Combined Solar Power and TPV

Abstract

In this paper design for a combined TPV and solar power system for local heat and power production is discussed. PV cells are producing electricity when there is light, while TPV cells are used when it is dark. Biomass is combusted and the heat is generating photons for the TPV system. Higher combustion temperature will give higher electric output, but also faster deterioration of the materials in the combustor, where the temperature of the emitter is 1050-1250 o C. By combining PV-cells generating electric power summer time with TPV-cells generating electric power winter time, we can achieve a flexible local heat and power system all year round. As both systems generate DC-power, we also can see a potential to use the same DC components for e.g for charging batteries for electrical vehicles, DC-pumps, LED-lamps etc. Design criteria for the systems are discussed in this paper for a house that is principally self sufficient on energy. Both theoretical and practical obstacles are discussed, as there are a number of issues to solve before the technique can be used in "real life". The TPV system is not yet commercially available, but is tested in pilot scale.

Balancing Power in Sweden Using Different Renewable Resources, Varying Prices, and Storages Like Batteries in a Resilient Energy System

“…PV-cell production fits consumption quite well over 24 h during working days, but PV consumption is larger during the wintertime than during the summertime, whereas PV production is the opposite. It would be very interesting to meet this imbalance with alternatives such as TPV (thermophotovoltaics) [24] or small-scale CHP plants using renewable-biomass fuels for combined heat and electricity production during the cold season. This is primarily from robustness in the power supply if something happens with centralized production or distribution.…”

Efficiency Enhancement of a Thermophotovoltaic System Integrated With a Back Surface Reflector

“…The effect of series resistance Rs is included by using an average value of 0.25 mΩ.cm 2 for an InGaAs cell, as experimentally measured by [15]. Furthermore, (13) - (16) are used to calculate Voc, found to be equal to 0.5133 V, and Vm, which is equal to 0.4382 V in this case. The effect of BSR reflectivity R on the TPV module's efficiency is investigated, by using the formula in (17).…”

“…However, increased research and development efforts for renewable energy power generation can help overcome such drawbacks. Recently, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), in which focused sunlight is used to produce electrical energy [16], has become a subject of discussions. However, it is difficult to harvest photons from the wide solar spectrum and CSP cannot be stored for long time intervals.…”