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Solar Energy Application in Buildings

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2017) | Viewed by 71594

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Prof. Dr. Hongxing Yang

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Guest Editor

Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Interests: renewable energy applications and energy saving in buildings (solar cell materials; solar photovoltaic integration in buildings; wind power; hybrid solar-wind power; solar cooling and ground-coupled heat pump technologies)

Prof. Dr. Jinqing Peng

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Guest Editor

College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
Interests: renewable energy applications, building facade and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Karamanis

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Guest Editor

Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, 30100 Agrinio, Greece
Interests: renewable energy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid growth of world energy use has already caused problems of energy shortages and environment pollution. Exhaustion of fossil fuel energy resources, and severe environmental impacts, have seriously hindered global sustainable development. In addition, the contribution of energy consumption from buildings, both residential and commercial, has steadily increased and contributes to 30–40% of the overall energy use in developed countries. For developing countries, growth in population and urbanization, increasing demand for building services and comfort levels, together with the increased time spent inside buildings, assure that the sharp rise in trends in building energy use will continue for a long time.

Usually, a useful measure to reduce building energy use is integrating solar energy technologies in buildings. Thus, to further spread the technologies and methods related to solar energy application in buildings, this Special Issue, entitled “ Solar Energy Application in Buildings”, was proposed for the international journal Energies, which is an SSCI and SCIE journal (2015 IF = 2.072). This Special Issue mainly covers original research and studies related to the above-mentioned topics, including, but not limited to, solar cells and material, building integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPV/T), solar-assisted heat pumps, passive solar energy technologies, solar lighting, distributed energy systems, and so on. Papers selected for this Special Issue are subject to a rigorous peer review procedure with the aim of rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments and applications.

I am writing to invite you to submit your original work to this Special Issue. I am looking forward to receiving your outstanding research.

Prof. Hongxing Yang
Dr. Jinqing Peng
Dr. Dimitrios Karamanis
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Solar cells and material
Building integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPV/T)
Solar-assisted heat pump
Solar water heater
Solar energy passive technologies
Solar lighting
Energy storage technologies
Distributed energy systems
Energy efficiency in buildings

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

8600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diurnal Thermal Behavior of Photovoltaic Panel with Phase Change Materials under Different Weather Conditions

by Jae-Han Lim, Yoon-Sun Lee and Yoon-Bok Seong

Energies 2017, 10(12), 1983; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10121983 - 01 Dec 2017

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5079

Abstract

The electric power generation efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) panels depends on the solar irradiation flux and the operating temperature of the solar cell. To increase the power generation efficiency of a PV system, this study evaluated the feasibility of phase change materials (PCMs) to reduce the temperature rise of solar cells operating under the climate in Seoul, Korea. For this purpose, two PCMs with different phase change characteristics were prepared and the phase change temperatures and thermal conductivities were compared. The diurnal thermal behavior of PV panels with PCMs under the Seoul climate was evaluated using a 2-D transient thermal analysis program. This paper discusses the heat flow characteristics though the PV cell with PCMs and the effects of the PCM types and macro-packed PCM (MPPCM) methods on the operating temperatures under different weather conditions. Selection of the PCM type was more important than the MMPCM methods when PCMs were used to enhance the performance of PV panels and the mean operating temperature of PV cell and total heat flux from the surface could be reduced by increasing the heat transfer rate through the honeycomb grid steel container for PCMs. Considering the mean operating temperature reduction of 4 °C by PCM in this study, an efficiency improvement of approximately 2% can be estimated under the weather conditions of Seoul. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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Open AccessArticle

Perforated Thermal Mass Shading: An Approach to Winter Solar Shading and Energy, Shading and Daylighting Performance

by Lingjiang Huang and Shuangping Zhao

Energies 2017, 10(12), 1955; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10121955 - 24 Nov 2017

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4677

Abstract

Direct solar irradiance may cause thermal discomfort, even in winter when the ambient temperature is low and especially for high-altitude locations with a high intensity of solar radiation. Thus winter solar shading might be required and, if used, must achieve a balance between the prevention of the transmittance of solar irradiance, the utilization of passive solar heat and the supply of adequate natural daylighting. These considerations render conventional solutions of solar shading inapplicable in the winter. In this paper, a novel approach to perforated thermal mass shading for winter is reported and examined. The impacts of the perforated percentage and the opening positions of this shading device on energy, shading and daylighting performance were assessed for south- and west-facing orientations. A range of perforated percentages and vertical and horizontal positions were tested using simulations by Energyplus and Daysim. Our results indicate that the proposed perforated thermal mass shading is efficient for the integrated performance of shading, daylighting and energy savings in the south-facing orientation, while it achieves acceptable performance in shading and daylighting in the west-facing orientation for a high-altitude cold climate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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2569 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Production of Animated Image Photovoltaic Modules

by Yu-Chih Ou, Hsin-Yu Wu, Chia-Hsun Hsu, Yeu-Long Jiang and Shui-Yang Lien

Energies 2017, 10(11), 1712; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10111712 - 26 Oct 2017

