Thermal Performance Evaluation Techniques for Thin-Film Semi-Transparent PV Glazing Using Experimental Testing

Semi-transparent PV glazing is an emerging technology for building integrated photovoltaic applications. Thermal performance evaluation, represented by the overall heat transfer coefficient (U-value) is a key parameter for assessing the suitable of a PV glazing for building façade applications. This work presents three techniques for proper evaluation of the U-value for a cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film based semitransparent PV glazing. The advantages of each technique was discussed in light of the obtained results. Results showed that all experiments convey the same U-values of the tested glazing, as the PV glazing has a U-value of 2.67 W/m2K lower than that of the conventional glazing 5.6 W/m2K. Different experiments reveal the results in different profiles in terms of steadiness providing various insights regarding the thermal performance.