Aesthetic perception of photovoltaic integration within new proposals for ecological architecture

Abstract

Architecture has become an important field of research on the mitigation of climate change. The 4literature contains a number of environmental studies of buildings conducted using the Life Cycle 5Analysis method, while others have analysed improvements in the energy efficiency. Important advances have also been made by integrating renewable energies within the building envelope. In architecture, however, it must be remembered that the formal aspect is as important as the functional one, and therefore rating the aesthetic perception of these new technologies is very interesting for future innovation projects and their integration within society. This work focuses on the aesthetic impact resulting from the use of photovoltaic systems that can be integrated within the building envelope or installed upon its surface. A survey was conducted using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) to evaluate the feelings that such systems arouse, through two classic dimensions of affect: hedonic valence (pleasant-unpleasant) and arousal (activation or emotional intensity). Overall, results (error range of 5%) show that all the prototypes were rated positively and with a medium level of arousal, but those that use integrated systems obtained higher values in both dimensions of affect. Respondents’ age was observed as an influential factor in these subjective evaluations.