Energy performance of a reversible window integrated with photovoltaic blinds in Harbin

Abstract

A reversible window integrated with photovoltaic blinds (RW-PVB) has the potential to achieve higher solar energy utilization efficiency and reduce net electricity consumption (NEC) of building when compared with conventional photovoltaic window (CPVW). However, research on the overall energy performance of RW-PVB is still required to provide methods for exploiting the energy saving potential of RW-PVB and optimizing its design. To this end, this study developed a comprehensive model of RW-PVB to evaluate and balance its thermal, electrical and daylighting performance by considering different types of PV glazing, window to wall ratios (WWRs) and orientations. The results showed that the four types of RW-PVBs selected, including amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), and perovskite solar cell (PSC) ones, all performed better in reducing NEC when compared with the corresponding CPVW in Harbin, a representative heating dominated city in China. The net energy saving ratios ranged from 2.16 to 13.10% varying with the type of RW-PVB. The three orientations studied, namely the southwest, south and southeast ones, did not have a significant impact on the near optimal WWR which were about 0.3, 0.6, 0.3 and 0.5 for a-Si, CdTe, DSSC and PSC RW-PVBs, respectively. The south orientation was the most beneficial to the installation of RW-PVB for NEC reduction among the three orientations selected.