Performance study on an unglazed photovoltaic thermal collector running in Sichuan basin

Abstract

A performance study with experiments and TRNSYS simulations was conducted for a roll-bond water-type photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collector installed in Chengdu, Sichuan Basin. The measured ambient data and operation data were input to two TRNSYS models and their results were compared. The two numerical models have their own advantages in the simulation of thermal and electrical properties of the PVT collector. By calibrating the models with experimental data, the deviation between the simulated and the measured values was further reduced. In addition, the excellent performance of the roll-bond PVT absorber was also validated by the steady-state test results. However, the long-term system performance is subject to further investigations.