Performance Evaluation for a Photovoltaic-Thermal (PVT) Module

Abstract

This paper presents the model simulation and experiment measurement for performance evaluation of a novel air-type photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) module. With the encapsulation of solar cells directly on a fin-type heat sink, the direct conduction mechanism and the convective area for the thermal transportation are effectively increased. Through a two-month experiment measurement, it is found that the thermal efficiency of PVT module is obviously enhanced up to 50% in sunny days. In addition, the waste heat recovery decreases the operating temperature of solar cells and concurrently improves the PV efficiency. The results demonstrate the concurrent enhancement of the novel PVT module with air circulation in solar electricity and thermal efficiency with a reciprocal aid.