PVT-biomass system for space heating in small homes
A US-Chinese research group has developed a hybrid system proposal based on photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) modules, a heat pump, a backup electric boiler, and biomass generating units. They say it could be used as space heating in a single-floor home.
Solar heat pump solution for water, pool heating
U.S. solar thermal specialist Fafco is set to launch a new photovoltaic-thermal heat pump solution for water and pool heating. The system consists of photovoltaic-thermal panels, a 5 kWh thermal battery with a heat pump, and an electric hot water heater.
Residential PVT heat pump from the Netherlands
The propane-cooled 3.5 kW heat pump can be installed on both existing buildings and all-electric new buildings. It features a seasonal performance factor of 5.6 and is claimed to enable up to 80% of gas savings on heating and domestic hot water production.
Integration methodologies for solar-assisted heat pumps
Italian scientists have assessed the technical potential of vapor compression heat pumps assisted by photovoltaic-thermal systems. They analyzed two main configurations of this combination describing the advantages and disadvantages of both solutions. The cheapest and easiest to deploy system is a single-source direct-expansion (DX) configuration for hot water for space heating or domestic hot water.
Spectral-splitting filters for more efficient photovoltaic-thermal panels
A British-Chinese research group has created a new framework to assess the performance and efficiency limits of photovoltaic-thermal solar panels. They say that the improvement of spectral-splitting (SS) filters in the devices will be the key to their future commercial success.
