Air Flow Effect on the Temperature of a Building Integrated PV-Panel

G. Florides[1], S.A. Kalogirou[1], L. Aresti[1], R. Agathocleous[1], P. Christodoulides[1]
[1]Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
Published in 2013

This study examines the effect of air flow between the building integrated PV-panel and the wall. To formulate the heat exchange process for the air flowing between the PV panel and the wall, time-dependent, heat transfer partial differential equations (PDEs) are solved with COMSOL Multiphysics®. It is shown that in summer, the maximum temperature of a PV panel is observed on an east facing surface. The air velocity in the air-gap between the PV-panel and the wall lowers the mean temperature of the panel by about 35°C allowing for a significant increase in its efficiency. Finally the air-gap width is varied, keeping a steady velocity, and its effect is studied with respect to the temperature of the PV-panel.