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4149

Abstract

This paper develops fifth-generation-sized silicon thin-film tandem photovoltaic (PV) modules with animated images. Front PV cell stripes are created using a laser scribing technique, and specially edited and shifted images are printed onto the back glass. After encapsulating the front PV module with the back glass, the animated image effect can then be clearly seen from various positions. The PV module that can display three images has a stabilized power output of 87 W. The remarkable features of this module such as its animated image display, semitransparency, and acceptable power loss give it great potential for use in building-integrated photovoltaics. This paper could help improve the aesthetic appearance of PV modules, which may increase users’ or architects’ willingness to install PV modules on buildings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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5252 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Field Measurement and Evaluation of the Passive and Active Solar Heating Systems for Residential Building Based on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Case

by Zhijian Liu, Di Wu, Miao Jiang, Hancheng Yu and Wensheng Ma

Energies 2017, 10(11), 1706; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10111706 - 26 Oct 2017

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3755

Abstract

Passive and active solar heating systems have drawn much attention and are widely used in residence buildings in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau due to its high radiation intensity. In fact, there is still lack of quantitative evaluation of the passive and active heating effect, especially for residential building in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau areas. In this study, three kinds of heating strategies, including reference condition, passive solar heating condition and active solar heating condition, were tested in one demonstration residential building. The hourly air temperatures of each room under different conditions were obtained and analyzed. The results show the indoor air temperature in the living room and bedrooms (core zones) was much higher than that of other rooms under both passive and active solar heating conditions. In addition, the heating effect with different strategies for core zones of the building was evaluated by the ratio of indoor and outdoor degree hour, which indicates that solar heating could effectively reduce the traditional energy consumption and improve the indoor thermal environment. The passive solar heating could undertake 49.8% degree hours for heating under an evaluation criterion of 14 °C and the active solar heating could undertake 75% degree hours for heating under evaluation criterion of 18 °C, which indicated that solar heating could effectively reduce the traditional energy consumption and improve the indoor thermal environment in this area. These findings could provide reference for the design and application of solar heating in similar climate areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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4377 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Flat Optical Fiber Daylighting System with Lateral Displacement Sun-Tracking Mechanism for Indoor Lighting

by Ngoc Hai Vu and Seoyong Shin

Energies 2017, 10(10), 1679; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10101679 - 23 Oct 2017

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5729

Abstract

An essential impact which can improve the indoor environment and save on power consumption for artificial lighting is utilization of daylight. Optical fiber daylighting technology offers a way to use direct daylight for remote spaces in a building. However, the existing paradigm based on the precise orientation of sunlight concentrator toward the Sun is very costly and difficult to install on the roof of buildings. Here, we explore an alternative approach using mirror-coated lens array and planar waveguide to develop a flat optical fiber daylighting system (optical fiber daylighting panel) with lateral displacement Sun-tracking mechanism. Sunlight collected and reflected by each mirror-coated lens in a rectangular lens array is coupled into a planar waveguide using cone prisms placed at each lens focus. This geometry yields a thin, flat profile for Sunlight concentrator. Our proposed concentrating panel can be achieved with 35 mm thickness while the concentrator’s width and length are 500 mm × 500 mm. The commercial optical simulation tool (LightTools^TM) was used to develop the simulation models and analyze the system performance. Simulation results based on the designed system demonstrated an optical efficiency of 51.4% at a concentration ratio of 125. The system can support utilizing a lateral displacement Sun-tracking system, which allows for replacing bulky and robust conventional rotational Sun-tracking systems. This study shows a feasibility of a compact and inexpensive optical fiber daylighting system to be installed on the roof of buildings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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8313 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Different Solar-Assisted Air Conditioning Systems for Australian Office Buildings

by Yunlong Ma, Suvash C. Saha, Wendy Miller and Lisa Guan

Energies 2017, 10(10), 1463; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10101463 - 22 Sep 2017

