Building-integrated photovoltaic and thermal applications in a subtropical hotel building

Effective cooling of a PV panel is able to increase the electricity output of the solar cells. This paper describes a comparative study of three different options in applying large-scale building-integrated PV technology in a coastal city at the South China Sea. The computational model was based on a 260 m ² mono-crystalline silicon PV wall on a 30-storey hotel building. The numerical analysis was via the ESP-r building energy simulation software. The results showed that the different design options exhibit short-term electrical performance differences, but have similar long-term electricity yields. However, some design options perform much better in reducing the air-conditioning loads of the building. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.