22 May 2008

SIMULATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF A BIPV/T SYSTEM COUPLED TO A HEAT PUMP IN A RESIDENTIAL HEATING APPLICATION


Building-Integrated Photovoltaic/Thermal (BIPV/T) systems consist of photovoltaic
arrays incorporated seamlessly as a functional part of the building envelope; while
generating electricity, they also make use of a circulating fluid (often air) for recovery of
useful heat from the incident solar radiation. This has the additional benefit of cooling the
photovoltaic panels, consequently improving their efficiency. For open loop BIPV/T air
systems, although the air is considerably heated, its temperature often remains too low for
direct use in building space heating applications. However, it is usually adequate to serve as
the source of a heat pump. This paper presents the results of a simulation used as a
decision-making tool in the system configuration design and the selection of the heat pump
model to be coupled to the BIPV/T roof of a net-zero energy house. The simulation took into
account the performance of several key elements of the house (BIPV/T, air-to-water heat
exchanger, heat pump, storage tank) and manufacturer’s data. Recommendations of
desirable features in a heat pump operating with a BIPV/T system are presented.