Thermoelectric cooling in combination with photovoltaics and thermal energy storage

Abstract

The article deals with the use of modern technologies that can improve the thermal comfort in buildings. The article describes the usage of thermal energy storage device based on the phase change material (PCM). The technology improves the thermal capacity of the building and it is possible to use it for active heating and cooling. It is designed as a "green technology" so it is able to use renewable energy sources, e.g., photovoltaic panels, solar thermal collectors, and heat pump. Moreover, an interesting possibility is the ability to use thermal energy storage in combination with a photovoltaic system and thermoelectric coolers. In the research, there were made measurements of the different operating modes and the results are presented in the text. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2017.