The exploitation of solar energy in the most efficient way will continue to be the staple of sustainable energy policies, particularly, in solar-rich areas, such as Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) systems are appealing concept of dual-generation having the simultaneous generation of electricity and heat. An in-depth dynamic simulation was done on a calibrated model and compared a normal photovoltaic (PV) panel and a water-cooled PVT system after 100 days with synthetic hourly climate data. The analysis indicates that the cell temperatures of the PV panel were observed to be in excess of 50 0C, a fact that adversely affected its electrical efficiency. Comparatively, there was active cooling in the PVT system-so the cell temperatures were between 30 0C to 45 0C, which led to better electrical performance-as high as 6% better than that of the PV system. Also, the PVT unit discharged high heating capacity with output temperatures of water outlet in excess of 60 0C as well as maximum thermal power production of 1.2 kW. The results indicate the energy savings of the integrated thermal management in solar panels and point out the capability of PVT systems in providing heating and electric power requirements. The findings favour the increased application of the hybrid solar technologies to achieve the improved energy production and sustainability of buildings and infrastructures under various climates.
Olima et al. (Wed,) studied this question.