THERMAL AND ELECTRICAL PERFORMANCE OF SEMI-TRANSPARENT PV WINDOWS: NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

摘要

As semi-transparent photovoltaic windows are advancing within the building and window industry, the need for deeper understanding and quantification of their thermal and electrical behaviour is paramount. The objective of this work is to study and predict the thermal response and electric performance of a typical double-glazed insulated unit integrating STPV technologies on its outer glass layer. PV operating cell temperatures of up to 55.3°C were measured through an experimental study of a prototype STPV window. A numerical model was developed and verified based on the experimental data. The simulations showed that the highest operating cell temperatures occurred during the fall season with operating cell temperatures of up to 60°C, for a south-facing office facade incorporating STPV windows, located in Toronto, Canada.