Towards integrated design strategies for implementing BIPV systems into urban renewal processes : preliminare case study in Neuchâtel (Switzerland)

European energy directives define highly-demanding performance standards, from zero-energy buildings to positive-energy buildings. In Switzerland, one of the specific objectives of the new “Energy strategy 2050” is to install PV systems on existing building surfaces in order to cover 1/3 of the annual Swiss demand for electricity. In view of the considerable importance of urban renewal processes, building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems therefore provide a crucial response to the challenges of the energy turnaround. However, in spite of technologic progress and economic evolution, diverse types of obstacles limit a large-scale advanced PV integration into urban renewal processes. In this context, urban and architectural design towards increased integration – and therefore increased acceptance – provides an essential solution to overcome these barriers. It represents a key element towards establishing a systematic link between BIPV and the necessary renewal of the considerable existing building stock. Towards this aim, the present paper proposes a first approach to define a holistic multi-criteria assessment methodology for BIPV-adapted solutions in urban renewal design processes in the Swiss context. This document presents the first steps towards the validation of the proposed methodology through a preliminary case study in Neuchâtel (Switzerland)