Comparison of the energy conversion efficiency of a solar chimney and a solar PV-powered fan for ventilation applications

Abstract

A study into the performance of a solar chimney and a solar photovoltaic (PV)-powered fan for ventilation applications was carried out using numerical simulations. The performance of the solar chimney was compared with that of a direct current (DC) fan powered by a solar PV panel. The comparison was carried out using the same area of the irradiated surface-the area of the solar absorber plate in the case of the solar chimney and the area of the solar panel in the case of the photovoltaic-powered fan. The two studied cases were compared under various solar radiation intensities of incident solar radiation. The results indicate that the PV-powered fans significantly outperform solar chimneys in terms of converting solar energy into the kinetic energy of air motion. Moreover, ventilation with PV-powered fans offers more flexibility in the arrangement of the ventilation system and also better control of the air flow rates in the case of battery storage.