| Work Detail |
A Belgian-Dutch research group has designed a PV noise barrier that reportedly offers a good performance in terms of power yield, drivers’ safety and noise cancellation. Its payback time was estimated at between 6 and 10 years.
A Belgian-Dutch research team has developed a photovoltaic noise barrier with a ZigZag design for applications along highways and roadways, as well as in building façade applications. “Especially in densely populated areas, like Eindhoven, space for PV installations is limited and the comfort of living in districts close to highways is under pressure,” the researchs lead author, Fallon Colberts, told pv magazine. ” ZigZag PV noise barriers are an excellent solution.”
The ZigZag design consists of mounting the solar modules towards the sun in a “zig” plane, while the “zag” plane increases the light coupling to the underlying solar panel.
“As the solar panel is oriented towards the sun and not directed towards the driver, this design may limit undesired sun and traffic light reflection on the glass surface of the solar panel, contributing to the safety of the driver.” the scientists explained, noting that novel noise barrier also integrates noise-canceling materials to reduce undesired reflection of traffic noise. “In addition, the safety of the driver can be increased by the aesthetical ‘zag of the construction by avoiding monotone views.”
With the support of Netherlands-based startup Wallvision, the research group built a 4 m x 4 m demonstrator with a south-south-west orientation and two ZigZag configurations. It relied on eight solar modules provided by Belgian manufacturer Soltech and Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors aimed to measure the system temperature. It also utilized noise-absorbing material provided by German specialist Rockwool. The modules were deployed with a tilt angle ranging from 35 to 50 degrees.
Through a series of simulations and life cycle assessment (LCA), the researchers found that the proposed PV noise barrier has a payback time of 6 to 10 years. “LCA studies, performed by Helmo, revealed a low CO2 eq/kWh compared to electricity mixes and a good payback time over lifetime ratio,” Colberts said. “In addition, the simulations showed that the energy yield can be very well simulated by their optimized energy yield framework. The latter could be of interest when designing and selecting locations for the installation of ZigZag PV noise barriers.”
The analysis also found that the optimal tilt angle of the system should range from 20 to 40 degrees, which should ensure a proper balance between yield and noise reduction. As for energy yield, however, no particular difference was noted when changing the tilt angle from 20 to 80 degrees.
The simulations also showed that a 50-degree tilt angle generally yields higher energy production across different seasons compared to a 35-degree tilt, especially in summer months. “The reason for this is the reduced shading from the upper ZigZag covers with a higher tilt angle,” the scientists explained. “A yearly specific yield up to 941 kWh/kWp with a tilt angle of 35 degrees and 1066 kWh/kWp with a tilt angle of 50 degrees can be generated by the ZigZag PVNB demonstrator.”
The system was presented in the study “Performance study and LCA of a ZigZag PV noise barrier: Towards mass-customization of IIPV applications,” published in Applied Energy. The research team included scientists from the Zuyd University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, as well as from Hasselt University and the Institut de Recherche des Instituts groupés de la Haute Ecole Mosane in Belgium.
“Wallvision is working on the optimization of its product to realize the commercialization of ZigZag PV components that can be used for the construction of PV noise barriers,” Colberts added. “A pilot project in Eindhoven is planned in the near future by Wallvision to get ZigZag PV noise barriers closer to commercialization.” |
