Beijing is making the best of the opportunity and cleaning up its polluting image by taking various eco-steps like green fire works and wind powered Olympics stadium. And today we come across it’s another green jig of creating one of the world’s first SolarWall PV/thermal hybrid systems. Folks from SolarWall, Conserval Engineering, Natural Resources Canada and the Olympic Village developers have teamed up for this practical and cost-effective clean energy technology for 2008 Olympics. Mounted on the roof of one of the central buildings, which will be a service centre for athletes during the Olympics, the SolarWall PV/T technology is unique in that it is one of the first commercially viable hybrid solar systems.
The technology produces both electricity and heat energy from the same surface area, generating 200-300 per cent more energy than a conventional PV system. It combines SolarWall air heating technology with photovoltaics to create a total energy solution in which the payback period is reduced and the CO2 displacement is maximized.
As an added benefit such panels act as a racking system to the PV; removing the heat from the back of the modules and channeling it into the facility’s traditional heating system. The building is also home to a conventional SolarWall air heating system, which was integrated into the architecturally unique front façade.
Such technologies address the fact the largest source of energy usage is through buildings are required if worldwide CO2 reduction targets are to be met.
Via Ecogeek
