Strategic mitigation of temperature-induced efficiency losses in large-scale photovoltaic facades

Abstract

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) modules into building facades offers a promising solution for sustainable energy production in urban environments. However, temperature fluctuations across large PV facades can cause uneven module performance and localized overheating, reducing efficiency and accelerating degradation. This study employs advanced computational fluid dynamics to simulate wind behavior around gigantic PV facades (600 square meter) and identify at-risk modules. Unlike traditional approaches that use phase change materials (PCM) uniformly or only in lab-scale setups, this work proposes a novel, simulation-guided strategy that selectively deploys composite porous-PCM materials only to critical modules. Based on thermal analysis, 76 modules in the high-rise and 140 modules in the mid-rise facades are identified as susceptible to thermal stress, necessitating 1.8 times more PCM in the mid-rise façade. This strategy increases the total energy production (electrical + thermal) by 1.51 and 1.26 times for the mid-rise and high-rise facades, respectively, compared to their non-PCM counterparts. Furthermore, the sustainability index improves by 0.03 for the mid-rise and by 0.01 for the high-rise facades. Although the initial investment is higher, the PCM-equipped facade offers a shorter payback period by producing more energy, making it a cost-effective and sustainable solution for large-scale photovoltaic systems.