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In this paper, we propose a Daylight Calculation Model and Process (DICMP) for Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) systems. In the field of solar energy application, BIPV system is being incorporated increasingly into the construction of new buildings in recent years. The trade-off when using BIPV technology is that it has the risk of diminishing the daylight availability that is useful for natural lighting, which is yet another valuable resource for minimizing a building’s energy use and adding to its sustainability. Our research presents a calculation and process study for assessing the daylighting illuminance (DI) contributes to interior space when BIPV systems are used. Though, there are already common tools and software programs for calculating daylight illumination inside buildings, they either lack of accuracy or are very complicated to compute. And they are either not adaptive for manual calculation or BIPV system. This paper focuses in discussion of development and application of DICMP for BIPV system. This calculation model and process is important because the BIPV systems are semi-transparent, which allows them to admit natural light while also absorbing much of the solar energy to generate electricity through the PV panels. Our DICMP combines the addresses various sky conditions and takes into account light reflections of ground and opposite buildings. For verification, we have done computational simulations theoretically. According to our initial comparative studies, though there are some flaws in the clear sky condition, the simulation result has proved the effectiveness of DICMP. Especially for the overcast situation, the calculation results can match the simulation closely. For further study, a variety of equipment can be installed for measurement on an experimental prototype house. The calculation will be improved by adjusting its parameters. In sum, the paper summarizes our findings offering a valuable method taking practical factors from many aspects for designers of how to calculate DI for BIPV systems accurately and quickly.

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