Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collectors, also known as hybrid PV/T (PVT) or solar cogeneration systems, are power generation technologies that convert solar radiation into usable thermal and electrical energy. Such systems combine a solar cell, which converts sunlight into electricity, with a solar thermal collector, which captures the remaining energy and removes waste heat from the PV module. These technologies can be more energy efficient overall than solar photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal alone. Significant research has gone into developing a diverse range of PV/T technologies since the 1970s.. While many collector types have been
Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector (PV) panels. Heat is radiated from the panels into the enclosed space, where the air is either circulated into a building HVAC system to recapture heat energy, or rises and is vented from the top of the structure. While energy transfer to air is not as efficient as a liquid collector, the infrastructure required has lower cost and complexity; basically a shallow metal box. Placement of PV panels can be vertical or angled. A concentrator system has the advantage to reduce the amount of photovoltaic (PV) cells needed, such that somewhat more expensive and efficient multi-junction photovoltaic cells can be