Design and Performance Study of Photovoltaic-Thermal (PV/T) Water Based System

Abstract

This paper presents a study on the design and performance of a photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) water based system. The objective of the study is to improve the performance of the designed photovoltaic thermal system. Water is used to cool the photovoltaic module by passing it through the thermal solar collector under the bottom surface of the module. Thus, both electrical energy and heat can be generated simultaneously. The system was tested under three simulated solar intensities of 200 W/m2, 400 W/m2 and 600 W/m2. Each intensity was conducted in three modes of condition; a single PV, PV/T with and without water flowing to compare the efficiency and also the maximum power output generation. The results obtained were analyzed in I-V and P-V curves. From the comparison made between a single PV module and PV/T with water flow, the results showed that the photovoltaic efficiency increased by an average of 0.29%. The maximum power output of photovoltaic at the PV/T with water flow increased by an average of 0.63 W or 5.56%. The average temperature of the bottom surface of the module was reduced by 4.60 oC. The average fill factor, FF of the PV/T calculated was 0.662. The result can be considered as satisfactory since the standard fill factor of a standard photovoltaic module range between 0.7 to 0.85.