A-Brick ASTF

Abstract

This study investigates the feasibility of transforming Aberson’s A-Brick ventilated ceramic façade into an effective Active Solar Thermal Façade (ASTF) system and evaluates its thermal performance across multiple energy applications. A combination of literature review, laboratory prototype experiments, ANSYS CFD simulations, numerical calculations, and TRNSYS annual modelling is employed to assess both heat-collector and heat-exchanger operation modes. Prototype results show that the unglazed ceramic façade achieves moderate solar-collector performance, with efficiency of 15–30%, heat-removal factors of 0.25–0.35, and a relatively high heat-loss coefficient due to direct exposure and limited thermal coupling. When operating as a heat exchanger, the system delivers an overall heat-transfer coefficient of 14–25 W/m²K, strongly governed by air-side convection. Despite lower thermal performance compared with glazed collectors or fan-coil evaporators, the façade’s large usable surface compensates for these limitations.

System-level analyses demonstrate that a 10.77 m² south-facing façade can preheat 200 L of domestic hot water during spring–summer conditions, while approximately 22.8 m² of façade area is sufficient to meet the evaporator load of a 6 kW heat pump under Dutch winter design conditions. TRNSYS simulations further indicate that the integrated façade–heat-pump system can achieve a seasonal COP of around 4.2. The results confirm that the A-Brick system can be engineered into a functional ASTF with promising potential for DHW preheating and heat-pump applications, providing a viable façade-integrated renewable energy solution for residential buildings.