ABSTRACT
The development of energy efficient and sustainable public spaces may be achieved through use of urban elements that encompass the function of renewable energy production and shading. An adaptive lightweight canopy structure with integrated thin-film photovoltaic modules is presented in the current paper. A lightweight structural unit of a cable net spanning an aluminum frame supports a secondary system of struts and continuous cables in two directions. The latter is responsible for the support of the photovoltaic modules and the actuation of the system through a minimum number of control components employed out of the main lightweight structure body. The paper refers to the Finite-Element Analysis of the spatial structure that considers the self-weight and wind loads in different configuration states of the system. The comparative load-deformation analysis of the system exemplifies at first place the role of the cables in the system behavior under external loading.
