Performance Assessment of Solar Air Collector for Sustainable Building Applications

The energy transition of the building sector requires the implementation of high-efficiency solutions that increase the share of renewable energy sources while addressing environmental, technical, and economic constraints. Among available technologies, solar air collectors represent a simple and robust option for direct thermal energy generation. This study experimentally evaluates the performance of a prototype solar air collector under laboratory and field conditions and compares its thermal energy yield with the electrical output of photovoltaic panels. Under laboratory conditions, the tested solar air collector achieved a maximum thermal power of 1305 W and an air temperature increase exceeding 40 K. Field measurements conducted under near-standard test conditions demonstrated an average thermal efficiency above 60%. Winter analyses confirmed that, despite lower solar irradiance, the system maintained relatively high efficiency, although the total energy yield strongly depended on atmospheric stability. Comparative results showed that, for an equivalent installation area, the solar air collector generated more usable thermal energy than photovoltaic panels under favorable solar conditions. On the other hand, the limited flexibility of direct thermal energy storage reduces the operational versatility of solar air collectors. These findings confirm the technical feasibility of integrating solar air collectors with photovoltaic systems in hybrid renewable installations. Such combined configurations can improve building energy performance and support decarbonization strategies within sustainable development frameworks.