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The new multifunctional photovoltaic window concept aims to produce electricity while providing protection against overheating to improve thermal and visual comfort indoors. It consists of an insulating glazing unit with strips of bifacial crystalline silicon solar cells and embedded Venetian blinds that act as reflectors for the back of the cells.
A research group coordinated by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) has produced a multifunctional photovoltaic window concept intended to produce electricity while providing protection against overheating to improve thermal and visual comfort indoors.
“The ZIEZO window consists of a unique insulating glazing unit (IGU) with bifacial crystalline silicon solar cell strips and integrated Venetian blinds,” Simona Villa, lead author of the research, explains to pv magazine . “When the blinds are deployed, they will act as a reflector, redirecting part of the sunlight to the back side of the bifacial cells, thereby boosting energy generation. To our knowledge, there is currently no bifacial photovoltaic window on the market for building integration.”
The system was presented in the article « Outdoor Performance Analysis of Semitransparent Photovoltaic Windows with Bifacial Cells and Integrated Blinds» published in RRL Solar , where its authors explain that the system is an evolution of a window technology developed and patented by the Dutch glass company Pilkington without the solar cells.
The novel solar window can operate in “no boost” mode when the blinds are stored in the upper storage box or in “partial boost” mode when the blinds are deployed but kept open. In addition, it can operate in “maximum boost” mode when sunlight is blocked from entering the room. Users can automatically adjust the position of the blinds to prioritize photovoltaic performance or thermal and visual control.
The research group, which also included scientists from Pilkington itself, deployed 12 small-sized demonstrators at the SolarBEAT outdoor research facility, with variations in terms of PV cell types, coverage ratios and Venetian blind types. In addition, 6 full-size windows were also installed in the Pilkington headquarters office building in Enschede, the Netherlands. |
