Electrical and Thermal Performance Evaluation of a District Heating System Composed of Asymmetric low concentration PVT Solar Collector Prototypes
Abstract
Photovoltaic-Thermal (PVT) solar collectors generate electricity and heat from the same gross area. The annual electrical and thermal yields of these systems are dependent on the PVT collector technology, as well as the climate and the type of solar thermal system implemented. This review presents an evaluation of a district heating system composed of 20 asymmetric hybrid low concentrator PVT (C-PVT) solar collector prototypes. The system is installed in a South wall facade in order to maximise the available space (with a tilt of 20º and an orientation of 5ºW). The thermal system is connected to the district heating network, thus heating the University buildings. On the other hand, the electrical system is grid-connected, where it feeds the grid directly. Real measurement data has been collected and compared with a thermal (through ScenoCalc tool) and electrical performance models. The annual thermal and electrical yield achieved 86% and 89% of the simulated thermal and electrical yield, respectively.