Innovation in PV Operated Shading and Heat Recovery
Abstract
The paper investigates a novel technical approach equipping the slats of insulating roller blinds with photovoltaic elements. The PV-yield and the quality of the shading solution is enhanced by utilizing 100 year old housing technology for inclining the roller blinds in a separate frame. Measurements of the energy yield on cloudy winter days (? 5Wh per row/panel) allow to postulate that with this solution powering de-central heat recovery devices via PV is possible for households (restricted to a few hours per day). In summer the heat recovery devices shall be circumvented for nightly venting/pre-cooling. For offices - requiring more air exchange and thus energy for the blowers - feasible approaches might utilize the PV system for roller blind operation only; but include safe nightly pre-cooling options with open windows in summer via controlling the gaps between the slats. The SoWa project behind the paper[1] investigates control of the shading and the respective power generation via photovoltaic and delivers a feasibility analysis taking into consideration also progress in thin film photovoltaic, including organic photovoltaic OPV technology. The outcome of the project funded within the Austrian Energie2020 scheme will outline the combined light and heat control technology, the control scheme and its implementation best suited to reduce the overall energy consumption triggered by cooling loads and electric light usage in offices of the system working solely on PV.