Preliminary study of thermal comfort in buildings with PV-powered thermoelectric surfaces for radiative cooling

In residential and office building sector - especially for space cooling applications - energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) are two main focuses of research and development. In line with both challenges, a novel thermoelectric cooling partition called Thecla is being developed and tested. This local device is part of a personalized environment and uses Peltier elements to provide a cool surface. It works as a heat sink for longwave radiation transmitted from the user's skin and clothing for direct and individual cooling. As part of ongoing research, a prototype of Thecla is being developed, constructed and examined in a first field study. The concept of radiative cooling with Thecla is evaluated and the positive effect on the thermal sensation and thermal comfort of users is determined.