**5. Summary of the BIPV-DSF model in TRNSYS**

According to the descriptions in Section 4, the proposed BIPV-DSF model can be created in TRNSYS by employing the determined essential components and types. **Figure 15** shows a complete BIPV-DSF model with all the linked components and types in TRNSYS (Simulation Studio). The system components and types of the TRNSYS model presented in **Figure 15** are further described in **Table 1**.

"Type56-TRNFlow" is used to carry out the numerical building information of the BIPV-DSF model, which is able to model the ventilation of the façade/building model in TRNSYS Simulation Studio based on the characteristics of building geometry, while the non-geometry information (for example, building envelope properties, internal heat gains and occupancy) of the façade/building model is edited in TRNBuild.

As stated in above, the selected system components and types for the proposed TRNSYS models have already been validated and widely used in the BIPV related research activities, which can be confidently employed to perform the proposed simulation analysis.

**Figure 15.** *Schematic diagram of the BIPV-DSF model in TRNSYS.*

*Recent Advances in Numerical Simulations*

the mean surface temperature [20].

panel model and Type 56 as the building model.

*Connection of Type567 and multi-zone building model in TRNSYS.*

The thermal and optical properties of the proposed semi-transparent PV panels can be created in WINDOW program (that is, an open access computer program for calculating total window thermal performance indices) [18] if the components of the PV panels are not available in the current TRNSYS database. Electrical productions of the PV panels are calculated separately using Type 567 which is an existing BIPV component in the Thermal Energy System Specialists (TESS) libraries. The TESS libraries (developed by TESS of Madison, Wisconsin) are the new component libraries that contain more than 250 components used in the TRNSYS simulation, in which the components are used for the simulation of PV systems, solar thermal systems, geothermal systems, HVAC systems, and so on. Each of the components has been extensively tested and has the compatible format with TRNSYS Simulation Studio environment [19]. Type 567–5 (**Figure 14**) is used to model a glazed solar collector for the numerical results of electric power and also take the collected thermal energy into consideration, which is the most suitable PV model for the simulation of the electrical performance of the proposed semi-transparent PV glazing in TRNSYS. This model type can be combined with the detailed multi-zone building model (Type 56) that provides the temperature of the back surface of the PV glazing by giving

As mentioned earlier, TRNSYS has already been validated and widely used in the BIPV related research activities. Egrican and Akguc [5] calculated cooling and heating demands of an office building with BIPV building façade through TRNSYS simulation, in which the PV panel model (Type 567) was well coupled with the building façade model (Type 56). Kim and Kim [6] evaluated both the electrical and thermal performances of a building with BIPV façade by means of the simulation modelling in TRNSYS, which modelled different cases of the building façade (that is, single-skin and ventilated double-skin façades) using Type 567 as the PV

Kamel and Fung [7] developed a roof system model that integrated a BIPV collector with an air source heat pump (ASHP) for a residential house in TRNSYS, in which the Type 567 was selected to model the glazed PV collector and connected to the multi-zone building model (Type 56). The simulation successfully predicted the seasonal performance of the heat pump and the electricity cost savings from the PV production. Elarga et al. [8] created a similar model typology as the proposed BIPV-DSF in this chapter, and investigated the energy performance of a DSF coupled with BIPV system for an office building, but the semi-transparent PV panel

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**Figure 14.**


#### **Table 1.**

*Description of system components and types of the BIPV-DSF model.*