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 7109

Abstract

This study has investigated the feasibility of three different solar-assisted air conditioning systems for typical medium-sized office buildings in all eight Australian capital cities using the whole building energy simulation software EnergyPlus. The studied solar cooling systems include: solar desiccant-evaporative cooling (SDEC) system, hybrid solar desiccant-compression cooling (SDCC) system, and solar absorption cooling (SAC) system. A referenced conventional vapor compression variable-air-volume (VAV) system has also been investigated for comparison purpose. The technical, environmental, and economic performances of each solar cooling system have been evaluated in terms of solar fraction (SF), system coefficient of performance (COP), annual HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) electricity consumption, annual CO₂ emissions reduction, payback period (PBP), and net present value (NPV). The results demonstrate that the SDEC system consumes the least energy in Brisbane and Darwin, achieving 56.9% and 82.1% annual energy savings, respectively, compared to the conventional VAV system, while for the other six cities, the SAC system is the most energy efficient. However, from both energy and economic aspects, the SDEC system is more feasible in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney because of high annual SF and COP, low yearly energy consumption, short PBP and positive NPV, while for Canberra and Hobart, although the SAC system achieves considerable energy savings, it is not economically beneficial due to high initial cost. Therefore, the SDEC system is the most economically beneficial for most of Australian cities, especially in hot and humid climates. The SAC system is also energy efficient, but is not as economic as the SDEC system. However, for Canberra and Hobart, reducing initial cost is the key point to achieve economic feasibility of solar cooling applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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4000 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Alternative for Summer Use of Solar Air Heaters in Existing Buildings

by Sergio L. González-González, Ana Tejero-González, Francisco J. Rey-Martínez and Manuel Andrés-Chicote

Energies 2017, 10(7), 985; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10070985 - 12 Jul 2017

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4439

Abstract

Among solar thermal technologies for indoor heating, solar air heaters (SAH) are appealing for implementation on existing buildings due to their simplicity, fewer risks related to the working fluid, and possible independence from the building structure. However, existing research work mainly focuses on winter use and still fails in providing effective solutions for yearly operation, which would enhance their interest. With the aim of analysing an alternative summer use, this work firstly characterises a double channel-single pass solar air collector through experimentation. From the obtained results, modelling and simulation tasks have been conducted to evaluate the possibilities of using hot air, provided by the SAH, while operating under summer conditions within a closed loop, to feed an air-to-water heat exchanger for domestic hot water (DHW) production. The system is studied through simulation under two different configurations for a case study in Valladolid (Spain), during the period from May to September for different airflows in the closed loop. Results show that daily savings can vary from 27% to 85% among the different operating conditions; a configuration where make-up water is fed to the heat exchanger being preferable, with a dedicated water tank for the solar heated water storage of the minimum possible volume. The more favourable results for the harshest months highlight the interest of extending the use of the solar air heaters to the summer period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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10670 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Non-Ventilated Solar Façade Concept Based on Selective and Transparent Insulation Material Integration: An Experimental Study

by Miroslav Čekon and Richard Slávik

Energies 2017, 10(6), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10060815 - 15 Jun 2017

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5101

Abstract

A new solar façade concept based on transparent insulation and a selective absorber is proposed, tested and compared with conventional insulation and a non-selective type of absorber, respectively. The presented study focuses on an experimental non-ventilated solar type of façade exposed to solar radiation both in the laboratory and in outdoor tests. Due to the high solar absorbance level of the façade, high- and low-emissivity contributions were primarily analysed. All of the implemented materials were contrasted from the thermal and optical point of view. An analysis was made of both thermodynamic and steady state procedures affecting the proposed solar façade concept. Experimental full scale tests on real building components were additionally involved during summer monitoring. An indicator of the temperature response generated by solar radiation exposure demonstrates the outdoor performance of the façade is closely related to overheating phenomena. From the thermal point of view, the proposed transparent insulation and selective absorber concept corresponds to the performance of conventional thermal insulation of identical material thickness; however, the non-selective prototype only provides 50% thermal performance. The results of the solar-based experiments show that with a small-scale experimental prototype, approximately no significant difference is measured when compared with a non-selective absorber type. The only difference was achieved at the maximum of 2.5 K, when the lower temperature was obtained in the solar selective concept. At the full-scale outdoor mode, the results indicate a maximum of 3.0 K difference, however the lower temperature achieves a non-selective approach. This solar façade can actively contribute to the thermal performance of building components during periods of heating. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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5345 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling and Optimization of a CoolingTower-Assisted Heat Pump System

by Xiaoqing Wei, Nianping Li, Jinqing Peng, Jianlin Cheng, Jinhua Hu and Meng Wang

Energies 2017, 10(5), 733; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10050733 - 20 May 2017

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5691

Abstract

To minimize the total energy consumption of a cooling tower-assisted heat pump (CTAHP) system in cooling mode, a model-based control strategy with hybrid optimization algorithm for the system is presented in this paper. An existing experimental device, which mainly contains a closed wet cooling tower with counter flow construction, a condenser water loop and a water-to-water heat pump unit, is selected as the study object. Theoretical and empirical models of the related components and their interactions are developed. The four variables, viz. desired cooling load, ambient wet-bulb temperature, temperature and flow rate of chilled water at the inlet of evaporator, are set to independent variables. The system power consumption can be minimized by optimizing input powers of cooling tower fan, spray water pump, condenser water pump and compressor. The optimal input power of spray water pump is determined experimentally. Implemented on MATLAB, a hybrid optimization algorithm, which combines the Limited memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (L-BFGS) algorithm with the greedy diffusion search (GDS) algorithm, is incorporated to solve the minimization problem of energy consumption and predict the system’s optimal set-points under quasi-steady-state conditions. The integrated simulation tool is validated against experimental data. The results obtained demonstrate the proposed operation strategy is reliable, and can save energy by 20.8% as compared to an uncontrolled system under certain testing conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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5288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

