Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric Systems for Building Cooling Applications: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Thermal comfort in buildings using energy efficient methods has attracted lots of attentions during last few decades. In the present paper, the feasibility of using thermoelectric (TE) modules to provide cooling for a residential building located in Melbourne, FL is studied. It is assumed that photovoltaic (PV) panels are used to provide necessary power for TE operation. The building roof is covered with PV panels and an air channel is installed on the bottom of the panels. The TE modules are located inside the air channel and are attached to a metal sheet from the bottom which constructs the ceiling of the building. The metal sheet on the ceiling cools down in summer to provide space cooling through natural convection and radiation. A mathematical model is developed to simulate the system in MATLAB. The simulation results include transient temperature values through each layer of the system and heat removal/rejection rates from thermoelectric modules. A specific temperature is defined for thermal comfort and the number of TE modules that is required to maintain the temperature below the limit is determined. The results suggest that TE modules can be successfully used for building cooling applications. Further investigation and experiments are required for a comprehensive design of the system.