Experimental study on a new hybrid photovoltaic thermal collector

A calorific energy is generated during the photovoltaic conversion of the solar module which increases the temperature of the cell and will causes a fall of its electric output. This phenomenon is due, on one hand to the partial unabsorptive solar radiation which constituted the origin of the cells heating and on the other hand, with the Joule effect caused by the passage of the photo electrical current generated in the external circuit. This heating, harmful for the photovoltaic cells output involved many research efforts to limit its effects by evacuating this heat. There was also the idea to exploit this phenomenon by the combination of the photovoltaic module with a thermal system to form the photovoltaic-thermal hybrid collector (PVT) which will generate at the same time electricity and heat. In this paper we described the design of a new type of PVT collector through its experimental study. This novel collector constitutes a new technical approach to maximize the total output of conversion with lower cost compared to the traditional hybrid collectors. © 2009 Allerton Press, Inc.