TUPROOFS - Thermal under PV Roofing SIP
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Hertfordshire
Department Name: School of Engineering and Technology
Abstract
TUPROOFS - Thermal Solar under Photovoltaic Roofing Structures project proposes the integration of Thermal Solar and PV in a complete large scale structural insulated roof panel that can be placed directly on to new, refurbished buildings to provide a renewable energy producing roof structure in one simple operation and where for domestic scale properties the panel can be entirely self supporting, affording major construction savings.
By integrating the PV wafers and thermal channels with the roof structure manufacturing costs will be minimised and the PV (especially) becomes a marginal cost building component thus delivering a roof that pays for itself and which also has minimal installation costs - for the roof and for the solar elements. The project objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of integrated solar/PV/Thermal/SIP roof panels that are more (cost) efficient for the construction process, highly efficient in the collection of thermal energy and generate electricity at grid parity eliminating the need for incentives and can be implemented in new domestic and commercial buildings with an especial applicability off-grid in developing countries to deliver industry, work, communications and light.
By integrating the PV wafers and thermal channels with the roof structure manufacturing costs will be minimised and the PV (especially) becomes a marginal cost building component thus delivering a roof that pays for itself and which also has minimal installation costs - for the roof and for the solar elements. The project objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of integrated solar/PV/Thermal/SIP roof panels that are more (cost) efficient for the construction process, highly efficient in the collection of thermal energy and generate electricity at grid parity eliminating the need for incentives and can be implemented in new domestic and commercial buildings with an especial applicability off-grid in developing countries to deliver industry, work, communications and light.
Planned Impact
The withdrawal of renewable energy incentives and Part L2016 without zero energy means the 2020 and 2030 CO2 targets may not be met. TUPROOFS seeks to deliver a cost effective solution for industry that will meet these targets.
While we know well how to insulate buildings and ensure that energy is retained, the final lap to energy neutrality requires some element of renewable generation. To date renewables such as PV and Heat Pumps are expensive needing incentivisation. Further while PV is a suitable source of generation for buildings, current systems require fixing of manufactured modules to existing and new roofs, with fixing systems potentially impairing roof integrity. (Flexible BIPV is an exception but current products are costly and have fixed lengths). This project posits a solution to this issue by integrating photovoltaics and solar thermal systems directly to large structural insulation panels (SIPs), so that installation cost and integrity issues are minimised and very rapid construction of a roof structure is possible.
Such structures require strength in compression on their upper side. The solar thermal collector being a multi-layer channel matrix can be designed to provide this strength and also cool the PV element, extract residual solar heat to potentially generate electricity (with low grade Organic Rankine Cycle heat cycles ), drive absorption cooling, feed local heating or be stored. TUPROOFS will validate the technical feasibility of the concept and the potential business cases which, with our cost estimates, will remain profitable at export grid payments of under £0.06 per Kwh. The product could become a "The roof that pays for itself" for commercial (warehouse)/ agricultural new build and potentially 15% of the 250,000 new highly efficient homes needed in the UK every year. We will further research the feasibility for cost reduced "containerised" production units to make large PVT structural insulating panels on-site tailored to individual buildings/houses to provide energy, heat and insulation and if deployed in developing countries, allow rural communities self-sufficiency, communications, cooling and light industry and thus reduce migration to urban slums or to developed contries.
It will explore such business cases and engage with UKTI if potential is shown. The project will spend significant resources establishing the concept's feasibility, deliver an indepth report of feasibility, manufacturing options and methods, business case viability and exploitation by the partners. Sample demonstration panels will be created, tested and used for dissemination, exploitation and fund raising.
While we know well how to insulate buildings and ensure that energy is retained, the final lap to energy neutrality requires some element of renewable generation. To date renewables such as PV and Heat Pumps are expensive needing incentivisation. Further while PV is a suitable source of generation for buildings, current systems require fixing of manufactured modules to existing and new roofs, with fixing systems potentially impairing roof integrity. (Flexible BIPV is an exception but current products are costly and have fixed lengths). This project posits a solution to this issue by integrating photovoltaics and solar thermal systems directly to large structural insulation panels (SIPs), so that installation cost and integrity issues are minimised and very rapid construction of a roof structure is possible.
Such structures require strength in compression on their upper side. The solar thermal collector being a multi-layer channel matrix can be designed to provide this strength and also cool the PV element, extract residual solar heat to potentially generate electricity (with low grade Organic Rankine Cycle heat cycles ), drive absorption cooling, feed local heating or be stored. TUPROOFS will validate the technical feasibility of the concept and the potential business cases which, with our cost estimates, will remain profitable at export grid payments of under £0.06 per Kwh. The product could become a "The roof that pays for itself" for commercial (warehouse)/ agricultural new build and potentially 15% of the 250,000 new highly efficient homes needed in the UK every year. We will further research the feasibility for cost reduced "containerised" production units to make large PVT structural insulating panels on-site tailored to individual buildings/houses to provide energy, heat and insulation and if deployed in developing countries, allow rural communities self-sufficiency, communications, cooling and light industry and thus reduce migration to urban slums or to developed contries.
