Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector

About: Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 8688 publications have been published within this topic receiving 232734 citations.

Present Status and Future Prospects of Silicon Thin-Film Solar Cells

Abstract: In this report, an overview of the recent status of photovoltaic (PV) power generation is first presented from the viewpoint of reducing CO2 emission. Next, the Japanese roadmap for the research and development (R&D) of PV power generation and the progress in the development of various solar cells are explained. In addition, the present status and future prospects of amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film solar cells, which are expected to enter the stage of full-scale practical application in the near future, are described. For a-Si single-junction solar cells, the conversion efficiency of their large-area modules has now reached 6–8%, and their practical application to megawatt solar systems has started. Meanwhile, the focus of R&D has been shifting to a-Si and microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si) tandem solar cells. Thus far, a-Si/µc-Si tandem solar cell modules with conversion efficiency exceeding 13% have been reported. In addition, triple-junction solar cells, whose target year for practical application is 2025 or later, are introduced, as well as innovative thin-film full-spectrum solar cells, whose target year of realization is 2050.

Solar power generation apparatus, solar power generation system, and method of manufacturing solar power generation apparatus

Abstract: A solar cell assembly including a plurality of solar cells is formed on a common substrate, and a DC/DC converter which converts the output from the solar cell is connected to each solar cell to constitute a solar power generation apparatus. The output from the solar power generation apparatus is converted into an AC power by an inverter and supplied to a load or commercial AC power system. Since the arrangement is simplified, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the influence of partial shade or a variation in characteristic decreases.

Worldwide overview of solar thermal cooling technologies

Abstract: In this paper, a brief overview of different available and actually installed solar thermal driven technologies used for cooling or air-conditioning purposes have been presented. A review analysis has been performed taking into account research on experimental and simulated solar cooling systems in terms of COP, area of collector (Ac) per unit chiller capacity (Pch) and volume of storage tank (V) per unit area of collector. The COP of absorption chillers lies between 0.6 and 0.8 for simulated and 0.40–0.85 for experimental systems for generator inlet temperature between 70 and 100 °C with dominance in the market. Adsorption chillers have lower COP in the range of 0.2–0.6 both for simulated and experimental systems. However, adsorption chillers can work at lower generator inlet temperatures in the range of 45–65 °C. The ratio of Ac to Pch presents a wide spread ranging from 1.5 to 11.5 m2 kWch−1. It shows that some installation may have additional area of collector installed resulting in higher thermal energy losses and initial cost of the system while others may have lower Ac installed resulting in lower solar fraction and lesser primary energy savings. Similarly, the ratio of V to Ac also shows a large variation in both simulated and experimental systems ranging from 5 to 130 l m−2. However, most of these systems lie in the range of 20–80 l m−2. The range of storage volume is suggested between 50 and 110 l m−2 but at a first glance it seems that keeping fixed storage volume linked to area of collector may not be an economical solution for large collector areas. Although these installations are designed for solar cooling/air-conditioning purposes only but utilization of these installations further for space heating and sanitary hot water production so called multi-purpose solar thermal systems (MPSTS) will provide better results of primary energy savings.