Technical and Economic Performance of Four Solar Cooling and Power Co-Generated Systems Integrated With Facades in Chinese Climate Zones

Abstract

There has been an increasing interest in solar-driven combined energy supply systems for low-temperate applications, particularly those based on the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), Kalina Cycle (KC), or Trilateral Cycle (TLC). However, systems based on these thermodynamic cycles usually employ large area collectors that stand alone or are placed on the roof, without considering integration with the building facade. This research presents a solution to large-scale photothermal utilization integrated with facades for co-generated systems. The current study is the first to conduct performance and economic assessment for four novel solar cooling and power (SCP) co-generated systems driven by evacuated tube solar collectors (ETCs) or semi-transparent photovoltaic (STPV) integrated into the building facades. The suggested systems were simulated using TRNSYS to forecast their performance metrics when used in four Chinese cities with various climate zones. As indicators, a solar fraction (SF) and unit energy cost (UEC) were used to evaluate the technical and financial aspects of each system. The STPV-vapor compression cycle (VCC) system had the highest SF (100%, except Haikou), as well as the lowest UEC (0.211$/kWh on average) among the four cities, according to the results. Among the three solar–thermal co-generation systems, ETC–ORC–VCC had the best performance (SF,37.9%; UEC,0.597$/kWh on average).