EN 
PT_BR 
The HUCFF (Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho) building, at UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), will soon receive a photovoltaic system on the facade.
The installation, which should be completed and begin operations in December this year, uses 430 400W monocrystalline modules and three 50 kW inverters. For the fixing structure, custom-made stainless steel was used.
“It is the same one used to fix granite and marble on facades, as it needs to withstand the action of winds and the weight of the modules”, explains Sérgio Beninca, CEO of Kyoservice, responsible for the design and installation of the photovoltaic system.
The system will generate 148.2 MWh per year. Despite not meeting the building's entire energy demand, the installed plant will help reduce consumption and increase energy efficiency.
Project on facade of photovoltaic system on facade
The decision to use the photovoltaic system on the facade, says Beninca, was made by the client's choice. “There is the intention of analyzing its performance with this type of installation and comparing it with other photovoltaic models that UFRJ already has”. Currently, the campus already has systems on the ground, roof and carport.
Beninca also highlighted that this type of installation is more challenging. “Much more than on a roof or on the ground, because it has to be done on scaffolding and fixing it to the wall is much more difficult. In addition to installation, preparation is also more complicated, as the infrastructure needed to install is the same as that used to renovate a building, for example.”
In the project, Kyoservice needed to consider the deviation from the north, as the facade is at a 90-degree slope. “This difference in inclination and azimuth affects daily generation, because during part of the day there is no sun on this facade, which is oriented to the west”.
“The biggest challenge of the installation project is certainly working at height, as we have to work within scaffolding of up to 60 meters. As a result, we have to maintain the alignment of the structures even on a scaffold that is swaying”, explains Paulo Hideo Hirota, CEO of RWI Energia Sustentável at the branch in São Paulo, a company that partners with Kyoservice in installing the system.
“As there are few facade projects carried out, we cannot find the structures ready for delivery. Therefore, we had to order according to our fixing needs”, reinforces Hirota, regarding the personalized structure.
Although more challenging, installing a photovoltaic system on a facade can be a good option for the client. “Installation on facades should be chosen when there are limitations for installation on the roof and there is not enough area for it. It can also be used as a sun visor, when feasible”, adds Beninca.
UFRJ and solar energy
One of the objectives with the new installation of the photovoltaic system is for the UFRJ University City to become the campus with the highest use of solar energy in Brazil.
Established by state decree in Rio de Janeiro, the Green Development and Energy Fund coordinates sustainable development projects in the University City to improve, for example, energy use, seeking production from alternative sources.
“Among the energy generation technologies available on the market today, photovoltaic systems are the ones that best fit UFRJ’s profile, whether due to system efficiency or in terms of maintenance”, explains Bruno Allevato, technical coordinator of the Green Fund.
“The project has already installed photovoltaic systems in three different formats on the campus: on the ground, as a parking lot cover and on roofs. Installation on the HUCFF facade is a fourth installation possibility. In this concept, UFRJ, through the Green Fund, has been seeking to disseminate and bring energy generation technologies closer to the university's social body and society in general”, explains Allevato.
