Investigation on a building-integrated passive solar energy technology for air ventilation, clean water and power

Abstract The development of an integrated solar energy system with multiple outputs is necessary for achieving sustainability for countries like India. A building-integrated passive solar energy technology (BIPSET) is developed for the generation of power, and water in addition to the air ventilation for the attached building prototype. The building prototype is scaled down to the model of the living room proposed in the “Chief Minister’s solar-powered green house” scheme, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, India. The system consists of solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar still, integrated with chimney. Experimental analysis shows an average of 12 air changes per hour of ventilation inside the room using the thermal energy gained by the solar PV in the BIPSET. Daily average inlet air velocity of 0.14 m/s is measured in the windows and is in accordance with the international standard ISO 7730:2005. The electrical efficiency of the PV system is improved from 4% to 17% in BIPSET compared to standalone PV System. Solar still performance is improved from 3 to 11% in the integrated system. Energy, environment and economic analysis are carried out for the BIPSET. The energy payback for the solar PV integrated with chimney is better than the standalone PV system. Lifecycle assessment is carried out for the BIPSET following CML-2001 methodology using SOLIDWORKS sustainability tool. This study implies that the present system is environment-friendly during its operation and its end of life. From the economic analysis, the unit cost of electricity for the solar PV integrated with chimney is 18% less when considering 30% government subsidiary for PV panels. The analysis indicates that the present integrated system is technically and economically feasible and is environment friendly.