There is currently significant interest in reducing energy use and greenhouse gas production in buildings by designing buildings that are climate-appropriate, implementing energy efficiency measures and producing energy from renewable sources. Photovoltaics (PV) is one of the few renewable electricity generation options that can be readily used in urban areas and has no environmental impacts at the site. This course will examine the use of PV in the urban environment, with a particular focus on the intergration of PV modules into the building envelope. The design of energy efficient buildings, building thermal and lighting performance and solar access will be introduced as an appropriate context for the use of PV. A competency in the use of building energy simulation software will be developed. Technical issues associated with the use of PV in buildings and the urban environment, such as heat transfer processes, partial shading and mismatch and system siting, sizing and configuration will be investigated. Students will tackle urban design problems that require balancing architectural and human requirements with the functional constraints of PV technology. Examples of PV products for buildings and the urban environment will be studied and system performance assessment and prediction will be introduced.