Experimental evaluation of a novel photovoltaic thermal System: Energy, economic, and exergy-based sustainability analysis

Photovoltaic systems encounter significant thermal challenges, which can impact their efficiency. To tackle this issue, Photovoltaic Thermal systems have been proposed. However, low thermal efficiency is a recurring theme with these systems in the current literature. Therefore, this study proposes the development of a thermal collector incorporating dimples and petal arrays on both the inner and outer surfaces of the absorber tube. Additionally, the system utilizes nanofluid and nano-enhanced phase change materials to further enhance thermal efficiency. Through outdoor experiments, the performance of seven photovoltaic modules is assessed using various cooling mechanism. The result demonstrates that the best design which includes the new collector design, nanofluid, and nanophase changing materials enhances electrical and thermal efficiencies by 34.44 % and 27.94 %, respectively compared to a standard photovoltaic thermal system which employs smooth tube and water. Despite the fact that the new design increases energy demand throughout its lifespan by 4.8 % compared to the standard photovoltaic thermal system, it increases energy production overall life cycle by 27.09 %, resulting in 21.20 % enhancement in energy payback time. Finally, the best design reduces improvement for potential (potential loss) by 10.28 % compared to standard photovoltaic thermal system.