Concentrating PV/T Hybrid System for Simultaneous Electricity and Usable Heat Generation: A Review

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) power generation is one of the attractive choices for efficient utilization of solar energy. Considering that the efficiency and cost of PV cells cannot be significantly improved in near future, a relatively cheap concentrator to replace part of the expensive solar cells could be used. The photovoltaic thermal hybrid system (PV/T), combining active cooling with thermal electricity and providing both electricity and usable heat, can enhance the total efficiency of the system with reduced cell area. The effect of nonuniform light distribution and the heat dissipation on the performance of concentrating PV/T was discussed. Total utilization of solar light by spectral beam splitting technology was also introduced. In the last part, we proposed an integrated compound parabolic collector (CPC) plate with low precision solar tracking, ensuring effective collection of solar light with a significantly lowered cost. With the combination of beam splitting of solar spectrum, use of film solar cell, and active liquid cooling, efficient and full spectrum conversion of solar light to electricity and heat, in a low cost way, might be realized. The paper may offer a general guide to those who are interested in the development of low cost concentrating PV/T hybrid system.

Hybrid Solar: A Review on Photovoltaic and Thermal Power Integration

“…The U-pipe avoids the temperature gradient on the whole absorber and on every block cell and simultaneously produces electricity using the same temperatures. More recently, Zhang et al [142] proposed a PV system with integrated CPC plate that adopts a low precision solar tracking method; the performance can be better than the fixed installation or the case with periodic adjustment only in several months.…”

A review of concentrated photovoltaic-thermal (CPVT) hybrid solar systems with waste heat recovery (WHR)

“…The WHR and SBS CPVT systems have been developed since 1970s and 1980s [18], respectively, and they have been reviewed in several documents [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. However, most of these papers mainly concern the examinations of flat-plate PVT systems, and discussions on CPVT systems are not quite profound and comprehensive.…”

Concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) solar collector systems: Part I – Fundamentals, design considerations and current technologies

“…Several review articles on PVT technology [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]230,231,[297][298][299][300] and CPV technology [11][12][13][14][15][16][17] already exist in the literature. One review article on low-concentration CPVTs [232] is found in the literature. However, the article's main focus is primarily on discussing and reviewing CPVs, PVTs, cooling of PVs, effect of nonuniform illumination on PVs, and beam splitting systems with few CPVT systems briefly reviewed.…”