Performance of prototype tandem UV filter and organic transparent photovoltaic windows

Abstract

Building integrated photovoltaics (PV) are promising technologies to integrate renewable energy production and achieve positive energy buildings. Transparent photovoltaics increase the integration options, especially in windows and skylights. In this context, the Tech4win project has developed a prototype tandem UV filter and organic transparent photovoltaic. The current paper presents a techno-economic analysis of the performance of this prototype. The laboratory data is introduced in a TRNSYS18 simulation for evaluating the impact in the heating, cooling, lighting, and the PV electrical production. The simulation scenarios include office and residential buildings in five different climates. Moreover, the economic analysis consists of a sensitivity study on the PV window investment cost, the electricity price, and the feed-in tariff. The results show that the PV windows increase the heating and lighting demand in all cases, but may decrease the cooling demand compared to non-solar control windows. Consequently, in the heating dominated scenarios the PV windows increase the energy demand but, in cooling dominated cases, the demand only decreases if the PV window's solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) improves that of conventional window. Nevertheless, in all studied scenarios the PV window improved the building energy balance. Finally, the electricity pricing schedules and the feed-in tariff are key into the economic feasibility.