Investigation on the optical, thermal, and electrical performance of photovoltaic-aerogel glazing system under different weather conditions

Yang Liu, Yujie Wang, Xianling Wang, Yifan Xu, Xueling Li, Yue Liu, Youming Chen, Lin Lu and XueHong Wu

Energy, 2025, vol. 326, issue C

Abstract: Aerogel materials have gained increasing attention in building applications due to their exceptional thermal insulation properties and optical transparency. This study proposes a photovoltaic-aerogel glazing system (PAGS), offering better energy-saving potential than conventional photovoltaic glazing systems (PVGS). A comprehensive coupled numerical model integrating optical, thermal and electrical processes was established to evaluate its performance across five climate zones in China. The key findings include: (1) The aerogel interlayer reduces PV cell temperatures by 12.9 %–21.6 % through enhanced thermal management, significantly improving power conversion efficiency; (2) PAGS performs best in Severe Cold Regions, saving 75.66 % of heating load each year. In Cold Regions and Hot-Summer Cold-Winter Regions, PAGS improves by 73.49 % and 70.42 % respectively compared to PVGS; (3) Except for the Hot-Summer Warm-Winter Regions where the best installation direction is north, the best installation direction in other areas is south; (4) Climate adaptability analysis confirms optimal performance in cold climate areas, from best to worst: Severe Cold Regions, Cold Regions, Hot-Summer Cold-Winter Regions, Temperate Regions, Hot-Summer Warm-Winter Regions. The demonstrated performance advantages position PAGS as a highly promising technology for next-generation energy-efficient buildings in cold climate applications.

Keywords: Photovoltaic-aerogel glazing system; Coupled numerical model; Energy performance; Climate regions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:326:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225019772

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.136335

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