Wireless solar modules for Building Integrated photovoltaic

Wireless solar modules for Building Integrated photovoltaic

Integration of photovoltaic (PV) modules in buildings is crucial to comply with the current “nearly-zero energy building” EU requirement and with the upcoming “zero-energy emission buildings” EU directive. However, such integration comes with a number of challenges. First of all, the complexity of the urban fabric leads to significant partial shading of building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) modules, which strongly reduces the productivity of the photovoltaic system when conventional PV modules are used. Secondly, BIPV modules are typically subject to higher operating temperatures owing to lack of proper ventilation from the back, which does not only reduce their energy yield but also impact the reliability and lifetime of the integrated electronics. Finally, since BIPV modules are replacing conventional building material, fire safety in BIPV installations must be tackled carefully. Notably, the major cause of fire in PV systems is the wear-out of cables and connectors during its installation.

This PhD research will focus on developing PV modules able to transfer power wirelessly to the building. The modules must combine advanced shade tolerance capabilities with the ability to transfer the generated power wirelessly to ad-hoc receivers installed on the building envelope.  The primary focus of the research will be on identifying the most suitable wireless power transfer (WPT) approach - capacitive or inductive - and design accordingly both the sender (which will be installed on the PV module) and the receiver. Furthermore, the whole power conversion and transfer system must be able to maximize the energy produced by the PV module, therefore it must embed maximum power point tracking capabilities.

In addition, since partial shading is rather common in BIPV systems, the wireless solar modules must also be shade-tolerant. Therefore, the PhD candidate will also engage in the design of the PV module itself. Specifically, the PhD candidate will select the most suitable cell and interconnection technology and design the related module layout. This additional work will combine simulation and experiments. Specifically, the Energy Yield simulation framework of imec will be used to evaluate the energy yield of different photovoltaic module topologies in realistic BIPV operating scenarios. This simulation work will allow for the selection of the most promising topologies, which will then be fabricated and tested experimentally both as stand-alone solutions as well as in combination with the developed WPT system.

The ideal candidate for this PhD project should have a strong background in power electronics, ideally with a specialization in converters design for wireless power transfer. Furthermore, the student’s background should include knowledge about photovoltaic technology. Additionally, the student should possess good computational skills and be proficient in software such as python and PLECS.