Retrofit photovoltaic thermal systems

This study was conducted under standard test conditions (STC) to combine the solar power system of a photovoltaic (PV) and the solar thermal system. The aim of this investigation was to overcome the challenges faced by the hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems and provide a lightweight, highly efficient PVT system with an ease of fabrication. The combined energy efficiency of the PVT system reached 57.99%. PVT systems generate greater exergy compared to PV-only systems. The heat extracted from the PVT systems can be utilized in the hot climatic regions with high costs of fossil fuels. The applications of the extracted heat energy include textiles, commercial and residential pools, food processing, the hospitality industry, pharmaceuticals, etc. The conclusion is that a retrofit photovoltaic thermal system eases the constraints of a limited roof space area generating higher energy density. The results are discussed further and the future work is laid out.