Dr. Andreas Bohren

The project aims to provide mounting solutions for low-cost, high-quality PV systems in exposed locations. The innovative system enables high winter electricity yields and thereby makes a significant contribution to a secure power supply in the winter months. The two active modules reinforce the construction and prevent self-shadowing on the rear… ...

Substituting fossil fuels with renewable energies will not be feasible without a notable expansion of seasonal energy storage. Seasonal thermal energy storages (STES) are expected to contribute significantly to this goal. The project SwissSTES systematically analyses STES potentials such as available and unused cavities, geothermal probe or pit… ...

What options are there for implementing well-integrated solar systems that are also suitable for listed buildings (special architecture or historic interest)? What technologies are available for this, what do they cost compared to "ordinary" solar energy systems, and do they deliver the same yield? These questions were investigated by SPF on behalf… ...

Fortunately, the number of PV systems on Swiss roofs is constantly increasing. However, climate change is also expected to increase the number of hail events and thus hail damage. When glass breaks, a module must always be replaced. However, it is often not easy to determine whether the module is so badly damaged that replacement is necessary. ...

Thermal stratification is an important parameter in the energy evaluation of storage tanks. The electrical energy consumption in a heat pump system can be up to 40 % lower with a well stratified storage tank than with a poorly stratified thermal energy storage.
In the StorEx project, SPF introduced stratification efficiency as a key performance… ...

Numerous studies predict a strong increase in the cooling demand of buildings. However, for both economic and ecological reasons, electricity consumption must not increase in proportion to the cooling demand. New, efficient cooling solutions are therefore required.
Together with the University of Applied Sciences of Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW)… ...

In the project HiPer-PVT we have developed a glazed (covered) PVT collector with a high electrical and a high thermal efficiency. Thanks to an overheating protection mechanism becoming effective at approximately 100 °C, this collector can be easily integrated into a thermal system. The concept of the overheating protection is that once the absorber… ...

The are no universal guidelines or thresholds for reflected sunlight in the public space. In this project, physical parameters for an objective description and quantification of a «discomfort glare» from reflected sunlight are elaborated. Furthermore, the scattered reflection (bidirectional reflectance distribution function, BRDF) of several glass… ...