An advanced exhausting airflow photovoltaic curtain wall system coupled with an air source heat pump for outdoor air treatment: Energy-saving performance assessment

Abstract

Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) and air source heat pump (ASHP) technologies have emerged as promising solutions for building energy conservation. However, traditional solar buildings face limitations such as overheating, limited efficiency, and singular functionality; additionally, ASHPs suffer from a low coefficient of performance (COP) due to high condensing temperatures or low evaporating temperatures; the process of outdoor air handling proves energy-intensive. To address these challenges, this study proposes an innovative exhausting ventilation PV curtain wall system coupled with ASHP units (EVPV-HP) for outdoor air treatment. This system features a fine combination of PV cooling, supply air reheating, and heat recovery from both the PV facade and exhaust air. The mathematical model of the BIPV curtain wall, based on energy balance equations, is developed and solved using Matlab programming. This model is then combined with the ASHP system model established in TRNSYS to predict the year-round energy performance of the hybrid system. The findings demonstrate that the EVPV-HP system achieves seasonal energy efficiencies of 5.08 for cooling and 4.06 for heating operation modes. Compared to a conventional system, the EVPV-HP system enhances yearly energy efficiency by 17.05 % owing to increased PV production, reduced air-conditioning load, and improved COP. Furthermore, parametric analysis suggests that the system exhibits improved performance under higher solar irradiation and hotter weather conditions during summer. Conversely, in winter, the system performs better under lower ambient temperatures with incident radiation around 800 W/m2.