LAUSR

Abstract The existing literature in photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) collectors shows a promising development in this technology. The current markers for the technologies’ success are examined for various designs configurations and materials. However, the lack of an international standard to follow for PV/T installation, testing, and analysis may hinder the field from advancing to the next stage. In order to develop such standards, it is critical to establish a methodology for evaluating PV/T collectors. This paper examines existing evaluation criteria and proposes four novel methods for PV/T evaluation, namely yield per area/space, yield per weight, yield bias, and cost of yield. Outdoor experiments were performed in Bangi-Malaysia, as a proof of concept to the proposed criteria. The tested systems are (i) PV, (ii) Water-based PV/T and (iii) PV/T with Phase Change Material (PCM) and water as a coolant.