Influence of Air Layer Characteristics on the Heat Transfer Performance of Photovoltaic Dairy Barn Roofs

Qi Wang, Yunying Liu, Fei Qi, Xinyi Du, Geqi Yan, Zhen Wang, Hui Liu, Chaoyuan Wang and Zhengxiang Shi ()
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Qi Wang: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Yunying Liu: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Fei Qi: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Xinyi Du: Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Geqi Yan: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
Zhen Wang: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Hui Liu: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Chaoyuan Wang: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Zhengxiang Shi: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 18, 1-16

Abstract: To enhance energy utilization efficiency, dairy farmers have increasingly adopted photovoltaic (PV) panels on barn roofs. However, there is currently a general separation between the barn construction and the additional aspects of the PV system. It is unclear to dairy farmers whether rooftop PV panels will have an impact on the dairy barn, particularly on the thermal environment. This study investigated the influence of air layer properties, specifically thickness and ventilation conditions, on the thermal performance of PV dairy barn roofs. Utilizing the harmonic analysis method, the study quantified its dynamic thermal properties. The results demonstrated that increasing the air layer thickness in ventilated roofs decreases heat flux and improves thermal resistance (1.67–2.15 times higher than non-PV roofs). In contrast, sealed air layers exhibit consistently high thermal resistance (up to 3.33 times higher). Optimizing ventilated air layer thickness (0.20–0.30 m) effectively minimizes heat ingress and prevents PV efficiency degradation. These results provide valuable insights for optimizing the design of energy-efficient PV dairy barns, enhancing thermal comfort, and contributing to low-carbon energy solutions in livestock facilities.

Keywords: photovoltaic systems; dairy barn thermal performance; air layer; harmonic analysis; energy optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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