A Study of Solar Panel Chimney for House Ventilation

A concept of solar chimney utilizing solar panels for building passive ventilation is proposed in this paper. First, CFD Numerical analyses were conducted to test the feasibility. Major dimensional parameters were considered in the simulation and meaningful air flow rates were observed under normal conditions. Experiments were conducted to confirm the concept and to understand the physical mechanism of the phenomenon by air buoyancy. Based on the results of the study, the proposed solar panel chimney and its advantages are worth of further investigation. Based on this innovative concept, the rooftop solar panel could be re-arranged, grouped and boxed to form an effective solar panel chimney, to serve as passive ventilation system without much cost and fully utilize the solar power.