| The performance of Building-Integrated Photovoltaic-Thermal (BIPV/T) collector is examined in this thesis. A full scale-test collector constructed for the 2007 Department of Energy Solar Decathlon by the University of Colorado is monitored over several weeks in the summer of 2008 and measured data is used to calibrate a heat transfer model implemented in MATLAB. Following calibration, error between experimental measurements and the calibrated model outputs is within the limits of measurement uncertainty.;Parametric computer simulations are constructed to examine thermal efficiency, the effectiveness of the collector as a night-sky radiator and the effect of heat collection on electrical efficiency. Nine design parameters are varied and a sensitivity analysis conducted to identify those most critical to collector peformance. Additionally, the impact of two common exterior convection coefficients on collector performance is investigated to illustrate the importance of convection model selection. Finally, model results are compared to those generated by a simplified model to determine the applicability of existing PV/T models to collectors of the design studied here.;Results indicate that overall collector thermal efficiency is relatively low compared to existing collectors. However, the potential low cost of the system could allow larger collector areas to compensate for low efficiency, especially in warm climates. Combined thermal and electrical efficiency can be as high as 34% as constructed, and up to 66% with improvements to the design. Analysis indicates that the predicted thermal performance is highly dependent on the thermal resistance between the PV cells and the absorber plate and is sensitive to assumptions regarding wind-driven convection heat transfer coefficients. |
