Thermal analysis of a house made of composite walls comprising of a solar PV panel and an epoxy/Al polymer located in Gulmarg

Abstract

Thermal analysis of a house situated in Gulmarg made of composite walls comprising a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel and an epoxy/Al polymer has been performed analytically for a day. The PV panels absorb solar radiation; a part of it is used to produce electricity and the rest is converted to heat, which increases the temperature of the panel. The polymer sheet attached to the panel absorbs heat from the panel and conducts it to the room inside. The east, west and south walls contribute to heat transfer from the outside to the inside of the room. The northern wall is cool compared to other walls and contributes significantly to heat losses. Room temperature was found to increase uniformly and attain 26.4°C by 5 pm, thereby reducing the requirement for room heating during the daytime. It can be concluded that the composite wall is able to heat the room and can produce electricity during the daytime to meet energy demand.

KEYWORDS:

• Composite wall
• heat transfer
• metal-doped polymer
• thermal and electrical performance

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the support provided by Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology, Delhi for testing the sample. The author also acknowledges the support provided by the Laboratory for Advanced Research of Polymeric Materials (LARPM), Bhubaneswar, Odisha for testing the prepared samples.

Disclosure statement

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