A review of advanced architectural glazing technologies for solar energy conversion and intelligent daylighting control

Abstract

Efficient management of solar radiation through architectural glazing is a key strategy for achieving a comfortable indoor environment with minimum energy consumption. Conventional glazing consisting of a single or multiple glass pane(s) exhibits high visible light transmittance and solar heat gain coefficient, which can be a double-edged sword, i.e., it allows sufficient sunlight to enter the building interior space for passive heating and lighting; on the other hand, it can cause glare discomfort and large cooling energy consumption. Among the various advanced glazing technologies being developed, Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) glazing has a prominent position due to its ability to reduce cooling load and visual discomfort while simultaneously generating electricity from sunlight. Recent years have witnessed remarkable advances in low-concentration optics such as Dielectric based Compound Parabolic Concentrators (DiCPCs), with a growing interest in the development of Building Integrated Concentrating Photovoltaic (BICPV) glazing to improve light harvesting and electric power output. One of the challenges faced by traditional BIPV glazing systems is the lack of dynamic control over daylight and solar heat transmission to cope with variations in weather conditions and seasonal heating/cooling demands of buildings. A promising solution is to integrate an optically switchable smart material into a BIPV glazing system, which enables dynamic daylighting control in addition to solar power conversion. Thermotropic (TT) hydrogel materials such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) and Hydroxypropyl Cellulose (HPC) are potential candidates for hybrid BIPV smart glazing applications, due to their unique features such as high visible transparency (in the clear state), strong light-scattering capability (in the translucent state) and large solar energy modulation. This paper reviews various types of electricity-generating glazing technologies including BIPV glazing and BICPV glazing, as well as smart glazing technologies with a particular focus on TT hydrogel integrated glazing. The characteristics, benefits and limitations of hybrid BIPV smart glazing are also evaluated. Finally, the challenges and research opportunities in this emerging field are discussed.

Towards Extensive Definition and Planning of Energy Resilience in Buildings in Cold Climate

“…The building's energy performance and resilience can be increased through various passive and active methods that are briefly discussed and requires further studies depending on the location. The building energy performance and thermal resilience can be increased through architectural elements and passive design [35]. For instance, glazing is an important element of the building that can impact the performance.…”

“…Some earlier studies present the methods to estimate the short-term energy resilience performance of the buildings in warm temperatures [16,34]. The focus is mainly on the overheating conditions and their impact on the occupants [35], and a similar approach can be adopted for cold regions. This article investigates the research gap focusing on disruptive events (causing power outages) and their impact on the long-term energy resilience of buildings in cold regions.…”

Effect of Anti-Reflective and Dust Spreading on Performance of Solar PV Panels

“…Your choice ought to be based on requirement [24][25][26]. The major goal of the current investigation was to examine several coating processes for improving solar panel performance.…”

Challenges and Optimization of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) Windows: A Review

“…Semi-transparent PV modules usually have a fixed visible light transmittance. Combining photochromic, thermochromic or electrochromic glazing with a PV module can form a PV smart window, breaking through the trade-offs between production capacity, optics and heat transfer performance [75]. Malara et al [76] proposed an electrochromic PV window device that could rapidly switch the visible transmittance.…”