'Noise Blocking + Electricity Generation', A Two-in-One Soundproof Wall Released

Energy Technology Research Institute

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A technology that integrates solar power functionality into existing soundproof walls to produce heat and electricity has been developed.

The Korea Institute of Energy Technology announced on the 16th that Dr. Kang Eun-cheol's research team at the Thermal Conversion System Laboratory developed a multifunctional PVT (Photovoltaic-Thermal) soundproof wall technology that can be alternatively applied to newly constructed road and railway soundproof walls as well as existing aging soundproof walls.

This equipment combines solar panels and solar thermal collectors with existing soundproof walls that have noise and sound insulation functions to simultaneously produce electricity and thermal energy. It generates air flow inside to lower the temperature of the PV panels, thereby increasing power generation while producing thermal energy.

With the recent increase in high-speed railways and highways, soundproof walls to block traffic noise are being installed more frequently to protect residential environments along roads. On the other hand, solar power facilities are increasing to achieve the 2050 carbon neutrality goal, but there is a shortage of installation space, leading to encroachment on farmland and fields.

In this situation, the PVT soundproof wall is expected to have the dual effect of blocking traffic noise and supplying solar electricity and heat. The research team developed a multifunctional soundproof wall technology that combines PVT technology with soundproof walls. This technology uses solar panels, solar thermal collectors, and sound-absorbing materials to improve soundproofing performance through noise and sound absorption, lower the temperature of solar panels to increase power generation, and produce and utilize thermal energy. In other words, it is a technology that simultaneously implements soundproofing (noise blocking + sound absorption) and power and thermal energy production functions in a single PVT unit.

To enhance the completeness of the PVT soundproof wall technology, the optimal shape of the PVT soundproof wall structure for soundproofing and the optimal heat transfer structure for efficient thermal energy production were applied. Automated operation control technology was developed to ensure stable system operation. The solar panels provide power generation and noise blocking functions, the sound-absorbing materials provide insulation and sound absorption, and the heat transfer structure of the solar thermal collector recovers heat and reinforces structural strength. These component technologies were integrated into a single compact multifunctional PVT soundproof module. Additionally, a field construction method was developed to easily replace existing aging soundproof walls with the multifunctional PVT soundproof wall system.

The research team has been conducting a pilot operation since December last year by applying a 3 kWe-class multifunctional PVT soundproof wall system in Gyeryong-si, Chungnam Province. In the acoustic performance standards for road soundproof facilities, the noise blocking performance was 37.1 dB at 1000 Hz (standard: 30 dB or higher), and the sound absorption performance was 0.83 (standard: 0.7 or higher), showing higher performance than the standards.

Furthermore, the power generation efficiency was more than 6% higher than that of conventional solar panels under the same outdoor installation conditions. While the power generation of general solar panels decreases as temperature rises, the PVT soundproof module lowered the temperature by about 15℃ or more compared to conventional solar panels due to air flow, resulting in improved power generation. In addition, it was confirmed that the thermal energy produced by the PVT soundproof module secured more than 400 Wt per unit area (m2), and the produced thermal energy can be used for heating, ventilation, and hot water preheating in public places such as waiting rooms, public restrooms, lounges, and smoking rooms.

Dr. Kang said, "The total installed length of soundproof walls in Korea is about 3,200 km and is expected to increase further. More than 1,000 km of this could be equipped with multifunctional PVT soundproof wall systems," adding, "I believe the multifunctional PVT soundproof wall technology can be a good alternative."

The Korea Institute of Energy Technology has filed three patents related to this research, registered one, and is currently promoting commercialization.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.