Design of a novel hybrid pv-t ystem & energy payback study in terms of its embodied energy

Abstract

In the present dissertation a photovoltaic and solar thermal unit are developed and designed in a Hybrid form with the intention of architectural integration as a Façade system. PV systems under concentration mean that photovoltaic cells are receiving high densities of irradiative flux. These high densities imply excessive warning of the system causing deterioration in general terms in materials and reduced efficiency of the cells. Normally,at high temperatures, the efficiency of the Photovoltaic cells starts to fall down. This fact makes a cooling system of photovoltaic cells The proposed PV-T system is an active system which uses a heating fluid for heating water, and then the water condemns inside a collector tank. So, taking advantage of this heat the system turns into a thermal collector, and the hot water can be used as a Domestic Hot Water. On the other hand, it is also produced electrical energy by using the PV cells. This project is a techno-economic analysis of the proposed hybrid system. The study is based on embodied energy and embodied carbon of the materials employed on the construction of the system. The fabrication process is also included along this work, in order to highlight the materials that have been used. For the development of the new PV-T system, experiments and simulation analysis have been made to characterize the thermal and electrical aspect as well as an energy balance of the complete system. The part of testing does not correspond to this dissertation, but some key points are referred in the text.