Comparison of the Simulated and Measured Performance of the PV Plant of Austria’s Largest (Plus-)Plus-Energy Office Building

Abstract

The (Plus-)Plus-Energy Office High-Rise Building near the centre of Vienna is a highly energy-efficient office tower block that is designed according to a net-zero energy concept. The main component of the net-zero energy concept is the building’s PV plant. An extensive energy monitoring system is integrated into the building. As it also logs the electricity production of the plant’s 19 PV inverters, it allows for a more detailed analysis of the PVelectricity production. In this research the monitoring data of the PV plant that was obtained during 2018 is analysed. The design performance of different parts of the plant is contrasted with the monitored performance. Moreover, the building’s PV self-consumption is analysed. Even though there were several inverter faults during the years, the PV plant generally achieved its design performance. Due to the fact that the building’s consumption exceeds the design consumption, the building’s PV self-consumption is significantly increased.