A New Test Rig for the Assessment of Building Envelope Components Integrating Solar Active System
Abstract
In the last few years, the interest in building envelope components integrating active solar systems has been increasingly spreading. Starting off from the concept of the hot-box, and according to the standards UNI 8990 , EURAC designed a novel test rig for the assessment of advanced building envelope systems, in order to measure the actual performance of both passive and active elements. At the writing of this paper, the laboratory is in the realization phase and it will be fully operative in late autumn 2010. The main objective of the test rig is to investigate to give support for the development of multi-functional building components. This is achieved in sight of so called “Net Zero Energy Building”. The test rig will allow development of components having better passive and active control of energy fluxes. Hence, such developments will increase energy efficiency of the envelope and, therefore, the whole building. The development of the test rig comprise many challenges discussed in this paper as well as technical challenges for defining arrangements for both standard and research experimental campaigns, in steady-state and dynamic conditions.