Application of unglazed PVT collectors for domestic hot water pre-heating in a development and testing system

PVT collectors are solar thermal collectors which have an absorber made from solar cells. They provide heat and electricity simultaneously. PVT-collectors may be glazed flat-plate collectors (i.e. the collector uses a PVT absorber, heat insulation on its rear side and an additional glass cover above the PVT-absorber) or unglazed collectors (which is essentially a PV-panel with a heat exchanger plate on its rear side.) We report on a demonstration system set up at the test field of SPF, Institute for Solar Technology, at the University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil in Switzerland. The system is dimensioned in such a way that especially the performance of large uncovered PVT-collector systems for example on the roofs of multi-family houses for the pre-heating of domestic hot water can be investigated. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.