Are vacuum integrated photovoltaic curtain walls energy-efficient?

Vacuum integrated photovoltaic (VPV) curtain walls, which combine the power generation ability of PV technology and the excellent thermal insulation performance of vacuum technology, have attracted widespread attention as an energy-efficient technology.

What is a PV curtain wall?

The PV curtain wall is the most typical one in the integrated application of PV building. It combines PV power generation technology with curtain wall technology, which uses special resin materials to insert solar cells between glass materials and convert solar energy into electricity through the panels for use by enterprises.

Do photovoltaic curtain walls improve the cost-effectiveness ratio?

After sensitivity analysis of the cost of photovoltaic curtain walls and the efficiency of solar panels, it was found that as the cost increases, the economy of photovoltaic curtain walls gradually deteriorates, and improving the efficiency of solar panels can improve the cost-effectiveness ratio of each facade.

Can photovoltaic curtain wall array be used in building complexes?

Xiong et al. [ 31] develops a power model for Photovoltaic Curtain Wall Array (PVCWA) systems in building complexes and identifies optimal configurations for mitigating shading effects, providing valuable insights for the application of PVCWA systems in buildings.

How much power does a photovoltaic curtain wall generate?

Based on Table 7 and Table 8, the annual and total power generation data for the photovoltaic curtain walls on different facades can be obtained. The south facade’s photovoltaic curtain wall has the highest power generation capacity, with a cumulative power generation of 17,730.42 MWh over a 25-year period.

What are the advantages of VPV curtain wall?

When compared to the conventional VPV curtain wall with 40% PV coverage, the glare index reduced by 34.5%, the UDI and RNEH increased by 4.9% and 5.2%, and the surplus electricity increased by 112.59 kWh.