your insights will be valuable in helping me successfully complete my simulation project.

Sorry to tag @djordje @chris , I hope you can help me with this problem.

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**Author:** ![djordje](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/djordje/32/9_2.png) [@djordje](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/djordje)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2023, 8:48am UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/modelling-bipv-and-calculating-energy-consumption-and-thermal-comfort/21699/2 "2023-05-16T08:48:52Z")

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Hi @pokkisianturi ,  
I think about the energy consumption, it was discussed in this topic:

> [@How to integrate PV on a building model to calculate energy use?](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/how-to-integrate-pv-on-a-building-model-to-calculate-energy-use/21268):
>
> I’m working on a project to calculate the energy use intensity (EUI) of a building using BIPV as a window. The problem here is that when I run the energy simulation, the EUI of the building didn’t change whether I use a normal glass window or BIPV. Can someone help me since i am a begineer? Thanks in advance!

You have to somehow use the `ACenergyPerHour` output of the `Photovoltaics surface` results and further integrate them with for example `EUI` component from the upper topic. But I can’t help you with that, I never used the `EUI` component.  
As for the custom shape, just use those surfaces you would like to populate with BIPV panels as `_PVsurface` input of the `Photovoltaics surface` component.  
Sorry for the late reply.