Technical performance analysis of the smart solar photovoltaic blinds based on the solar tracking methods considering the climate factors

Abstract

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many countries have decided to build nearly-zero-energy buildings (nZEBs) with renewable energy sources. Among the various products that can be applied to buildings to produce clean energy, the demand for the solar photovoltaic blinds (SPB), an emerging technology for building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system applications that can simultaneously block the incoming sunlight and generate electricity, is increasing. Thus, to maximize the technical performance of SPB (the solar radiation reaching the PV panel), it is important to develop a method that can accurately track the sun's position considering the various climate factors. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a technical performance analysis of SPB based on the solar tracking method considering the climate factors. Towards this end, this study conducted an experiment in South Korea using the prototype model of smart SPB. The results demonstrate that the technical performance of smart SPB can be improved up to 24.8% by using the optimal solar tracking method considering the climate factors. This study can help in further developing a hybrid solar tracking method for maximizing the technical performance of smart SPB considering the climate factors.