Abstract

Building façades and roofs receive significant amounts of solar radiation that can be used to generate useful renewable energy onsite. Photovoltaic (PV) technology may be integrated into well-oriented building surfaces to convert up to 20% of incident solar energy into useful renewable electricity. However, most of the solar energy not converted into electricity is turned into heat, which must be appropriately vented to the exterior to avoid overheating and reduced PV lifetime or delamination. Building-integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPV/T) systems recover the useful excess heat from the PV modules for use within the building, in addition to generating electricity. As the exterior cladding is replaced by the BIPV/T façade, costs associated with traditional building materials can be avoided through architectural integration.

This thesis presents an experimental study of a BIPV/T system made by mounting custom-designed PV modules over an unglazed transpired solar collector. Experimental testing of the prototype was performed in an outdoor testing facility at Concordia University and in a solar simulator - environmental chamber laboratory. The BIPV/T concept was applied to the façade (288 m²) of an institutional building in Montreal(45°N). Measured combined efficiency (thermal plus electrical) on the order of 50% shows the potential for BIPV/T technology to reduce the energy needs of the built environment while providing a durable building skin. Design correlations developed for predicting the performance of the BIPV/T system may be used for the design of similar systems in new buildings or for retrofit applications.