Characterise the electrical and thermal behaviour of your photovoltaic modules for building-applied and building-integrated applications.

profielfoto kris baert

Contact

kris.baert@energyville.be

Kris Baert

Business Developer Electrical networks
Description
Technical Notes

Advantages

Our integrated team combines expertise in PV modules and building components. Work with us to execute the following tests:

  • Energy yield and performance ratio in outdoor climatological conditions
  • Tests under controlled climatic and irradiation conditions (cfr IEC 61215 and IEC 61646 standards)
  • Detailed power loss analysis (e.g. temperature dependency of energy yield, ventilation impact)
  • (Hygro)thermal and ventilation air flow tests for building-integrated applications

Our photovoltaic simulation tools can provide additional analysis of your measurement data. Our simulators address:

  • The transient opto-electro-thermal behaviour of your PV module
  • The interaction of your BAPV or BIPV modules with the electrical and thermal energy flows in buildings (cfr. IDEAS)

Applications

  • Measure and benchmark the energy yield and Performance Ratio of your innovative PV modules (such as improved electrical or thermal design)
  • Evaluate long term reliability
  • Derive thermal parameters for use in buildings
  • Compare BIPV vs. BAPV integration
  • Assess the hygrothermal impact of photovoltaic modules on building structures

Customers

  • Manufacturers of innovative PV modules
  • BAPV/BIPV component and building element manufacturers
  • PV system integrators

The customer obtains data in the form of time series with the key parameters as well as report with the key findings, results and procedure description.

Outdoor test field for façade-mounted BIPV modules (facilities in Leuven & EnergybipvVille 2)

In order to measure BIPV in real life conditions different measurement set-ups were designed and built. A first set-up is located in the ‘’VLIET’’ test building in Leuven. The current test set-up comprises 3 frames in which c-Si mini-modules (frame 1 and 2) and a curtain wall c-Si BIPV element (frame 3) are tested. A module-level DC/DC microconverter is being developed at KU Leuven to be installed in the frame of the curtain wall element. In addition, semitransparent BIPV windows are tested on the same façade. On the roof of EnergyVille 2 there is a BIPV demo room, where test arrangements of life-size demonstration panels can be placed in real weather conditions, facing west, south and east. The indoor and outdoor climate of the BIPV panels can be monitored continuously, just like the performance and service life of the PV module components.

Details:

  • Meteorological data: air temperature, wind speed and direction, irradiance (global horizontal/global in-plane as well as direct and diffuse in-plane)
  • Continuous measurement of: energy yield, temperature profiles, relative humidity profiles, airflow in the ventilated cavity
  • Periodic scan of I-V curves
  • Façade South-West oriented in Leuven / East, West, South oriented in EnergyVille 2

Outdoor test field for rack-mounted PV modules (EnergyVille 1 & 2)

Outdoor test field for rack-mounted PV modules (EnergyVille 1 & 2) To provide detailed knowledge about the performance and efficiency of larger PV systems coupled to DC nanogrids with battery storage, EnergyVille 1 has also equipped part of its roof area with 368 kWp of grid-connected PV in east+west and south+north configuration. A second, 65-KWp grid-connected PV system with mainstream c-Si PV modules is installed on the roof of the EnergyVille 2 building, with south orientation only. In addition, dedicated outdoor PV testing infrastructure is available for offering our expert services to industrials and research partners. The overall testing capacity available is for 56 full-size, framed or frameless, mono- or bifacial PV modules.

Details:

  • Set-up according to IEC standard 61853-1 and the European PV community’s best practices
  • Meteorological data: air temperature, wind speed and direction, irradiance (global horizontal/global in-plane as well as direct and diffuse in-plane) (same as above)
  • Continuous measurement of: energy yield
  • Periodic scan of I-V curves
  • From 2 to 10 pieces of crystalline-silicon and thin-film modules (up to 400 Wp each)
  • Power rating; P-G-T matrix; relative efficiency model; I-V parameters estimation
  • South-facing open-rack mounting, tilt angle 35° from horizontal
  • Back-of-module temperature measurements with thin Pt100 probes at several points of interest.

Optional: experiments under partially shaded conditions; cell by cell reverse I-V characteristics for shunting and breakdown mode analysis (on c-Si modules with removable discrete bypass diodes)