A novel building integrated photovoltaic/thermal wall for hot water-electrical power co-generation

Subei Bu, Haotian Yang, Yuanli Lyu, Xuejun Qi, Qian Li and Rong Gao

Renewable Energy, 2025, vol. 239, issue C

Abstract: Building integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPV/T) technologies offer a promising approach for building envelopes to improve both aesthetics and sustainability. Generally, traditional BIPV/T systems operate with open-loop cooling water systems that rely on pumps for circulation and limit flexibility. This study proposed a novel natural circulating-based BIPV/T system, with closed-loop cooling water systems. With the system, a transient model was developed. Firstly, this model was implemented in Chengdu to explore the impact of design parameters, include water layer thickness, pipe diameter and flow rate of feedwater, on the system. After parameter analysis, the optimal water thickness of 8 mm, feedwater flow rate of 5 kg/h, and pipe diameter of 2 cm were identified. Then, to further explore the feasibility of this system in different regions of China, energy-saving simulations of the system were conducted among 371 cities in China. The results reveals that the BIPV/T system is particularly effective in warmer climates, such as southern China, where energy harvesting efficiency can reach 0.56. While in severe cold regions, such as Qinghai–Xizang Plateau and northeastern China, the energy harvesting efficiency is merely about 0.3. This study highlights the promising potential for the novel BIPV/T systems to enhance energy efficiency in suitable environments.

Keywords: Building integrated photovoltaic; Hot water generation; Building envelopes; Climatic conditions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148124021712
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:239:y:2025:i:c:s0960148124021712

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.122103

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable Energy is currently edited by Soteris A. Kalogirou and Paul Christodoulides

More articles in Renewable Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().