Experimental study on thermoelectric effect pattern analysis and novel thermoelectric coupling model of BIPV facade system

Abstract

Electrical and thermal energy are the primary forms of useful energy generated by building integrated photovoltaic façade (BIPV façade) systems, while their interaction during operation remains unclear. This study aims to analyze the energy generation patterns and quantify the impact of thermoelectric coupling in BIPV façade systems. Through long-term outdoor experiment conducted on an actual BIPV façade system, the underlying regularity of thermoelectric coupling was discovered by analyzing the electrical and thermal characteristics. Results showed that under same solar radiation, enlarged air channel spacing led to a 53.22% increase in air channel heat and a 12.27% increase in mean thermal efficiency. Additionally, the heat proportion increased by approximately 15%, while the electricity proportion decreased by 15%. Furthermore, the mathematical relationships of the thermoelectric association factors were determined to quantify the observed thermoelectric generation patterns. A novel thermoelectric coupling model was established and validated with errors below 6.21% for accurate estimation of thermoelectric performance under actual operating conditions. Results emphasized both thermal and electrical energy generation of BIPV façade, which offers a new perspective on the comprehensive utilization of thermoelectric association in BIPV façade design and building applications, opening avenues for enhanced energy efficiency in renewable energy systems.