Effect of movable insulation on performance of the Building integrated Semi-transparent Photovoltaic Thermal (BiSPVT) system for harsh cold climatic conditions: a case study

ABSTRACT

Semi-transparent photovoltaic modules are integrated with the building’s rooftop with the provision of movable insulation during off-sunshine hours to reduce the heat losses from room to the ambient. A significant rise in room air temperature of about 6°C at desired hours for cold climatic conditions of Srinagar, India was noted in this study. Also, a metallic drum filled with water has been placed inside the room to reduce the room temperature fluctuations, thus reducing the thermal load leveling. The study is also focused to analyse the simultaneous impact of natural ventilation, direct gain and daylight savings through the south-facing window, thus leading to daylight savings and reducing the dependency on artificial modes of illumination. The effect of water mass and packing factor has also been studied on electrical energy and daylight savings. Analytical expressions for water, metallic drum/tank, room, floor and solar cell temperatures have been derived.

KEYWORDS:

• BiSPVT
• water mass
• movable insulation

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Bag Energy Research Society, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad for their cooperation and help in the research work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).