The nation’s first three-star-rated building photovoltaic-storage-direct-flexible system project: China Eastern Airlines’ “Shell Building”

Standing proudly along the Xuhui riverside in Shanghai, the China Eastern Airlines Shell Building showcases an innovative model that generates electricity, stores energy, and features intelligent grid management—transforming “zero carbon” from a mere concept into a tangible reality. The building has earned zero-carbon building certification and was among the first nationwide to receive the three-star rating for its integrated photovoltaic-storage-direct-flexible system, making it a benchmark case for the green and low-carbon transformation in the construction sector.

 

 

 

Green ecology—cultivating both inner and outer qualities.

 

 

The “Shell Building” is not just an architectural structure—it’s also a vivid embodiment of green ecological principles. Its exterior features photovoltaic glass curtain walls and photovoltaic shading louvers that convert solar energy into electricity, providing the building with a continuous supply of clean, green power. Inside, low-voltage DC lighting technology is employed, enabling self-generated and self-consumed green illumination.

 

The second floor of the Shell Building is designed as an exhibition and office space, with a construction area of 1,444.23 square meters and a gross floor area of approximately 1,358 square meters. The project as a whole achieves energy self-sufficiency, operating entirely on electricity without purchasing any external energy sources. The photovoltaic system generates over 110,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, fully meeting the building’s annual energy needs.

 

The roof is equipped with 224 monocrystalline silicon solar cell modules, covering an effective area of 577.92 square meters, which can generate approximately 189,000 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually. Even more remarkable is that part of the building’s exterior walls feature a proprietary, self-developed photovoltaic glass curtain wall system. Comprising 26 photovoltaic glass panels, this “power-generating skin” has a total output capacity of 2,928 watts, maximizing the building’s own supply of renewable energy.

 

 

The “light-storage-direct-flexible” technology serves as the “energy heart” of the “Shell Building.” By seamlessly integrating photovoltaic power generation, energy storage systems, and a DC distribution network, this technology achieves highly efficient energy conversion and utilization while enabling the building to be self-sufficient in energy. The building’s exterior features photovoltaic glass curtain walls and photovoltaic shading louvers that convert solar energy into electricity. Combined with energy storage, this system leverages flexible DC distribution technology to ensure the building has the power it needs for daily operations.

 

Energy storage system 60 kWh

Lithium iron phosphate battery energy storage system, with a total system capacity of 60 kWh.

 

DC distribution and control system, a 5-port power router

 

The power router is configured with five ports and features an internal 750VDC DC bus. It provides stable DC power to the load by leveraging complementary energy sources from multiple inputs. The ports are connected to photovoltaic systems, energy storage systems, the power grid, air conditioners, and household appliances, enabling energy scheduling based on demand, as well as AC-DC conversion and voltage level transformation. The output voltage range is from 800V to 48VDC.

 

The power router also enables real-time control of lighting and air-conditioning power supplies, as well as real-time monitoring of the operational status of various zones and types of equipment. It supports remote operation control and fault early warning functions. Moreover, this system can display real-time and historical data on the photovoltaic power generation and grid-connected electricity output of the “light-storage-direct-flexible” system, cumulative charge and discharge cycles of energy storage, grid-supplied power, and building load consumption. By integrating monitoring data, the system can conduct operational analysis and, through intelligent scheduling, achieve resource conservation, economic operation, and safe, reliable, and smart management.

 

Innovation point:

 

Enhance energy efficiency: By integrating photovoltaic curtain walls and photovoltaic shading louvers, as well as clean energy and flexible DC distribution technologies for direct generation and direct use, reduce the overall energy consumption of buildings.

 

Reduce carbon emissions: Maximize the use of renewable solar energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

 

Enhanced Power Supply Stability: Equipped with off-grid independent operation capability, this significantly improves power supply reliability and ensures the stable operation of critical equipment within the building.

 

The internal low-voltage DC lighting technology enhances lighting efficiency and enables a green lighting model that features solar energy storage, self-generation, and self-consumption.

 

Digital Intelligence Platform Empowers Management

 

Behind the “Shell Building” lie Yunjin Zhijian’s independently developed smart construction cloud management system, “Ruiling Cloud,” and the upcoming energy management platform, “Ruine Cloud.” The former integrates features such as digital large screens, video surveillance, and online drawing approvals, providing comprehensive oversight of construction safety, quality, and progress. The latter collects energy consumption data in real time, enabling energy use to be visible, measurable, and manageable. These two platforms empower each other, together forming the “neural center” for the entire lifecycle of construction projects.

 

 

BIM With digital twins, usher in a new era of photovoltaic energy.

 

The airline base photovoltaic energy monitoring system developed by Gouli Technology, which is based on BIM and digital twin technologies, has taken the operation and management of integrated solar-storage-direct-flexible systems to a new level of intelligence. By centrally predicting, collecting, and analyzing data, this system achieves information-based, automated, and intelligent management of power supply systems, reducing the occurrence of faults, enhancing energy utilization efficiency and operational management efficiency, and helping buildings maximize their use of photovoltaic energy.

 

System architecture diagram

 

The airline base photovoltaic energy monitoring system, based on BIM and digital twin technologies, is divided into a data layer, a platform layer, and an application layer.

 

Data Layer: Collects and transmits model data, facility and equipment data, meteorological data, and third-party application data.

Platform Layer: Serving as the bridge between the upper and lower layers, it processes and applies data from the data layer, providing a stable and secure foundational support for the application layer.

Application Layer: Embodies system functions and serves as the interaction interface between the system and the user, meeting users' business needs in photovoltaic-storage-direct-flexible operation and maintenance scenarios.

 

Microgrid Energy Management System

 

The microgrid energy management system focuses on business activities on both the energy supply side and the energy application side. By leveraging data processing capabilities—including simulation, collection, monitoring, and correction of data from both ends—this system provides optimized recommendations and dispatch guidance for energy supply and application.

 

Through bidirectional monitoring and control from the supply side and the application side, photovoltaic systems, energy storage systems, and load devices are effectively configured and managed, thereby enhancing the efficiency of energy scheduling, allocation, and utilization.

 

The carbon emission management system is a comprehensive feature designed to monitor energy consumption and carbon emissions within photovoltaic-storage-direct-flexible systems. Focusing primarily on energy consumption simulation, energy consumption analysis, and carbon emission monitoring, this feature helps users achieve refined oversight of energy use and effectively control carbon emissions.

 

 

Summary

 

In the future, Yunjin Zhijian will focus on the “AI + High-Quality Homes” approach, leveraging Beike Lou as its showcase platform. We’ll concentrate on the R&D of new materials, the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, and the integration of ecological chains, continuously optimizing user experience, accelerating our market-oriented transformation, and fostering the synergistic development of “high-quality homes” and zero-carbon buildings. We aim to provide replicable and scalable solutions for the industry’s green transformation.

 

 

Source of materials: Gouli Technology, China.org.cn, Shanghai Dazhou, and others