Coupled optical-thermal-electrical modelling of translucent photovoltaic curtain wall considering indoor lighting

Abstract

The thermal, optical and electrical properties of PV curtain walls are coupled, and the results obtained from a single calculation model are biased. Therefore, the development of a coupled thermal-optical-electrical performance model for crystalline silicon PV curtain walls is essential for their thermal-optical-electrical performance analysis. In this paper, light harvesting calculation models, heat transfer calculation models and power generation calculation models are developed based on the structural characteristics of translucent crystalline silicon photovoltaic curtain walls, and the coupled calculation models are developed using the linkage between some input and output parameters and the parameters of the calculation process. An experimental platform for translucent crystalline silicon photovoltaic curtain walls was built and the performance parameters of light, heat transfer and power generation of photovoltaic curtain walls and ordinary curtain walls were calculated according to the experimental conditions. The coupled model is then used to analyse the thermal, optical and electrical performance of buildings with translucent PV curtain walls with different PV module distribution methods and comprehensive energy consumption under the five thermal zones, and the best solution is given for the PV module distribution methods of translucent PV curtain walls in each of the five thermal zones based on the results of the light and comprehensive energy consumption studies.