Performance Assessment of the Curved-Type Multi-Channel Pv Roof for Space-Heating and Electricity Generation in Winter

Abstract

The curved-type PV roof integrated with flexible PV tiles is a novel attempt to implement the building-integrated photovoltaic/thermal technology into diverse genres of architectural design. To explore its performance in the function of electricity generation and space-heating, different ventilation configurations of the air channels are adopted in the design of the multi-air-channels of the system; two working modes (fresh-air-heating - FAH and recirculated-air-heating - RAH) are applied in the system’s operation. The case study is based on a residential building linked with the system in Hefei, China. The performance assessment is conducted on a typical sunny winter day and through the winter of the Typical Meteorological Year. The investigation results indicate that the RAH mode could increase the indoor air temperature more. However, the electrical power output shows a disadvantage due to the relatively poor PV cooling effect; increasing the connection air channels could enhance the indoor air heating but add the fan power consumption. The prediction throughout winter manifests that the all-in-parallel connection produces 1827.63 kWh (FAH) and 1574.55 kWh (RAH) of total energy, whereas the 6-in-series connection produces 2085.91 kWh (FAH) and 1618.99 kWh (RAH).

Keywords: BIPV/T, curved flexible PV, space-heating, multi-channel roof, performance assessment