Paper Conference

Proceedings of eSim 2016: 9th Conference of IBPSA-Canada

     

Modeling, design and control of rooftop greenhouses equipped with semi-transparent photovoltaics

James Bambara, Andreas Athienitis

Abstract: Semi-transparent photovoltaics (STPV) can be employed as a greenhouse cladding material as a means to transmit sunlight while providing some shading and solar electricity generation. As such, this paper seeks to compare and experimentally calibrate two modeling approaches for STPV cladding using crystalline-silicon PV cells. The “separate” STPV model considers the PV cells as an exterior wall, while the “effective” STVP model employs an effective layer to represent the optical properties of the combined PV cell and clear-glazed sections. The predicted greenhouse air temperatures are found to be nearly identical for both STPV models, and both are in good agreement (±1°C) with the experimental measurements. However, the “effective” STPV model underestimated the PV cell temperature by approximately 10°C, resulting in a 5.1% overestimation of electric power output. Therefore, it is recommended that electric power be calculated based on a reference PV cell temperature. The “effective” STPV model is to be preferred over the “separate” model, as it is more advantageous for simulating blinds, thermal screens, and bi-facial PV cells.
Pages: 464 - 474
Paper:
esim2016_8-129