Large grid-connected hybrid PV system integrated in a public building

This paper describes the integration of photovoltaic (PV) cells into a public building, the public library ‘Pompeu i Fabra’, which is located in Mataró, a Mediterranean town close to Barcelona, Spain. For this purpose, standardized building elements have been developed that provide both thermal and photovoltaic energy from the sun. These hybrid PV–thermal modules are prefabricated and then quickly mounted on the building as a curtain wall. The first data on the electrical performance are presented. Back ventilation of the solar cells in the hybrid PV–thermal modules leads to increased electrical performance of the PV generator.