Design of a Photovoltaic-Thermal (PVT) System

As the demand for energy is fast-growing and due to the polluting effects of non-renewable energy sources, new technologies to harvest renewable energy and convert it into useful power are being developed. PVT systems emerged as promising hybrid configurations combining Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal technologies. Using a PVT system has two advantages. First, it results in a more compact photovoltaic and solar heating system with reduced cost. And more importantly, the PV panel in a PVT system benefits from the cooling effect and therefore operates more efficiently.
In this project, we aim to design a PVT system with smart control to actively adjust the fluid flow rate based on the PV cell temperature. Several parameters of the system will be optimized such as the fluid flow rate, fluid conduit shape, size and spacing, fluid type….

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