Abstract
The building sector presents poor performance in terms of energy efficiency and is looking for effective alternatives aimed at reducing the use of fossil fuels. The facade is a key element able to harness renewable energy as an Active Solar Thermal Facade (ASTF). The main purpose of this study is the assessment of a novel design concept based on a steel sandwich panel technology. The performance of the active system will be first addressed by a parametric study in order to analyze its behavior and secondly, by describing a real case based on an experimental test by connecting the active panels to a heat pump. The study shows the impact of solar irradiation and mass flow on the thermal jump achieved, while ambient and fluid inlet temperatures are the most influencing parameters in the efficiency of the facade. When coupled to the heat pump, results from a measurement campaign demonstrate a remarkable improvement in the performance of the ASTF. The results presented provide significant proof about the benefits of a synergetic combination of both technologies—solar facades and heat pumps—as efficient alternatives for the building sector, aiming to improve energy efficiency as well as reduce their dependence on non-renewable sources.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 597 |
| Pages (from-to) | 597 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Energies |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2020 |
Keywords
- Active solar thermal facade
- Sandwich panels
- Thermal efficiency
- Unglazed collector
- Solar assisted heat pumps
Project and Funding Information
- Funding Info
- This research was partially funded by the Basque Government through IT781-13 and IT1314-19 research_x000D_ groups and by the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU through PES17/25. Additionally, TECNALIA_x000D_ Research & Innovation supported the research activities research through a cooperation agreement (PT10516) with_x000D_ UPV/EHU.
