Comparison study of indoor/outdoor experiments of a photovoltaic thermal PV/T system containing SiC nanofluid as a coolant

Solar energy technology has been evolving for the better part of the last decade. Worldwide innovation and support have created an alternative energy source that is helping to battle climate change. Photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) converters use various working fluids. Silicon carbide (SiC) nanofluid is employed in this study in the cooling application of a PV/T system. The aim of this study is to assess and evaluate the performance of PV/T collectors when running a SiC nanoparticle dispersed in water as the base fluid for both indoor and outdoor systems. The performance assessment includes thermal, electrical and combined PV/T efficiencies. Indoor and outdoor experimentation is done to accurately assess the performance enhancement hypothesized by the authors. Furthermore, a comparison is made between the indoor and outdoor results to validate each experiment and draw conclusions. The indoor system results were close to the outdoor experiment, suggesting a performance enhancement with an incremental efficiency rise. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.