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4th Task Meeting in Canada
October 2006
The 4th Task meeting was held in Canada, 2-4 October 2006, hosted by
University of Toronto. It was a full 3-day meeting and there was a joint
session with the Canadian Solar Buildings Research Network (SBRN) which
consists of 24 researchers from 10 Canadian universities. They have
joined forces to develop the solar-optimized homes and commercial
buildings of the future. SBRN also include experts from Natural
Resources Canada (NRCan), the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC)
and Hydro Québec. The joint session was used for presentations and
discussion of how activities of the two groups, SBRN and IEA SHC Task
35, can be coordinated. It was agreed to set up a Letter of
Understanding on the planned collaboration between IEA SHC Task 35 and
SBRN. Specific collaboration was agreed on review of the proposals for
Net Zero Energy Healthy Homes Demonstration program, in order to
identify possible PV/Thermal Solar Energy systems demonstration sites.
The status for the different subtasks is listed in the following.
Subtask A - Market and Commercialisation:
Market survey interviews of architects and solar dealers have been
made in USA to obtain information from the market place about which
things will affect or influence the purchase design, supply and
installation of future PV/T projects.
More interviews will be made in USA, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium,
Sweden, Germany, and possibly Hong Kong, Denmark, Thailand, Greece, and
Italy. Articles on the interviews will be made in the end of the year.
During and after interviews more work will be done on identification of
key persons/groups (decision makers) and order qualifiers and order
winners. This will be concluded in an article in the beginning of next
year.
An overview of commercially available PV/T collectors has been made and
is presently undergoing a review process by the IEA SHC Task Publication
Review Committee and the Executive Secretary. When completed the file
will be made public available at the Task website.
Important input to the Task work has been provided from the PVT Forum
project, which is part of the EU-supported project PV Catapult. Here a
main deliverable is an overall road-map for commercialisation of PV/T.
The focus of the EU-funded work is naturally with the focus on the
European situation, but non-European countries are now reviewing and
commenting on the roadmap. The work will be concluded in a more world
wide oriented article.
Subtask B - Energy analysis and modelling:
It has been found that the vast majority of PV/T, PV, and Solar
Thermal Models have already been developed in TRNSYS, and it has been
decided that the Task would make this the platform of choice. Two new
models for transpired air PV/T collectors and non-tracking PV/T
concentrators are currently being developed.
All the PV/T collector models will be compiled into a standard
downloadable package of models for researchers and a standard
downloadable package(s) for non-researchers, the latter based on TRNSED.
Development of a standardized method for characterisation and monitoring
of PV/T-modules is now on-going and different approaches have been
discussed. A method that would catch the interaction of the thermal and
PV systems has been devised and will need to be further developed to
ensure its suitability.
In terms of control strategies needed for PV/Thermal Systems a number of
possible schemes can be devised that range from simple to complex.
Further discussion is put off until the schemes can be modelled or
tested.
Subtask C - Product and system development, test and evaluation:
An MS Excel spreadsheet with an overview of PV/T components and
projects has been completed and is presently undergoing a review process
from the SHC Task Publication Review Committee and the Executive
Secretary. The spreadsheet will be made available at the public Task
website.
Test of a flat plate liquid PV/T collector from the Dutch manufacturer
PVTWINS has been completed in September 2006 by the Danish Technological
Institute. The same collector will now be tested at the University of
Padova in Italy.
Tests of a transpired air PV/T collector from Conserval Engineering,
Canada is now being prepared for at the Danish Technological Institute.
Another collector of this type is currently being tested at the National
Solar Test Facility in Canada. Test of other categories of PV/T
collectors are planned for in Sweden and Italy.
Different test methodologies based on the experiences from the
participating laboratories and most recent international standardisation
of testing procedures of solar systems have and will be used. The aim of
the activities is to achieve a much better understanding of the
performance of already existing systems and to define standard methods
for testing of the characteristics and durability of PV/T systems.
Regarding investigation of the need for development for PV/T components,
industry, manufacturers, and designers have been asked. The experts in
the Task group will now point out the issues they see as most important
including the need for new materials.
Subtask D - Demonstration projects:
Interviews of stakeholders for realised PV/T systems are being
carried out on a national basis to learn from their experience and to
make recommendations for next generation of demonstration projects.
Monitoring results for existing PV/T projects will be collected to the
extent where it is practically possible and of value to the Task. The
results of the interviews will be included in a brochure.
In order to be able to gain knowledge from demonstration projects within
the time schedule of the Task, the planning of work in Subtask D is
focusing on the identification of potential projects to be realised
during 2006, allowing for monitoring of the realised projects and
comparison with simulated performance of the systems.
An advertisement for demonstration projects explaining the interest of
the Task and benefit of hosts by having demonstration projects within
the PV/T-sector has been made. The advertisement is presently undergoing
a review process from the SHC and the Executive Secretary Task
Publication Review Committee and will be made available at the public
Task website and distributed to national contacts.
Subtask E - Dissemination:
An article (in German) presenting an overview of PV/Thermal Solar
Systems and the research work IEA SHC Task 35 has been published in the
Austrian journal "erneuerbare energie" 2-2006. The journal reports about
research and development in the field of renewable energies. The article
is available at the public Task website.
A paper on the Task and PV/Thermal Solar Systems was presented at the
World Renewable Energy Congress IX, 19-25 August 2006 in Florence, Italy
and the abstract has been published by Elsevier in World Renewable
Energy Congress IX, Book of Abstracts, 19-25 August 2006, Florence -
Italy.
A Task 35 flyer was distributed from the ECN stand and IEA PVPS stand at
the 21st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in
Dresden, 4-8 September 2006. The flyer has been redesigned and is now
subjected to a review by the SHC Chairman, and the Executive Secretary.
A logo for Task 35 has been made in cooperation with a Danish architect
and lithographic artist. The symbolic of the logo is to illustrate the
potential of harvesting electrical power, as well as heating and cooling
from the same solar system.
A Task 35 brochure is under preparation and a general presentation
template (MS PowerPoint) has been developed for Task experts to ease the
presentation of the Task in general, ongoing and completed activities
and scientific material regarding PV/T.
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