Performance evaluation of Photovoltaic double-skin facade with forced ventilation in the composite climate

Abstract Photovoltaic double-skin facades (PV-DSF) are a popular solution to reduce the energy consumption of buildings from the last few years. Many research groups are attempting to devise the method to manage the heat ingress in the built system through the PV-DSF system. In the present article, the surface temperature of the PV module and heat ingress in the built system is controlled through forced ventilation. The proposed system is evaluated for a range of air cavities and air velocities in the composite climate of India. The results indicated that the right combination of air cavity and air velocity could significantly reduce the solar heat gain coefficient and improve the power output of the PV system. The results show that for a naturally ventilated system, an increase in the air cavity from 50 mm to 250 mm yields a 12% reduction in SHGC. Likewise, a forced ventilated system exhibited a 19.24% reduction in SHGC for a 200 mm air cavity at an air velocity of 5 m/s. A forced ventilated system of 200 mm air cavity and flow velocity 5 m/s had 36% less SHGC than naturally ventilated of the same air cavity. The lower surface temperature of PV panels yielded improved power output due to continuous heat removal. The impact of forced ventilation on energy performance is found significant as compared to natural ventilation. This study manifested that forced ventilation in the PV-DSF system could cover a substantial share in the total energy consumption of the building.