A Study on the Design and Analytical Evaluation of Liquid PVT Systems for Building-Integrated Renewable Energy

Abstract

The integration of photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems in building structures represents a significant advancement in sustainable energy generation, enabling simultaneous production of electricity and thermal energy from a single collector area. This study aims to evaluate the design parameters and analytical performance of liquid-based PVT systems for building-integrated renewable energy applications. The research objectives include assessing thermal and electrical efficiency variations across different absorber configurations, examining the influence of operational parameters such as mass flow rate and solar radiation intensity, and evaluating the overall energy performance of building-integrated photovoltaic thermal (BIPVT) systems. The methodology adopted a mixed-method research design incorporating both quantitative analysis of experimental data from existing literature and comparative evaluation of various liquid PVT collector configurations. The hypothesis proposed that liquid-based PVT collectors with optimized absorber designs demonstrate superior combined thermal-electrical efficiency compared to conventional standalone photovoltaic systems. The results indicate that spiral flow absorber configurations achieve the highest PVT efficiency of 68.4%, comprising 13.8% electrical and 54.6% thermal efficiency at optimal operating conditions. The discussion reveals that mass flow rate optimization and absorber design significantly influence system performance. In conclusion, liquid PVT systems present viable solutions for building integration, contributing substantially toward renewable energy targets and sustainable building development.