Advanced Heat Harvesting window for High Performance Buildings

The objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 has led the European Union to develop the European Green Deal (EGD). In synergy with member states, the directive is being reviewed to implement new standards for highly efficient building concepts. The most challenging component of the building envelope remains the glazing system, which could positively contribute to building needs thanks to its light transmittance, solar gain, and provision of natural ventilation to guarantee healthy indoor air quality. However, it also entails additional losses, including heat losses through the glazing and infiltration losses due to imperfect sealing. These drawbacks have led to the exploration of new concepts aligned with the objectives of the EGD, one of which is double-skin facades (DSFs) that guarantee flexible management of heat exchange between the outdoor and indoor environment. They provide necessary ventilation while minimizing losses due to fresh air entering the environment. Another promising technology in the building field is Phase Change Materials (PCMs), allowing for better thermal management of buildings. Although these two technologies have been analyzed separately, current research focuses on studying the combination of DSF and Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage (LHTES), discovering the potential to increase building efficiency. This thesis aims to study the operation and performance of a full-scale mock-up (Test Case 1 - TC1) installed on the south facade in the external measurement facility named Testing Window Innovative Systems (TWINS) at Politecnico di Torino. TC1 combines the properties of DSFs with PCMs. The goal is to collect and evaluate data for an advanced heat harvesting window and experimentally estimate the performance of this technology, differentiating conventional metrics generally adopted for traditional glazing systems and dynamic metrics that provide a better understanding of the technology’s strengths. TC1 is included in the "Iclimabuilt" project supported by Horizon 2020. The data collected during the experimental campaign allow for the evaluation of how the system works depending on the season and the changing operation mode of the façade. By means of the Excel data sheet, raw data from the experimental apparatus installed on TC1 were analyzed and postprocessed to evaluate the performance of the DSF, the advantages of using PCM, and how the combination could have a positive effect on energy management, energy savings, and indoor air quality.