Smart solar concentrators for building integrated photovoltaic façades

In this study a novel static concentrating photovoltaic (PV) system, suitable for use in windows or glazing façades, has been designed. The developed smart Concentrating PV (CPV) system is lightweight, low cost and able to generate electricity. Additionally, this system automatically responds to cli...

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Main Authors: Wu, Yupeng, Connelly, Karen, Liu, Yuzhe, Gu, Xiaowen, Gao, Yanfeng, Chen, George Z.
Format: Article
Published: Elsevier 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/40115/
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author Wu, Yupeng
Connelly, Karen
Liu, Yuzhe
Gu, Xiaowen
Gao, Yanfeng
Chen, George Z.
author_facet Wu, Yupeng
Connelly, Karen
Liu, Yuzhe
Gu, Xiaowen
Gao, Yanfeng
Chen, George Z.
author_sort Wu, Yupeng
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description In this study a novel static concentrating photovoltaic (PV) system, suitable for use in windows or glazing façades, has been designed. The developed smart Concentrating PV (CPV) system is lightweight, low cost and able to generate electricity. Additionally, this system automatically responds to climate by varying the balance of electricity generated from the PV with the amount of solar light and heat permitted through it into the building. It therefore offers the potential to contribute to, and control, energy consumption within buildings. A comprehensive optical analysis of the smart CPV is undertaken via 3-D ray tracing technique. To obtain optimal overall optical performance of the novel smart CPV analysis has been based upon all necessary design parameters including the average reflectivity of the thermotropic reflective layer, the glazing cover dimension, the glazing cover materials as well as the dimensions of the solar cells. In addition, a hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) hydrogel polymer, suitable for use as the reflective thermotropic layer for the smart CPV system, was synthesized and experimentally studied.
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publishDate 2016
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spelling nottingham-401152020-05-04T18:05:13Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/40115/ Smart solar concentrators for building integrated photovoltaic façades Wu, Yupeng Connelly, Karen Liu, Yuzhe Gu, Xiaowen Gao, Yanfeng Chen, George Z. In this study a novel static concentrating photovoltaic (PV) system, suitable for use in windows or glazing façades, has been designed. The developed smart Concentrating PV (CPV) system is lightweight, low cost and able to generate electricity. Additionally, this system automatically responds to climate by varying the balance of electricity generated from the PV with the amount of solar light and heat permitted through it into the building. It therefore offers the potential to contribute to, and control, energy consumption within buildings. A comprehensive optical analysis of the smart CPV is undertaken via 3-D ray tracing technique. To obtain optimal overall optical performance of the novel smart CPV analysis has been based upon all necessary design parameters including the average reflectivity of the thermotropic reflective layer, the glazing cover dimension, the glazing cover materials as well as the dimensions of the solar cells. In addition, a hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) hydrogel polymer, suitable for use as the reflective thermotropic layer for the smart CPV system, was synthesized and experimentally studied. Elsevier 2016-08-31 Article PeerReviewed Wu, Yupeng, Connelly, Karen, Liu, Yuzhe, Gu, Xiaowen, Gao, Yanfeng and Chen, George Z. (2016) Smart solar concentrators for building integrated photovoltaic façades. Solar Energy, 133 . pp. 111-118. ISSN 1471-1257 Smart concentrating PV; Ray tracing; Optical efficiency; Thermotropic layer http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X16002437 doi:10.1016/j.solener.2016.03.046 doi:10.1016/j.solener.2016.03.046
spellingShingle Smart concentrating PV; Ray tracing; Optical efficiency; Thermotropic layer
Wu, Yupeng
Connelly, Karen
Liu, Yuzhe
Gu, Xiaowen
Gao, Yanfeng
Chen, George Z.
Smart solar concentrators for building integrated photovoltaic façades
title Smart solar concentrators for building integrated photovoltaic façades
title_full Smart solar concentrators for building integrated photovoltaic façades
title_fullStr Smart solar concentrators for building integrated photovoltaic façades
title_full_unstemmed Smart solar concentrators for building integrated photovoltaic façades
title_short Smart solar concentrators for building integrated photovoltaic façades
title_sort smart solar concentrators for building integrated photovoltaic façades
topic Smart concentrating PV; Ray tracing; Optical efficiency; Thermotropic layer
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/40115/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/40115/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/40115/