Area Compensation of Solar Panels Integrated onto the Facades of Buildings

摘要

In this study,a simple mathematical procedure was developed to estimate the area compensation of solar panels mounted with any orientation as compared with that of solar panels with optimal orientation for a given energy demand.Results indicate that the area compensation factor,a ratio of annual collectible energy on a solar panel with an optimal orientation to that with any orientation,of solar panels integrated onto the facades of buildings is between 1 and 1.75 in China,and that the factor is determined by the site latitude,tilt and azimuth angles of the facades as well as the annual average atmospheric clearness index in site.For south-facing facades,the area compensation factor is related to the slope of facades and site latitude,and correlations for a quick estimation of area compensation factor for different slope of facades are obtained based on the climatic data of 71 cities in China.Results also reveal that,with the increase in tilt and azimuth angles,the area compensation factor of solar panels increases and reaches its maximum for solar panels integrated onto the western or eastern walls.Results in this project demonstrate that in northern China,such as the areas with site latitude greater than 34,it is appropriate to install solar panels on the southfacing wall of buildings,whereas in southern China,it is advisable to install solar panels onto the south-facing gable-roofs of buildings.