Development of a PV-powered thermoelectric partition for user-individual radiative cooling in office buildings

In the building sector, space cooling became one of the main causes of electric energy consumption, still constantly rising due to increasing temperatures and rising living and working standards worldwide. In order to reduce electricity needs for cooling in office buildings, and to improve the individual thermal comfort of occupants, a novel thermoelectric partition for user-individual radiative cooling is developed and tested. It utilizes Peltier elements to provide a cooled surface, which forms a heat sink for longwave radiation, transmitted from the user’s skin and dressed surface. By radiation exchange, the user is cooled down directly and individually, allowing to extend the range of room air temperatures and by that holding a significant potential for energy conservation.

The presented development process includes theoretical and numerical simulation studies, design, construction and commissioning of a working prototype and its initial evaluation in a brief field study. It shows the feasibility of the concept and its positive effect on the thermal sensation and comfort of users. Furthermore, it forms the basis for an ongoing research on the final implementation to a building heating and cooling system and the influence of its overall energy efficiency.