Experimental and theoretical analysis of photovoltaic performance and thermal behavior for bifacial PV-Trombe wall system with reversible louvers in summer

The traditional monofacial PV-Trombe wall can harness both solar photovoltaic (PV) and thermal energy in buildings, but its performance is hindered by the need for transparent PV glass panels, which reduces PV power generation performance. To address this issue, this paper introduces a novel bifacial PV-Trombe Wall that leverages the rear-side power generation capability of bifacial PV cells. Theoretical analysis of the PV power generation performance of the system highlighted key factors and relationships, indicating that at a coverage rate of 0.5, the increase in its power generation compared to traditional systems reaches a maximum of 17.46 %. Furthermore, an experimental setup was devised and tested to explore the system's PV performance and thermal behavior during the summer season. The experimental results show that the reflective function of reversible louvers had successfully reduced the maximum temperature and rate of temperature rise on the attached wall, effectively alleviating the issue of solar heat absorption in buildings during summer. Besides, the system with reversible louvers improved the overall PV efficiency from 15.40 % to 16.17 %, with a total power generation increase of 5.04 %. Therefore, the system can enhance PV power generation and efficiently decrease the building's cooling energy consumption during the summer.