Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

The world is today trying to move away from the use of fossil fuel for the generation of electricity to a cleaner means of energy. This is because of the damage that the use of non-renewables causes to the environment. Buildings have been identified as a main contributor to greenhouse gases (GHG). Electricity accounts for approximately 78% of total building energy consumption and significantly contributes to GHG emissions. With all of these happenings, it has become evident that we need to seek more renewable means of energy generation for buildings. Northern Cyprus uses too much fuel oil to produce its electricity (1.6 billion Kwh/ year). Here in Northern Cyprus, there is a growing concern over the environmental effects of the excessive use of fossil fuel for electricity generation. Renewable Energy (RE) seems to be the most appropriate means to fill up this gap both environmentally and economically. Out of the several RE sources, photovoltaics (PV) has been identified as the most convenient means of generating renewable energy especially when they are integrated into buildings. This situation creates an increasing trend to use of PV in buildings. However, because of insufficient existing regulations and policies, PV integration is creating visual pollution and poor energy efficiency. This research critically evaluates local policy, regulations, and practices for the successful architectural integration of PV in buildings in Northern Cyprus within the context of sustainability. The aim is to define the unsustainable trends and to propose recommendations to solve the related problems.