Solar energy in architecture: Novel facade collectors

Abstract

The use of solar energy in architecture becomes more and more attractive nowadays. It offers great benefits such as: fossil fuel reduction, less CO2 emission that labels the architectural goods as ecobuildings. Particularly, the use of solar thermal systems in building integration has a big potential. Façade solar thermal collectors show double benefits in new architectural goods: integrated functional elements that fit the architectural appearance very well and at the same time they use a high fraction of solar energy for thermal energy needs of the building. This is a sustainable way of use of solar energy and consequently decrease the CO2 impact to the environment. In this work, the new model of a façade windows-like collectors and their advantages are described. Namely, it is an ideal module to build-it in the south façade of the building; it could be residential, manufacturing or office building. With facade types of collectors, the architectural appearance of the buildings is not destroyed and at the same time the build-in elements are functional: they participate to a great portion of total energy needs of the building.

Keywords

• facade solar thermal collectors
• energy-efficiency
• building integration
• long term stability