RT journal article
T1 Development, Implementation, and Experimental Validation of a Novel Thermal–Optical–Electrical Model for Photovoltaic Glazing
A1 Foncubierta Blázquez, Juan Luis
A1 Mena Baladés, Jesús Daniel
A1 Sánchez Orihuela, Irene
A1 González Siles, Gabriel
A1 Jiménez Come, María Jesús
A2 Ingeniería Industrial e Ingeniería Civil
A2 Máquinas y Motores Térmicos
K1 Building-Integrated Photovoltaics—BIPV; Solar PV glazing; spectral radiative heat transfer; thermal-optical-electrical numerical model
AB The use of semi-transparent photovoltaic (Solar PV) glass in buildings is an effective strategy for integrating renewable energy generation, solar control, and thermal comfort. However, conventional simulation models rely on global optical properties, neglecting spectral radiation and its propagation within the material. This limits the accurate assessment of thermal comfort, light distribution, and performance in complex systems such as multi-layer glazing. This study presents the development, implementation, and experimental validation of a numerical model that reproduces the thermal, electrical, and optical behaviour of semi-transparent Solar PV glass, explicitly incorporating radiative transfer. The model simultaneously solves the conduction, convection, and electrical generation equations together with the radiative transfer equation, solved via the finite volume method across two spectral bands. The refractive index and extinction coefficient, derived from manufacturer-provided optical data, were used as inputs. Experimental validation employed 10% semi-transparent a-Si glass, comparing surface temperatures and electrical power generation. The model achieved average relative errors of 3.8% for temperature and3.3% for electrical power. Comparisons with representative literature models yielded errors between 6% and 21%. Additionally, the proposed model estimated a solar factor of 0.32, closely matching the manufacturer’s 0.29.
PB MDPI
SN 2076-3417
YR 2025
FD 2025-11-12
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38360
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38360
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 13-nov-2026