Numerical and experimental investigation of precast concrete facade integrated with solar photovoltaic panels

Meng Li, Tao Ma, Jiaying Liu, Huanhuan Li, Yaling Xu, Wenbo Gu and Lu Shen

Applied Energy, 2019, vol. 253, issue C, -

Abstract: This paper proposes a novel approach to integrate photovoltaic (PV) panel into a precast concrete (PC) facade renamed PVPC facade, as a special application for prefabricated high-rising buildings. In the PVPC facade, PV panels and insulation are inserted into a reserved groove of the concrete wall, which could be easily installed and help achieve a smooth appearance of the facade. After developing its configuration and installation procedure, the thermal and electrical performance of the proposed PVPC facade is numerically simulated based on real-time ambient temperature and solar radiation data. The prototype of PVPC facade is constructed in a factory and then demonstrated in a field. Onsite operating data has been collected to validate simulation results and evaluate the performance of the proposed facade. The simulation results show that the PVPC facade can generate approximately 62.56 kWh/m2 electricity annually. The maximum temperature difference between external and internal PVPC facade is approximately 16.00 °C in summer and 35.03 °C in winter, demonstrating that the proposed PVPC facade can not only generate electricity but also reduce the cooling/heating load of the building, and in total about 64.34 kWh/m2 of electricity can be saved per year for the air-conditioning system due to the thermal resistance effect of the PVPC facade. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to study the influence of certain factors, such as the thickness of the insulation, air gap and wind speed, on the thermal and electrical performance of PVPC facade. Finally, based on the numerical simulations, an optimal thickness of insulation is suggested.

Keywords: Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV); Precast concrete facade; Thermal and electrical performance; Parametric analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.113509

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