Performance evaluation of a solar photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) air collector system

In the present study, the performance of a photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) air collector is evaluated by revealing the temperature distribution and investigating the effect of the inlet and outlet air temperature and PV cell temperature. Solar PV/T collectors have been recently introduced as a promising solution for the global energy crisis. There is a lack of literature investigating the effect of changing duct depth and velocity, which this study explores. Two scenarios are considered: a PV system and a PV/T system. Equations for efficiency are derived based on thermal and electrical parameters. The simulation results were validated by a set of experimental results from a similar PV/T set-up. Simulations were carried out to a high degree of accuracy with ‘R’ values ranging between 0.881 and 0.952. The air duct improved the electrical efficiency of the PV module by 13.67 %. The PV/T system improved efficiency while limiting its variance throughout the day. It was found that increasing the duct depth reduced the electrical and thermal efficiency. The efficiency of the system improved with rising duct air velocity. Ideal design parameters were identified with a duct depth of 0.01 m and a duct air velocity of 2.5 m/s.