Building-integrated photovoltaic system integrating PCM on sides

Researchers from China's Jinan University, Anhui University of Technology, and Wuhan University have designed a new type of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) system—double-PCM BIPV composite envelope (BIPV-dPCM). The system consists of multiple layers, using 30mm phase change materials (PCM) on each side of the wall to reduce the operating temperature of the photovoltaic system.

Source: pv magazine

Through numerical model, researchers have found experiments that it achieves excellent thermoelectric coupling performance compared to other systems.

During the day, the photovoltaic panel converts solar radiation into electric energy, generating excess heat that is directed indoors. The PCM attached to the back of the photovoltaic panel absorbs the heat, causing it to melt, thereby reducing the photovoltaic temperature and improving power generation efficiency.

At night, the PCM near the indoor area begins to solidify and release heat, thus keeping the indoor temperature fluctuation small and reducing the peak load difference. At the same time, the integration of PCM and BIPV is helpful to improve solar energy utilization, reduce indoor heat load and promote the development of low-carbon buildings.

Source: pv magazine

To verify the proposed new BIPV-dPCM envelope's capability of considering both power generation and thermal insulation performance, researchers simulated the system in a 5m room facing south on the middle floor of a residential building in Guangzhou. By comparing with the other three typical shells, the new system can more effectively improve overall energy efficiency, reduce energy damage to each component, and enhance temperature control. However, the internal effective energy loss of photovoltaic modules accounts for more than 80%, so it is necessary to adopt cooling technologies such as ventilation.