Experimental study on power generation of PV material façade in three typical cities in East China

Abstract

Abstract In this study, experimental investigations on photovoltaic (PV) façade systems were conducted to study the electrical power generation in three typical cities in East China. The window glass consists of 6mm thick semi-tempered glass, polyvinyl butyral (PVB)/ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) film, solar cells, PVB/EVA film, and 6mm thick semi-tempered glass. The walls are made by insulation yanmian with an inner thickness of 12 mm. Test facility was established in Beijing, Wuhan, and Guangzhou, respectively. The building process and test details were introduced. The current-voltage (I-V) curve and the power-voltage (P-V) curve of the present PV façade were obtained and the voltage corresponding to maximum power point (MPP) is 17 V. Daily, monthly, and yearly electrical power generation in the three cities were obtained to show all-around PV performance in East China. Beijing has the maximum power output (∼180 kWh) for horizontal panels, larger than those panels faced at south direction. While in Wuhan and Guangzhou, the maximum power outputs only are ∼140 kWh also with horizontal panels. Besides, it also discovered that orientation is the key parameter in Beijing and Wuhan, while orientation is not the key parameter in Guangzhou.