Investigation of a concentrating photovoltaic thermal collector (CPVT) system

The overall problem with the use of photovoltaic (PV) system is the high cost of solar cells. This makes it attractive to concentrate irradiation on the PV module. With increased light concentration, there will be a demand for increased cooling of the PV cells in order to lower the working temperature. Hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) solar systems are less expensive devices than the two separate units which can simultaneously provide electricity and heat with higher conversion rates of the absorbed solar radiation than standard PV modules. In this paper, an investigation of a concentrating photovoltaic/thermal air collector realized at Renewable Research unit (UREAR Ghardaïa) in the south of Algeria is presented. The experimental study includes a comparison between the performance of the proposed CPVT hybrid system and those of separate PV and water heater panels.