Experimental investigation and performance evaluation of spiral and serpentine collectors based photovoltaic thermal system in Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems have been developed for nearly five decades as a further development of PV technology. The PVT system was designed to overcome the limited space for PV and solar water heaters and improve PV cell performance. However, many studies on PVT are theoretical and modeling, so experimentation is needed to confirm it. This study investigated the performance of PVT systems with a spiral and serpentine thermal collector without metal sheets in two scenarios, without and with insulation. Commercial PV was modified with the addition of a copper tube thermal collector and tested with a comparison PV under the weather of the Malaysian peninsula. The experimental results show a maximum electrical efficiency enhancement of 0.53% and a decrease in module temperature up to 5.60 °C in scenario 1. Also, the addition of insulation in scenario 2 increases thermal efficiency up to 18.26%, even though it causes a decrease in electrical efficiency. This research shows that an uncomplicated thermal collector is adequate to increase the electrical efficiency of PV panels. In contrast, the addition of insulation in the rear side of the PVT panel increases the thermal performance of PVT systems.