Advanced design of solar curtain wall

Are vacuum integrated photovoltaic curtain walls performance-driven?

The vacuum integrated photovoltaic (VPV) curtain wall has garnered widespread attention from scholars owing to its remarkable thermal insulation performance and power generation ability. However, there is a lack of in-depth, performance-driven optimal design that considers the mutually constraining functions of the VPV curtain wall.

What is a VPV curtain wall?

The VPV curtain wall consists of a piece of CdTe-based PV laminate glass, an air cavity, and a sheet of vacuum glazing. The solar cells are etched into strips by lasers, and the transmittance of the VPV sample can be adjusted by changing the arrangement density of the strip solar cells.

What is a curtain wall?

The architectural solution chosen for the curtain wall is based on a modular concept, achieving both aesthetic and functional integration with the main ventilation system of the building. The interstitial air cavity of a double-skin glazed façade is used for harvesting heat from solar energy and recovering transmission losses from the indoor space.

Are VPV curtain walls mutually constraining?

However, there is a lack of in-depth, performance-driven optimal design that considers the mutually constraining functions of the VPV curtain wall. To address this issue, this study proposed a multi-function partitioned design method for VPV curtain walls aimed at reconciling the competing demand of different functions.