Abstract
Photovoltaic-thermal(PVT) collectors are a combination of photovoltaic modules with solar thermal collectors, forming one device that receives solar radiation and produces electricity and heat simultaneously. The PVT collectors can produce more energy per unit surface area than side by side PV modules and solar thermal collectors. There are two types of water type PVT collectors, depending on the existence of glass cover over PV module; glass-covered(glazed) PVT module, which produces relatively more thermal energy but has lower electrical yield, and uncovered(unglazed) PVT module, which has relatively lower thermal energy with somewhat higher electrical performance. In this paper, the experimental performance of two types of the water-based PVT combined collectors, glazed and unglazed, was analyzed. The electrical and thermal performances of the PVT combined collectors were measured in outdoor conditions, and the results were compared.
