Construction and Electrothermal Performance Evaluation of a Solar-Powered Emergency Shelter

Power outages and poor thermal conditions are common in emergency shelters. In light of this, a novel design for a solar-powered emergency shelter (SPES) with flexible photovoltaics is proposed and investigated in this paper. Firstly, the space and structure of SPES are designed based on ergonomic and easy open-and-close requirements. Then, considering the finishing strength of the building and the convenience and economy of the processing design, the construction of solid models using a 1:2 equal scale, and three double-top SPES were developed, in which internal roofs are canvas, polyethylene(PE), and polyvinyl chloride(PVC). Finally, measurements and ANSYS-Fluent simulations are employed for testing the dynamic fluctuation of the electrothermal performance of SPES. It is found that the maximum differences between the inner roof interior side temperature (IRIST) and the outdoor ambient environment temperature (OAET) for Sref, Dsc, Dpe, and Dpvc are 33.3 °C, 32.9 °C, 28.1 °C, and 25.9 °C, respectively, in winter conditions in China cold zone. The optimized design parameters of SPES in Poso City, Indonesia, characterized by equatorial humid climatic conditions, recommended that the air interlayer be 0.2 meters thick and the exhaust air volume be 0.3 m3/s. Mechanical ventilation coupled with evaporative conditioners can further reduce indoor temperatures effectively. This research offers a novel solution to the problems of indoor thermal environments and power outages for post-disaster resettlement.