In a statement, the company said: Historically, the main drawback of many conventional photovoltaics (PV) systems has been the high initial cost as well as the limited amount of electrical output when compared to the solar input. This Volther hybrid solar collector system allows excess heat to be recaptured and boosts the systems return on investment, according to Solimpeks Corp.
Nowadays, most people and countries like to be self supporting for their own energy needs. They are looking most of all to the durable energy sources like the sun, water and wind or geothermal. The systems, which are most common on the market now supply only electricity or only heat.
Let us look to the Sun. The sun is an infinite source of energy and generates 10.000 times more energy than what the world consumes. There are two systems commonly to harness this energy. First we have the solar collector that makes normally hot water out of the energy from the sun. Second there are PV modules, which convert sunlight into electricity. Both systems are increasing in popularity every day. Both systems utilize a black or dark surface that looks at the sun. This black surface absorbs the solar energy and heats up the solar collectors.
However, when PV modules heat up their ability to generate electricity diminished at the rate of about 0.5 percent for every Kelvin. So a 10 degree rise in temperature in a PV module means a loss of about 5 percent of electricity output.
To solve this problem scientists have been working on different methods. The most promising one is ‘cooling PV cells with fluid'. In the PV-T, which is hybrid Photovoltaic and Thermal collector, production of both electricity and hot water is achieved simultaneously. The PV modules heat is absorbed to produce hot water so that PV efficiency can be optimized as the heat is transferred into fluid to produce hot water.
PV-T hybrid collectors have the following advantages, explains the company:
- They have increased electricity production performance of PV module
- Hybrid PV-T systems covering areas where electricity and heat energy produced from the total, half of this field with PV modules, the remaining half of the thermal
- Thermal collectors and PV modules to be installed side by side can create trouble in terms of availability and use and cause visual pollution. With PV-T modules, the electricity and hot water in the same area produce a space-saving and reduce environmental pollution.
- Hybrid PV-T systems ROI (return on investment) is shorter than PV systems.
Consequently, concludes Solimpeks, PV-T systems can reduce the temperature of PV cells resulting in an increased lifetime and efficiency. Calculations done by several scientists, organizations and universities indicate only 25 square meters of PV-T collectors are required for a normal family house in northern Europe to generate all their energy for an entire year.
