Photovoltaic (PV) blinds are a set of venetian blinds with a new concept and various functions. In addition to the existing function of shielding direct sunlight, energy is generated using a PV module. Ordinary blind control is determined by consideri...
Photovoltaic (PV) blinds are a set of venetian blinds with a new concept and various functions. In addition to the existing function of shielding direct sunlight, energy is generated using a PV module. Ordinary blind control is determined by considering the profile angle of the Sun, and the uni-directional control method creates a shaded area between the blind slats. This design reduces the utility of the PV blinds by disrupting the inflow of skylight and energy generation. Therefore, a different method than the conventional blind control method must be used. The PV blinds must be controlled by limiting the inflow depth of direct sunlight and allowing the maximal inflow of indoor skylight to optimize PV power generation. In particular, the bi-directional PV blinds used in this study conserve lighting energy and generate solar energy through bi-directional control. An appropriate slat control method was proposed, and full-scale office testbeds were created. Measurement data from uni-directional and bi-directional control rooms with the same dimensions were comparatively analysed.
The results indicated that the average illuminance without lighting control of the uni-directional control method was only 21.86-38.86 % of that of the bi-directional control method. The bi-directional control method when direction of the slat has positive tilt showed 4.62-35.50 % lower current consumption of the lighting fixture compared to the uni-directional control method. For the heating system, current consumption of the heating device was reduced by 2.10-11.46 %. On the contrary, the bi-directional control method when direction of the slat has negative tilt showed 15.17-34.22 % lower current consumption of the lighting fixture compared to the uni-directional control method. For the cooling system, current consumption of the cooling device was increased by 6.25-14.29 % due to the effect of solar radiation. The average power generation of the uni-directional control method when direction of the slat has positive tilt was 85.05-94.61 % of the bi-directional control room. The average power generation of the uni-directional control method when direction of the slat has negative tilt was 91.36-110.88 % of the bi-directional control room.
As a result of the study, the use of the bi-directional control method in most of the sky conditions resulted in improved lighting, air-conditioning energy and PV power generation compared to the conventional methods. However, in summer, the cooling load was partially increased due to the effect of solar radiation, and the PV power generation decreased in partly cloudy condition. Therefore, uni-directional blind control is recommended to reduce the cooling load and increase the power generation in summer and winter. However, the newly proposed bi-directional control method is recommended in all seasons except for clear and partly cloudy conditions in summer.
The system applied in this study is different from the direction of the building because the direction of the building was experimented on the south. Future research will require qualitative research that reflects the subjective evaluation of residents through the application of bi-directional blinds in actual buildings
This study raises issues regarding the control method of shading and PV systems. It can be an important part for the application of renewable energy, Building Energy Management System (BEMS), and Energy Storage System (ESS) in sustainable buildings.