Dear Solarthermalworld.org Reader,
The
PVT market is gaining momentum. Combining electricity and heat
generation in one unit reduces the space needed for installations and
has led to an emerging industry in recent years. A non-exhaustive survey
of the market by the Swiss-based SPF Institute of Solar Technology has
identified 53 PVT manufacturers in 17 countries. The photo shows
Switzerland’s largest PVT system with 3,487 m² installed on the roofs of
several multi-family buildings (Source: Zug Estates AG). Seven large
unglazed PVT demonstration plants are currently being monitored in
Switzerland and show typical annual electric yields of about 160 kWh/m².
The annual thermal yield of each system is greatly dependent on the
application and ranges from 150 kWh/m² for domestic water heating and
250 kWh/m² for water preheating to 300 to 400 kWh/m² for heat pump
combinations, such as the ones to regenerate boreholes. The IEA Solar
Heating and Cooling Programme is planning to create a new international
research platform for this nascent technology. Currently in its
definition phase, it is titled Application of PVT Collectors and New Solutions with PVT systems and is said to start in January 2018.
Have a good read and sunny regards
The Editorial Team