A Building-Integrated Bifacial and Transparent PV Generator Operated by an “Under-Glass” Single Axis Solar Tracker
Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) play a key role in the world energy transition. This is motivating the scientific community to develop innovative electrical and thermal systems characterized by very high efficiency to specifically address the energy needs of modern buildings. Naturally, the int...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/17/6350 |
| _version_ | 1827728094396416000 |
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| author | Rosario Carbone Cosimo Borrello |
| author_facet | Rosario Carbone Cosimo Borrello |
| author_sort | Rosario Carbone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) play a key role in the world energy transition. This is motivating the scientific community to develop innovative electrical and thermal systems characterized by very high efficiency to specifically address the energy needs of modern buildings. Naturally, the integration of the latest generation photovoltaic (PV) systems into buildings helps to satisfy this need, and, with this objective in mind, an innovative and highly efficient building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system is presented and discussed in this paper. The proposed PV system is purpose-built to be fully integrated into a variety of buildings (preferably into their rooftops) and assumes the form of a PV skylight. It is based on a certain number of innovative rotating bifacial PV modules, which are specifically made to be installed “under-glass” within a custom-made transparent casing. Thanks to their properties, the PV modules can be rotated using a very low-power, reliable, and efficient mono-axial solar tracking system, fully protected against adverse atmospheric agents. Once the proposed PV skylight is fully integrated into a building, it generates electricity and, additionally, helps to improve both the energy performance and the aesthetic appearance of the building. The electricity generation and illuminance performances of the proposed PV skylight are experimentally tested using a low-power homemade prototype driven by different solar tracking logics and under different operating conditions; the most relevant results are summarized and extensively discussed. The main outcome of the experimental study is that the most effective performance of the PV skylight is obtained by installing, in its available surface, the maximum possible number of rotating bifacial PV modules, side by side and with no empty spaces between them. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:23:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3eeae6036314423d9634f3e7ac7e6cad |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:23:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-3eeae6036314423d9634f3e7ac7e6cad2023-11-19T08:06:43ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732023-09-011617635010.3390/en16176350A Building-Integrated Bifacial and Transparent PV Generator Operated by an “Under-Glass” Single Axis Solar TrackerRosario Carbone0Cosimo Borrello1Dipartimento dell’Informazione, delle Infrastrutture e dell’Energia Sostenibile—“D.I.I.E.S.”, University “Mediterranea” of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDipartimento dell’Informazione, delle Infrastrutture e dell’Energia Sostenibile—“D.I.I.E.S.”, University “Mediterranea” of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, ItalyNearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) play a key role in the world energy transition. This is motivating the scientific community to develop innovative electrical and thermal systems characterized by very high efficiency to specifically address the energy needs of modern buildings. Naturally, the integration of the latest generation photovoltaic (PV) systems into buildings helps to satisfy this need, and, with this objective in mind, an innovative and highly efficient building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system is presented and discussed in this paper. The proposed PV system is purpose-built to be fully integrated into a variety of buildings (preferably into their rooftops) and assumes the form of a PV skylight. It is based on a certain number of innovative rotating bifacial PV modules, which are specifically made to be installed “under-glass” within a custom-made transparent casing. Thanks to their properties, the PV modules can be rotated using a very low-power, reliable, and efficient mono-axial solar tracking system, fully protected against adverse atmospheric agents. Once the proposed PV skylight is fully integrated into a building, it generates electricity and, additionally, helps to improve both the energy performance and the aesthetic appearance of the building. The electricity generation and illuminance performances of the proposed PV skylight are experimentally tested using a low-power homemade prototype driven by different solar tracking logics and under different operating conditions; the most relevant results are summarized and extensively discussed. The main outcome of the experimental study is that the most effective performance of the PV skylight is obtained by installing, in its available surface, the maximum possible number of rotating bifacial PV modules, side by side and with no empty spaces between them.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/17/6350NZEBtransparent BIPVbifacial PV cellssolar trackersPV skylights |
| spellingShingle | Rosario Carbone Cosimo Borrello A Building-Integrated Bifacial and Transparent PV Generator Operated by an “Under-Glass” Single Axis Solar Tracker Energies NZEB transparent BIPV bifacial PV cells solar trackers PV skylights |
| title | A Building-Integrated Bifacial and Transparent PV Generator Operated by an “Under-Glass” Single Axis Solar Tracker |
| title_full | A Building-Integrated Bifacial and Transparent PV Generator Operated by an “Under-Glass” Single Axis Solar Tracker |
| title_fullStr | A Building-Integrated Bifacial and Transparent PV Generator Operated by an “Under-Glass” Single Axis Solar Tracker |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Building-Integrated Bifacial and Transparent PV Generator Operated by an “Under-Glass” Single Axis Solar Tracker |
| title_short | A Building-Integrated Bifacial and Transparent PV Generator Operated by an “Under-Glass” Single Axis Solar Tracker |
| title_sort | building integrated bifacial and transparent pv generator operated by an under glass single axis solar tracker |
| topic | NZEB transparent BIPV bifacial PV cells solar trackers PV skylights |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/17/6350 |
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