Investigation of the electrical and thermal performance of a PV/T hybrid system

The conversion of the sun photo-energy into electricity by means of PV cells is commonly achieved under high temperatures. Nevertheless, it has been established that the efficiency of the PV cells is penalized by heat. In order to eradicate this drawback and to enhance the energy efficiency, the PV conversion could be allied to a thermal (T) one, leading to PV/T hybrid systems. The paper is aimed at an experimental investigation of the electrical and thermal performance of a hybrid PV/T concept which is based on a PV panel associated to a heat exchanger. Thanks to a forced circulation of water, the main roles of the exchanger are (i) the reduction of the temperature of the PV panel and (ii) the water heating for domestic use. The experimental study includes a comparison between the performance of the proposed PV/T hybrid system and those of separate PV and water heater panels.