A novel vacuum-photovoltaic glazing integrated thermoelectric cooler/warmer for environmental adaptation: thermal performance modelling

Abstract

Vacuum-photovoltaic glazing, renowned for exceptional thermal insulation and solar energy utilization, faces limitations in its adaptability to varying seasons. While it effectively reduces heat transmission into indoor spaces during summer, it becomes detrimental during winter. To address this challenge, this study introduces an innovative solution: vacuum-photovoltaic-thermoelectric (VPT) glazing, which integrates vacuum, photovoltaic and thermoelectric cooling/warming technologies. The theoretical models were developed and validated through WINDOW and Fluent simulations. A comparative analysis is conducted considering thermal performance under various environmental parameters. The results demonstrate that VPT glazing exhibits enhanced thermal performance, with interior glass temperature decreased by 3.0–9.6oC in summer while increased by 2.5–6.2oC in winter, accounting for ∼55.0 % reduction in air-conditioning load. Compared to vacuum-photovoltaic glazing, VPT glazing reduces the coupling U-value from 7.88 to 5.87 W m−2 K−1 in summer and increases from −0.31 to 2.61 W m−2 K−1 in winter. The solar heat gain coefficient decreases from 0.37 to 0.30 in summer and increases from 0.24 to 0.29 in winter. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of VPT glazing in adapting to different seasons and achieving better thermal environment performance. This study provides insights into VPT glazing design for environmental adaptation and offers implications for future research and applications in energy-efficient building technologies.