One of the primary features to classify the different types of PVT solar panels is the type of cooling fluid used to take away the heat: liquid cooling or air cooling. Let's find out together which one is best to choose based on the installation.
The Sun is the primary source of energy on Earth, used to power the countless services on which human life depends. With its 1367 W / m2 of extraterrestrial energy density it is a clean and inexhaustible source.
However, after the entry of solar radiation into the atmosphere, only a part of it can be used. It is therefore evident that it is necessary for humans to use increasingly technologically refined machines, which make the most of the energy that remains available.
Until recently, there were only two main machines for exploiting solar energy: thermal systems and photovoltaic systems. The former aim to convert solar energy into heat while the latter aim to convert the sun's energy into electricity.
Now, however, a third category of hybrid systems is making its way onto the market, which uses the combination of a silicon photovoltaic panel (abbreviated as PV) and a thermal collector (T), giving rise to hybrid solar modules or PVT collectors.
A hybrid pvt solar panel is composed of a photovoltaic module coupled to a solar thermal collector, enclosing in a single solution the advantages of two separate machines and giving rise to photovoltaic cogeneration.
Hybrid PVT systems also help to overcome a specific problem of photovoltaic panels: as the operating temperature increases, the performance of the photovoltaic component decreases. Thanks to the removal of heat, PVT panels keep the operating environment close to that of maximum performance. The removed heat can be used to heat air or water.
One of the main characteristics to classify the different types of PVT panels is the type of cooling fluid used to remove the heat: liquid cooling or air cooling.
Below is a table that summarizes all the advantages and disadvantages of using a fluid with certain boundary characteristics.
It therefore follows that a hybrid panel that uses a liquid as a fluid has better performance. In optimal working conditions the hybrid panels can reach efficiency values even beyond 65%. As for the photovoltaic panels, the electrical efficiency value reaches a maximum of about 21% while for the T collectors the limit value is about 55%.
Powertronic PVTs are hybrid panels produced in Italy with a water cooling system, with a maximum fluid flow rate of 2 liters per minute. The Powertronic system, patented and compliant with the IEC61215 and IEC61730 standards and with the European CE standards, is an intelligent choice, able to meet the needs of customers who require on one hand high performance in terms of energy efficiency and on the other an aesthetically beautiful and harmonious product.