Development and validation of a comprehensive dynamic mathematical model for hybrid PV/T solar collectors

In this paper, a model for the simulation of a hybrid photovoltaic-thermal collector under transient regime is developed and validated. The model is built using a control volume approach, the collector is divided into small elemental volumes where energy equation is solved using a bi-dimensional finite difference method. The model is validated against experimental data obtained from a two weeks testing in real environmental weather conditions on two hybrid PV/T solar tiles connected in series. An agreement between the experimental and numerical values of the instantaneous power production and the water outlet temperature within +/- 4 W and within +/- 0.5 K respectively is found. On a daily basis, the calculated electrical and thermal energies agree within -2.64% to +1.73% and within -4.90% to +7.37% with experimental data, allowing to state that the developed model is quite a reliable tool both for short-term and long-term yield analysis at component or system level.