It will explore such business cases and engage with UKTI if potential is shown. The project will spend significant resources establishing the concept's feasibility, deliver an indepth report of feasibility, manufacturing options and methods, business case viability and exploitation by the partners. Sample demonstration panels will be created, tested and used for dissemination, exploitation and fund raising.
Publications
Peng Z
(2017)
Cooled solar PV panels for output energy efficiency optimisation
in Energy Conversion and Management
Herfatmanesh M
(2017)
Optimized Performance and Life Cycle Analysis of Cooled Solar PV
Description | With necessary experimental investigation/developments and theoretical analyses, results demonstrated that the proposed PVT system with cooling water provided by low cost plastic cooling channels can provided obvious benefit for increasing energy efficiency. Test results on two prototypes of PVT roof sections have also verified the expectation to the performance improvement. |
Exploitation Route | Experimental works on a small scale test rig for investigating the whole system concept and performance have been conducted. Experimental results show the heat exchanger fitted in the chimney can provided necessary cooling function and the electric output from solar panels has been improved obviously under cooled condition. CFD simulation for studying performances of big scale chimneys and different designs of heat exchanger have been completed. Simulation results suggest general chimney design in which a helical heat exchanger is fitted can meet the requirement for providing cooling function to providing adequate cooling water of low temperature for cooling down PVT. Two prototypes of PVT roof sections with different insulation have been built with cooling water supplied under solar panels. Cooling channels are prepared with existing low cost plastic channel. Initial tests have shown very positive results for the whole system performance. Finally, theoretical analysis for studying the whole system performance under all season conditions has been completed on PolySun simulation platform. |
Sectors | Construction Energy Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
URL | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0196890417306416 |
Description | Those industry partners are working to make possible production of compact roof with cooled solar PV systems and are exploring several clients for practial application. |
Sector | Construction,Energy |
Impact Types | Societal Economic |
Description | Collaboration with Telemetry Associates Limited, Flint Engineering Limited and Eco Design Consultants |
Organisation | Eco Design Consultants |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Working with Telemetry Associates Limited, Flint Engineering Limited and Eco Design Consultants as a consortium, the project is a collaboration project. Four partners are working very closely for making the project to achieve its outcomes. |
Collaborator Contribution | We cover most experimental and analytical works for investigating cooled solar performance and cooling performance of relevant supporting systems. |
Impact | 1. Most of experimental and analytical works have been completed. Initial results show the cooled solar PV can provide substsntially economic and technical benefits (for reducing CO2 emissions). 2. Based on initial experimental results, several prototypes have been designed. As the manufacture of prototypes are undergoing, the final test for prototype performance is being prepared and will formally start shortly. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Collaboration with Telemetry Associates Limited, Flint Engineering Limited and Eco Design Consultants |
Organisation | Flint Engineering Limited |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Working with Telemetry Associates Limited, Flint Engineering Limited and Eco Design Consultants as a consortium, the project is a collaboration project. Four partners are working very closely for making the project to achieve its outcomes. |
Collaborator Contribution | We cover most experimental and analytical works for investigating cooled solar performance and cooling performance of relevant supporting systems. |
Impact | 1. Most of experimental and analytical works have been completed. Initial results show the cooled solar PV can provide substsntially economic and technical benefits (for reducing CO2 emissions). 2. Based on initial experimental results, several prototypes have been designed. As the manufacture of prototypes are undergoing, the final test for prototype performance is being prepared and will formally start shortly. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Collaboration with Telemetry Associates Limited, Flint Engineering Limited and Eco Design Consultants |
Organisation | Telemetry Associates Ltd |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Working with Telemetry Associates Limited, Flint Engineering Limited and Eco Design Consultants as a consortium, the project is a collaboration project. Four partners are working very closely for making the project to achieve its outcomes. |
Collaborator Contribution | We cover most experimental and analytical works for investigating cooled solar performance and cooling performance of relevant supporting systems. |
Impact | 1. Most of experimental and analytical works have been completed. Initial results show the cooled solar PV can provide substsntially economic and technical benefits (for reducing CO2 emissions). 2. Based on initial experimental results, several prototypes have been designed. As the manufacture of prototypes are undergoing, the final test for prototype performance is being prepared and will formally start shortly. |
Start Year | 2016 |