Performance Evaluation of a Hybrid PVT Solar Installation with Phase Change Material

This paper evaluates the energy performance of an innovative solar installation composed of photovoltaic-thermal panels (PVT), half of which contain a layer of phase change material (PCM) within the panel. The main objective for the PCM inclusion is to provide an extra cooling effect to the PV laminate, as well as to take advantage of the excess heat produced during the hours of maximum sunshine and reallocate it at the end of the day. The solar circuit is completed with a stratified storage tank specially developed to work with multi-energy source while maximizing heat exploitation at low temperatures. The installation is located in the south of Spain and was designed in the frame of the European LowUP project (http://lowup-h2020.eu/) to provide electricity and heat to an office building. This work presents the analysis of the solar field during several months of operation.