A study on the enhancement of energy efficiency and indoor environment through the integration of solar photovoltaic modules in daylighting louver systems

Abstract

The global energy demand is predicted to increase significantly, with a strong link between energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Lighting energy accounts for a substantial proportion of total energy consumption in buildings, with the potential to be reduced using daylighting louvers. Despite some drawbacks, integrating solar photovoltaic modules with louvers could enhance energy efficiency while addressing the increasing demand for renewable energy systems in new buildings. Therefore, this study explores the potential benefits of integrating solar photovoltaic (PV) modules into a daylighting louver system to simultaneously reduce lighting, cooling, and heating loads and generate solar power. The performance of the proposed louver system was experimentally compared to a conventional building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system installed on a window. The daylighting louver system demonstrated significant improvements in indoor illumination and occupants’ experience compared to the BIPV system. Furthermore, the indoor air temperature in the space with the louver system increased by about 5 degrees compared to the BIPV system, indicating its contribution to heating load reduction. The power generation performance of the louver system reached up to 65 % of the BIPV system, with a total cumulative electricity generation of 64 %. The results suggest that the daylighting louver system can be expanded to enhance its efficiency and address the increasing demand for renewable energy system installations in new buildings. Future studies should investigate the potential of 2-axis or 3-axis louvers to further improve the system's efficiency. © 2024