Energy support in the Saudi residential sector using Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV)
Creators: name: Qahtani, Abdullah
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 330202
subject: Building construction management and project planning
classificationCode: 330203
subject: Building industry studies
classificationCode: 330206
subject: Building science, technologies and systems

description: Over the past decade, Saudi Arabia's energy demand has increased significantly. Various variables, including population growth, economic development, improvements in living standards, Hot and arid climate weather, industrial growth, energy use policies, energy source diversification, and low-cost energy regimes, have contributed to this trend. The energy requirement of residential buildings in Saudi Arabia faces several problems, such as the energy sources currently in use, the rising demand for houses, and the general rise in individual consumption.

 Renewable energy sources must be utilised as one of the options to cover and minimise the energy demand, which is especially significant in the residential sector. As a developing country, Saudi Arabia faces different challenges in applying sustainability to residential buildings; therefore, it is essential to further sustainability research for better implementation and input in the development of the country. Solar systems are one of the greatest modern inventions the world has ever known, but like all building components, there are issues related to architecture or construction. The implementation of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) technology within the elements of residential buildings has the potential to mitigate those challenges.

 Residential buildings in Saudi Arabia face several challenges in meeting their energy demands. The implementation of sustainability in residential buildings causes particular challenges for Saudi Arabia. The thesis aims to develop a framework for successfully implementing BIPV technology in residential buildings in Saudi Arabia. It identifies the key stakeholders in Saudi Arabia regarding the use of BIPV technology and their understanding of its relationship with sustainability. This study also highlights the barriers and enabling factors to the implementation of BIPV technology in residential buildings in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, it provides recommendations for stakeholders in Saudi Arabia, including government, industry, academia and end users, regarding the need to adopt BIPV technology.

A combination of research methods was used to meet the outlined goals and research questions. Primary and secondary data are used in this study. The primary data are online questionnaires with key stakeholders in Saudi Arabia regarding BIPV technology, two Delphi rounds with specialists, and the Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) approach analysis. 

The stakeholders' perceptions of BIPV technology in Saudi Arabia were first surveyed. That survey found that most respondents (around 88%) considered solar energy the best renewable source for residential electricity generation in Saudi Arabia. However, forty-two per cent of respondents did not know of any possible adverse effects of BIPV technology on the form and functionality of residential buildings. Also, twenty-six per cent of the sample group supports the idea that there is a possible adverse effect of BIPV technology on the shape and functions of residential buildings. The Delphi survey was then analysed to identify the barriers and factors to the implementation of BIPV technology in residential buildings in Saudi Arabia. It was noted that most of the experts who participated in the first Delphi round agreed with those barriers and factors related to the implementation of BIPV technology in residential buildings in Saudi Arabia. It was determined that a second Delphi round was unnecessary because the weighted average of all barriers and factors was high. Lastly, Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) was employed to identify factors, define their interrelationships, and rank them to clarify complex issues from a systems perspective. This study uses the process of ISM to consider the hierarchy and interdependence of the factors that could facilitate the implementation of BIPV technology. It was initially thought that the primary categorisation of factors would only be used to implement the ISM concept. Still, it was realised that it would be advantageous to identify all the relationships between the factors. 

The ISM model enables decision-makers to strategically plan the implementation of BIPV technology. The developed ISM organises the factors affecting BIPV adoption into an eight-level hierarchy. The ISM model handles all possible relationships between factors. It was concluded that the availability of BIPV technical experts and marketing specialists is the hierarchy's root for adopting BIPV technology in Saudi Arabia's residential buildings. This factor assists in achieving institutional acceptance and providing climatic and geographic data to adopt the BIPV technology in residential projects. Three other high-strength factors impact the adoption of BIPV: determining feed-in tariff to reduce BIPV installation costs, connecting different property rights and funding methods, and adopting the BIPV technology based on climatic and geographical data.

Reducing the impact of the tax on the financial return, reducing variables in prices and components of the BIPV system, clarifying frameworks for stakeholders of grid interactive BIPV systems, and efficient planning, designing, operation and maintenance of BIPV systems are medium strengths concerning the BIPV adoption. The Saudi government stipulates no tax exemption considerations for PV technology systems. Efforts to resolve this difficulty will significantly assist in the adoption of BIPV technology. Thus, the price of system components can be reduced. In addition, the total cost per watt of PV systems has declined significantly in the last few years because of advances in their technology. Additional levels have factors classified as unstable linkage factors; any change in these factors will affect other factors. As Saudi Arabia is still in the beginning stages of adopting BIPV technology in residential buildings, the current progress for these levels is relatively low.