Photovoltaic Thermal Heat Pump for Building Facades

This book presents the development and analysis of a Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) Heat Pump system integrated into building facades for energy-efficient fresh air supply. The system combines photovoltaic electricity generation with heat pump technology to provide simultaneous cooling heating and hot water throughout the year. A novel PVT fresh air chamber is proposed enabling preheating or precooling of ambient air via refrigerant evaporation and condensation reducing HVAC energy consumption and ensuring indoor air quality. Using CFD simulations and experimental validation the study investigates airflow and heat transfer characteristics under natural and forced convection modes. Results show temperature variations of 4-10 °C and cooling exchange efficiency up to 91%. An experimental system installed on a building facade at Dalian University of Technology demonstrated stable operation achieving electrical efficiency of 9.6-10.2% and a fresh air COP of 0.88 proving its potential for multi-energy generation and façade-integrated sustainable building applications.