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German researchers develop modular building facade that heats and cools powered by solar panels.
A research team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, and at the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology IEE, is in the process of developing a renewable-energy modular building facade.
According to the scientists, the modular building facade should not only be able to supply a building with solar power, but also to heat, cool and ventilate its rooms.
The heart of the modular building facade is the photovoltaic system, which is combined with a heat pump as a heat and cold generator and a decentralized ventilation device with heat recovery. All the necessary components for the system technology are housed in the facade element, which is fully prefabrication and is claimed to be minimally invasive.
“We’re not renovating the entire building, just the facade,” explained Jan Kaier, project manager and scientist at Fraunhofer IEE. “In the future, the old facade will be replaced by new, industrially prefabricated modules with integrated system technology, which makes it multi-functional and adapts it to the new energy standards.”
The entire heating, cooling and ventilation technology for the office space behind will be integrated into the renewable-energy facade. As the heating and ventilation technology are already integrated, no new pipes are reuired. The modular building facade must, however, have a power connection to maintain air-conditioning and ventilate the rooms when there isn’t any solar power.
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