A photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collector with a polymer absorber plate. Experimental study and analytical model

A polymer solar heat collector was combined with single-crystal silicon PV cells in a hybrid energy-generating unit that simultaneously produced low temperature heat and electricity. The PV/T unit was tested experimentally to determine its thermal and photovoltaic performance, in addition to the interaction mechanisms between the PV and thermal energy systems. Thermal efficiency measurements for different collector configurations are compared, and PV performance and temperature readings are presented and discussed. An analytical model for the PV/T system simulated the temperature development and the performance of both the thermal and photovoltaic units. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.