A prototype photovoltaic/thermal system integrated with transpired collector

Journal Article · Sat Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Solar Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SOLENER.2010.10.008· OSTI ID:21401378

Athienitis, Andreas K; Bambara, James; O'Neill, Brendan; Faille, Jonathan ^[1]

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1. Dept. of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 Maisonneuve W., Montreal, Quebec (Canada)

Building-integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPV/T) systems may be utilized to produce useful heat while simultaneously generating electricity from the same building envelope surface. A well known highly efficient collector is the open-loop unglazed transpired collector (UTC) which consists of dark porous cladding through which outdoor air is drawn and heated by absorbed solar radiation. Commercially available photovoltaic systems typically produce electricity with efficiencies up to about 18%. Thus, it is beneficial to obtain much of the normally wasted heat from the systems, possibly by combining UTC with photovoltaics. Combination of BIPV/T and UTC systems for building facades is considered in this paper - specifically, the design of a prototype facade-integrated photovoltaic/thermal system with transpired collector (BIPV/T). A full scale prototype is constructed with 70% of UTC area covered with PV modules specially designed to enhance heat recovery and compared to a UTC of the same area under outdoor sunny conditions with low wind. The orientation of the corrugations in the UTC is horizontal and the black-framed modules are attached so as to facilitate flow into the UTC plenum. While the overall combined thermal efficiency of the UTC is higher than that of the BIPV/T system, the value of the generated energy - assuming that electricity is at least four times more valuable than heat - is between 7% and 17% higher. Also, the electricity is always useful while the heat is usually utilized only in the heating season. The BIPV/T concept is applied to a full scale office building demonstration project in Montreal, Canada. The ratio of photovoltaic area coverage of the UTC may be selected based on the fresh air heating needs of the building, the value of the electricity generated and the available building surfaces. (author)

• OSTI ID: 21401378
• Journal Information: Solar Energy, Vol. 85, Issue 1; Other Information: Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved; ISSN 0038-092X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
14 SOLAR ENERGY
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES
OFFICE BUILDINGS
AIR
HEAT
THERMAL EFFICIENCY
HEAT RECOVERY
POROUS MATERIALS
QUEBEC
ROOFS
SURFACES
DESIGN
ORIENTATION
WALLS
WIND
SOLAR ARCHITECTURE
SOLAR AIR HEATERS
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
Unglazed transpired collectors
Air preheating
Equivalent efficiency