ITO-Free Transparent Organic Solar Cell with Distributed Bragg Reflector for Solar Harvesting Windows

by Yuelin Peng, Lushuai Zhang, Nongyi Cheng and Trisha L. Andrew

Energies 2017, 10(5), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10050707 - 17 May 2017

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 7813

Abstract

We demonstrated an indium tin oxide (ITO)-free, highly transparent organic solar cell with the potential to be integrated into window panes for energy harvesting purposes. A transparent, conductive ZnO/Ag/ZnO multilayer electrode and a Ag:Ca thin film electrode were used in this transparent device as the bottom and top electrode, respectively. To further improve the transmittance of the solar cell, the thickness of the top ZnO layer was investigated both experimentally and with simulations. An average visible transmittance of >60% was reached, with a maximum transmittance of 73% at 556 nm. Both top and bottom illumination of the solar cell generated comparable power conversion efficiencies, which indicates the wide application of this solar cell structure. In addition, we fabricated distributed Bragg reflector mirrors with sputtered SiO₂ and TiO₂, which efficiently increased the power conversion efficiency over 20% for the solar cells on glass and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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10897 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantitative Evaluation of BIPV Visual Impact in Building Retrofits Using Saliency Models

by Ran Xu, Stephen Wittkopf and Christian Roeske

Energies 2017, 10(5), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10050668 - 10 May 2017

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 9859

Abstract

BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) integration in urban spaces requires, not only careful technical, but also aesthetic considerations as its visual impact is seen as a kind of environmental effect. To manage this effect, different methods were developed to measure it; however, most existing evaluation methods are either based on subjective speculations and have no continuous criteria standards, or they do not show much relevance to neuropsychological findings. This paper presents an alternative and complementary method for evaluating the BIPV visual impact using the saliency method with an objective, quantitative and neuropsychological-based approach. The application of the method was tested and is discussed in the context of an example case study in Switzerland. Several different BIPV designs were developed for the case study, purposely in ways that made it difficult to rank their visual impacts with one’s subjective instinct. Using the proposed saliency method; however, the differences in BIPV visual impact across all designs could be identified, demonstrated and calculated sensitively. Potential applications of this proposed method include being a helping tool in deciding which BIPV design causes the least or most visual impact among others. Additionally, when combined with solar cadaster, the method enables a comprehensive estimation of BIPV potential in urban areas from both technical and societal aspects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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12617 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Shading Type and Azimuth Orientation on the Daylighting in a Classroom–Focusing on Effectiveness of Façade Shading, Comparing the Results of DA and UDI

by Kyung Sun Lee, Ki Jun Han and Jae Wook Lee

Energies 2017, 10(5), 635; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10050635 - 10 May 2017

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 6901

Abstract

There are many kinds of façade shading designs which provide optimal indoor daylighting conditions. Thus, considering combinations of different types of façade shading systems is an essential aspect in the optimization of daylighting in the building design process. This study explores (1) how the pattern and different characteristics are evaluated by varying façade shading types and considering their impact on daylighting metrics; and (2) the relative relationships between Daylight Autonomy (DA) and Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI) with changes of the façade shading types, input parameters, and azimuth orientations. A typical high-school classroom has been chosen as a base model, and seven different façade shading types: vertical louver, horizontal louver, eggcrate louver, overhang, vertical slat, horizontal slat, and light shelf have been applied to eight azimuth orientations for the building. As tools for parametric design and indoor lighting analysis, Design Iterate Validate Adapt (DIVA)-for-Grasshopper has been used to obtain DA and UDI for comparison. Based on the simulation, (1) the effectiveness of the installation of façade shading compared to a non-shading case; and (2) design considerations for façade shading are presented. The result shows that there are some meaningful differences in DA and UDI metrics with the variation of orientation and façade shading types, although all cases of façade shading show some degree of decrease in DA and increase in UDI values. The types of shading devices which produce a dramatic decrease in DA values are the light shelf, horizontal slats, horizontal louvers, and eggcrate louvers. On the contrary, the types of shading devices which produce a dramatic increase in UDI values are the light shelf, horizontal slats, horizontal louvers, and eggcrate louvers. In the case of the vertical and vertical slat shading, the improvements of UDI values are significant in the east and west orientations. This demonstrates that the application and design of shading devices in certain façade orientations should be carefully considered for daylight control. Also, the results show that UDI explains relatively well the daylight performance in the case of the installation of a shading device. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy Application in Buildings)

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