The Experimental Performance Comparison of Two Different Types of Unglazed PVT Collector
Abstract
A photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) collector, which is also known as a photovoltaic-thermal system, generates both thermal and electrical energy simultaneously. A photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) collector is a combination of photovoltaic module with a solar thermal collector, forming one device that converts solar energy into electricity and heat simultaneously(Kim and Kim, 2008). The excess heat that is generated from PV modules can be removed and converted into useful thermal energy. As a result, PVT collectors can generate more solar energy per unit surface area than side by side photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors(Kim, et al., 2009).