Roadmap for the next-generation of hybrid photovoltaic-thermal solar energy collectors

•Roadmap presented for hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors.•A novel indium tin oxide (ITO)-based transparent low-emissivity coating applied directly to a PV cell is presented.•Quantitative comparison of evacuated cavities, transparent low-emissivity coatings, and silicon heterojunction phot...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Solar energy 2018-11, Vol.174, p.386-398
Main Authors: Mellor, A., Alonso Alvarez, D., Guarracino, I., Ramos, A., Riverola Lacasta, A., Ferre Llin, L., Murrell, A.J., Paul, D.J., Chemisana, D., Markides, C.N., Ekins-Daukes, N.J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accumulators
Captadors solars
Collectors
Converters
Economic analysis
Emissivity
Energia solar
Energies
Heterojunctions
High temperature
Hot water heating
Hybrid photovoltaic-thermal
Photovoltaic cells
Photovoltaics
Pvt
Simulation
Solar cells
Solar collectors
Solar energy
Solar energy conversion
Solar heating
Space heating
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:•Roadmap presented for hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors.•A novel indium tin oxide (ITO)-based transparent low-emissivity coating applied directly to a PV cell is presented.•Quantitative comparison of evacuated cavities, transparent low-emissivity coatings, and silicon heterojunction photovoltaic cells for improved performance.•Cost requirements for technologies along the roadmap are estimated and compared to today’s costs. For hybrid photovoltaic-thermal collectors to become competitive with other types of solar energy converters, they must offer high performance at fluid outlet temperatures above 60 °C, as is required for space heating and domestic hot water provision, which together account for nearly 50% of heat demand. A roadmap is presented of the technological advances required to achieve this goal. Strategies for reducing convective, radiative and electrical losses at elevated temperature are discussed, and an experimental characterisation of a novel transparent low-emissivity coating for photovoltaic solar cells is presented. An experimentally-validated simulation formalism is used to project the performance of different combinations of loss-reduction strategies implemented together. Finally, a techno-economic analysis is performed to predict the price points at which the hybrid technologies along the roadmap become competitive with non-hybrid photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies. The most advanced hybrid technology along the roadmap employs an evacuated cavity, a transparent low-emissivity coating, and silicon heterojunction photovoltaic cells.
ISSN:0038-092X
1471-1257
DOI:10.1016/j.solener.2018.09.004