Solar Technologies for Buildings

Solar technologies are emerging as the sustainable technology of choice for those commissioning new buildings. Integrated photovoltaics offer huge potential for delivering renewable energy without generating harmful pollutants. Discussing current market conditions and the economics of this technology, the author balances the physics and engineering background of solar heating, cooling and building integrated photovoltaics with practical applications. A complete overview of solar technologies relevant to the built environment, this book Explains how to integrate solar technology into building design concepts. Outlines the use of passive solar energy for daylighting and heating supply. Discusses solar thermal energy for heating and cooling as well as photovolatics for electricity production. Presents the meteorological background to irradiance calculations. Provides engineering planning aids for innovative energy supply systems. Contains practical examples and calculation methods to enable component and system simulation. Solar Technologies for Buildings is an excellent reference for scientists, engineers, planners, researchers and students, involved in developing solar energy systems. Architects integrating solar technologies in building design will find this application–orientated approach useful.

Preface. Abbreviations in the Text. 1.  Solar energy use in buildings. Energy consumption of buildings. Meeting  requirements by active and passive solar energy use. 2.  Solar irradiance. Extraterrestrial solar irradiance. The passage of rays through the atmosphere. Statistical production of hourly irradiance data records. Global irradiance and irradiance on inclined surfaces. Shading. 3.  Solar thermal energy. Solar–thermal water collectors. Solar air collectors. 4.  Solar cooling. Open cycle desiccant cooling. Closed cycle adsorption cooling. Absorption cooling technology. 5.  Grid connected photovoltaic systems. Structure of grid connected systems. Solar cell technologies. Module technology. Building integration and costs. Energy production and the performance ratio of PV systems. Physical fundamentals of solar electricity production. Current–voltage characteristics. PV performance with shading. Simple temperature model for PV models. System engineering. 6.  Thermal analysis of building–integrated solar components. Empirical thermal model of building–integrated photovoltaics. Energy balance and stationary thermal model of ventilated double facades. Building–integrated solar components (U– and g–values). Warm–air generation by photovoltaic facades. 7.  Passive solar energy. Passive solar use by glazings. Transparent themal insulation. Heat storage by interior building elements. 8.  Lighting technology and daylight use. Introduction to lighting and daylighting technology. Solar irradiance and light flux. Luminance and illuminance. Sky luminance intensity models. Light measurements. Daylight distribution in interior spaces. References. Index.

"...balances the physics and engineering background of solar heating, cooling and building integrated photovoltaics with practical applications..." (Bulletin, Vol 94(24/25), 2003)