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Concept
Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector
Summary
Photovoltaic thermal collectors, typically abbreviated as PVT collectors and also known as hybrid solar collectors, photovoltaic thermal solar collectors, PV/T collectors or solar cogeneration systems, are power generation technologies that convert solar radiation into usable thermal and electrical energy. PVT collectors combine photovoltaic solar cells (often arranged in solar panels), which convert sunlight into electricity, with a solar thermal collector, which transfers the otherwise unused waste heat from the PV module to a heat transfer fluid. By combining electricity and heat generation within the same component, these technologies can reach a higher overall efficiency than solar photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal (T) alone.
Significant research has gone into developing a diverse range of PVT technologies since the 1970s. The different PVT collector technologies differ substantially in their collector design and heat transfer fluid and address different applications ranging from low temperature heat below ambient up to high temperature heat above 100 °C.
PVT collectors generate solar heat and electricity basically free of direct emissions and are therefore regarded as a promising green technology to supply renewable electricity and heat to buildings and industrial processes.
Heat is the largest energy end-use. In 2015, the provision of heating for use in buildings, industrial purposes and other applications accounted for around 52% (205 EJ) of the total energy consumed. Of this, over half was used in the industry and around 46% in the building sector. While 72% of the heat was provided by the direct combustion of fossil fuels, only 7% was from modern renewables such as solar thermal, biofuel or geothermal energy. The low-grade heat market up to 150 °C is estimated to be 26.8% of the worldwide final energy demand, which is currently serviced by fossil fuels (gas, oil, and coal), electricity and renewable heat. This is the sum of industry demand 7.1% (25.5 EJ) and building demand 19.7% (49.0 EJ residential and 13.
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