Experimental assessment of the energy performance of microfluidic glazing components: The first results of a monitoring campaign carried out in an outdoor test facility

Abstract

Microfluidic glazing is a newly developed, adaptive, transparent component characterized by micro-channels filled with a circulating liquid, functioning as a heat exchanger and controlling the heat transfer through a façade. The performance of this glazing depends on its design and operation on site. The aim of this study is to present the results of an in-situ performance evaluation of microfluidic glazing components obtained from an experimental campaign in outdoor test cells, and to explore their potential and limitations under realistic working conditions. A case study has been conducted in Turin, Italy, in which two small south-oriented triple glazing units, upgraded with different functional elements, including a laminated semi-transparent Perovskite solar cell and microfluidic glazing, have been investigated under different operating conditions. Overall, the experimental campaign has shown a reduction in the heat exchange through the façade of about 70%. Moreover, this technology allows the temperature in the Perovskite solar cell to be decreased by as much as 10 °C, and the central glazing temperature to be reduced by as much as 41 °C, when set as the central panel, thereby effectively decreasing the risk of thermal degradation or thermal shocks. A temperature difference of 12 °C and 16 °C was recorded, depending on the modules, between the inlet and outlet temperatures.