Coupled evaluation of the optical-thermal-electrical performance of customized building-integrated photovoltaic components

The diverse requirements of contemporary buildings for advanced skin systems regarding aesthetics, comfort and energy performance have led to the demand for customized BIPV components. By integrating the spectral transmittance-reflectance and volt-ampere experiments with the energy balance calculation approach, the paper reveals the impacts and mechanisms of five key design parameters on the “optical-thermal-electrical” properties of BIPV components. Geometric transparency degree (GTD) affects the optical properties most significantly, followed by glass and low-E coating types. The cell arrangement and cell-cutting technique affect the least. However, the full-series connection of divided cells can slightly improve the photovoltaic conversion efficiency. Pmaxvnegatively correlates with GTD linearly, while SHGC and VT positively. By applying a hollow layer (85%Ar) and double silver Lowe-ε = 0.04, the heat gain of the cell to the interior can be reduced to 45.3% and 25.1%, respectively. After discussing the recommended BIPV configurations under different climate zones and WWR requirements, we found that, for instance, a hollow-layer BIPV with a GTD lower than 46.0% can replace the traditional double-silver curtain wall in hot, humid climates, while laminated BIPV can only be applied in non-climatic boundaries. A more comprehensive reference value of “optical-thermal-electrical” properties for calculating building energy consumption is provided.