Novel Design for a Diffusive Solar Cell Window

Ruei-Tang Chen,Jeng-Feng Lin,Hung-Hsiang Cheng,Sheng-Wei Chiou,Chih-Wen Lai,Chih-Chieh Kang

doi:10.1155/2015/675312

Ruei-Tang Chen, Jeng-Feng Lin + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/675312

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Abstract

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are an important application of future solar energy development. The incorporation of solar cells into windows must not only maintain indoor natural lighting but also generate electrical power at the same time. In our continuing effort to improve the design of diffusion solar window, a more fundamental and efficient three-layer structure—glass/EVA with TiO2nanoparticles embedded/glass—was proposed. In this work, a well-established ASAP ray-tracing model for a diffusive solar cell window was implemented to validate the outperformance of three-layer structure over primitive five-layer structure. Optical simulations were also implemented to perform its primary design for the determination of the optimal design parameters, such as the glass thickness, the EVA thickness, and the weight concentration of TiO2nanoparticles. Based on the simulation results, an optimal design for a three-layer diffusive solar cell window prototype was proposed. And the influence of both EVA thickness and glass thickness on the power edge-exitance (solar cell power generation efficiency) of a DSCW was thoroughly investigated.

Highlights

As one of the fast-growing segments in the solar cell industry, building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) could become the savior of the industry with decreasing government financial subsidies globally
For a 640 × 640 mm diffusive solar cell window (DSCW), the simulation results, as shown in Figure 3, demonstrated a consistent trend: the edge-exitance slowly increased to flat top and transmittance decreased steadily as the nanoparticle concentration in
The simulation results agreed with our hypothesis about the light loss due to the absorption of medium in a diffusion layer of a DSCW

Summary

Introduction

As one of the fast-growing segments in the solar cell industry, building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) could become the savior of the industry with decreasing government financial subsidies globally. By solely disposing thin strips of monocrystalline solar cells around the edges of the laminated glass, it generates less electricity compared to traditional BIPVs [8–10]. A novel three-layer structure of a DSCW was proposed Its optimal design parameters, such as the thickness of both EVA and glass and the weight concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles, were determined.

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