Performance assessment of façade integrated glazed air solar thermal collectors

Present trends on solar thermal systems for building integration define the need of integrated solar technologies for façades. The integration of solar systems in façades allows for the direct connection of solar systems to heated spaces, and automated air solar collectors based on the trombe-mitchell provide a suitable technology for its adoption in multi-rise buildings with decentralized-individual HVAC systems in Central-European and Mediterranean heating dominated climates. This paper reviews the main principles of such building envelope components, and the construction and design considerations of two air-based solar thermal collectors. Full scale preliminary prototypes of these systems were tested at the KUBIK by Tecnalia test facility in an Oceanic Climate (Koppen Geiger Cfb zone). The observed thermal performance is analyzed, and the process of a full scale installation in a real building envelope retrofitting process of a building in Spain is reviewed.