Performance evaluation of non-uniform illumination on a transverse bifacial PVT receiver in combination with a CPC geometry

PVT collectors co-generate electricity and heat from the same gross area, thus achieving higher combined heat and electric yields. A comprehensive evaluation has been carried out on non-uniform solar irradiation profile distributions on four symmetric low concentration CPC PVT (LCPVT) solar collector design concepts. Additionally, an electrical and thermal performance evaluation of symmetric truncated LCPVT solar collectors based on a CPC reflector geometry with a central transverse bifacial PVT receiver has been carried out, through a numerical ray-tracing model software and a multi-paradigm numerical computing environment software. A simplified thermal (quasi-dynamic testing method for liquid heating collectors described in the international standard for solar thermal collectors ISO 9806:2017) and electrical performance models were employed to evaluate the LCPVT design concepts. The evaluation was carried out for heating Domestic Hot Water (DHW) for a Single Family House (SFH) in Fayoum (Egypt), where energy yields between 351 and 391 kWh/m²/year have been achieved. The non-uniform solar irradiation assessment showed that the PV cells are exposed to high levels of radiation due to the specific reflector geometry. Furthermore, the study showed that the CPC geometries are very sensitive to the shading effect, as partial shadowing is substantial for high incidence angles.