Engineering

Aerospace engineering

Materials science

Exergy efficiency

Thermoelectric effect

Solar energy

Waste management

Mechanical engineering

Thermodynamics

Air mass (solar energy)

Boundary layer

Physics

Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector

Nuclear engineering

Mass flow rate

Thermal

Process engineering

Environmental science

Solar air conditioning

Photovoltaics

Thermal energy

Solar thermal collector

Photovoltaic system

Exergy

Electrical engineering

Engineering physics

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

In this paper, a review of exergy and improvement potential (IP) of solar thermal systems is presented. The review includes exergy analysis of photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems, solar drying systems and solar collectors. Solar collectors, which are the most essential components of solar thermal systems, receive solar energy and convert it into thermal energy. Since the solar/PVT collector system is an essential component when the design of sustainability is considered, exergy analysis, which provides a more representative performance rating. In addition, a theoretical and experimental performance of hybrid photovoltaic thermal/thermoelectric (PVT/TE) air collector is investigated. A steady-state thermal analysis of a hybrid PVT/TE air collector is developed to predict air outlet and photovoltaic (PV) temperatures. The predicted results are in close agreement with the experimental study. The percentage error of air outlet and PV temperatures between theoretical and experimental value is 1.1% and 2.6% respectively. On the other hand, the simulated model is then used to study the performances of a hybrid PVT/TE air collector using exergy analysis for the mass flow rate ranging between 0.001 kg/s to 0.15 kg/s and a solar radiation of 600 W/m2. The effect of mass flow rate on exergy efficiency and an advance prospective are observed. The optimum exergy efficiency of PVT/TE obtained is relatively 0.38. In addition, IP is proposed in this study.

Exergy and improvement potential of hybrid photovoltaic thermal/thermoelectric (PVT/TE) air collector