Experimental and numerical performance evaluation of building integrated photovoltaic with thermoelectric generator and phase change material

Abstract

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) are the most promising systems for achieving zero-energy building in cities. However, BIPV has some shortcomings, such as a lack of solar tracking and a rapid increase in the PV surface temperature. Therefore, resolving these shortcomings requires system solutions to eliminate heat from panels or utilize heat sources to improve system efficiency. Heat dissipation methods using phase change materials (PCMs), heat fins, thermoelectric generators, air cooling, and water cooling have been proposed and studied. Among them, the passive technology PCM and thermoelectric generator are attracting attention. Using PCM can reduce the panel temperature without additional energy consumption. In addition, some studies have been conducted on BIPVs with a thermoelectric generator (TEG) or using a working fluid such as water or air to increase the system efficiency. Methods of heat recovery using fluids for conventional PV panels, owing to the characteristics of BIPVs installed on the exterior of building walls, have also been proposed. Some studies have also explored designs that combine TEGs, generating electric power depending on the temperature difference without additional equipment. However, TEGs also have the disadvantage of an extremely low power generation efficiency if they do not achieve a sufficient temperature difference. In this study, to address the shortcomings of each application, a BIPV combined with a PCM and TEG (BIPV-TEG-PCM) is proposed. Herein, the appropriate phase change temperature of the PCM and heat sink design in the PCM container were analyzed through computational fluid dynamics-based simulations and experiments.