Experimental study of discharging PCM ceiling panels through nocturnal radiative cooling

PhotoVoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) panels were used for cooling water through the principle of nocturnal radiative cooling. This water was utilised for discharging Phase Change Material (PCM) which was embedded in ceiling panels in a climate chamber. Three different sets of flow rates were examined for the solar and the PCM loops, for five days each.

The highest examined water flow rate (210 l/h) in the PCM loop provided the best thermal environment in the climate chamber, namely 92% of the occupancy time was within the range of Category III of Standard EN 15251. Although the lowest examined water flow rate (96 l/h) in the solar loop provided the highest average cooling power, due to the significant variations in the weather conditions during the three experimental cases, made it impossible to determine to which extent the difference in the cooling power is due to the different water flow rate.

The percentage of electrical energy use that could be covered from the PV/Ts on site was 71.5% for Case 1, 68.3% for Case 2 and 86.8% for Case 3. In any case, the PV/T panels proved to be an efficient solution for the production of electrical energy, heated and chilled water.