Performance evaluation of façade mounted photovoltaic integrated air chamber assisted by heat pump

Abstract

Photovoltaic thermal heat pumps are conducive to the environment and have drawn much attention due to their great potential in buildings for energy generation and saving of land. This paper puts forward the façade-mounted photovoltaic integrating air chamber cooled by refrigerant-based heat pump. The integrated photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) on the building facade is not only thermally efficient but also results in ambient fresh air cooling, hot water, and electricity production. This paper investigated the performance of façade mounted photovoltaic integrating air chamber by heat pump, which results in a multi-energy generation. The working mode and description of the façade-mounted photovoltaic integrated air chamber by heat pump during summer are presented. Finally, the system performance was analyzed underexposed weather conditions for electrical performance, hot water production, and cooling of hot fresh air. It was found that the average and minimum temperatures of the cooling air through the air chamber reached 21.7 °C and 15 °C, respectively. The average electrical, thermal, and overall efficiencies of the façade-mounted photovoltaic thermal system were 8%, 77.6%, and 98%, respectively. The average coefficient of performance (COP) of the heat pump during water heating was 4.41.