Numerical approach of an advanced hybrid photovoltaic thermal system based on exergy, energy, enviro-economic, and sustainability factors
Conventional photovoltaic thermal systems (PVT-Ss) suffer from several limitations, including the use of heavy and expensive heat exchangers, the lack of direct contact between the heat transfer fluid and the photovoltaic (PV) cells, as well as problems associated with the absorber plate, such as in...
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2025-09-01
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| author | Yassine El Alami Elhadi Baghaz Rehena Nasrin Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban Mohamed Louzazni |
| author_facet | Yassine El Alami Elhadi Baghaz Rehena Nasrin Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban Mohamed Louzazni |
| author_sort | Yassine El Alami |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Conventional photovoltaic thermal systems (PVT-Ss) suffer from several limitations, including the use of heavy and expensive heat exchangers, the lack of direct contact between the heat transfer fluid and the photovoltaic (PV) cells, as well as problems associated with the absorber plate, such as increased weight, high cost, and thermal expansion. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a novel PVT-S configuration. This innovative concept eliminates the absorber plate, allowing direct contact between the water and the PV cells, reducing costs, weight, and pressure drop. A parametric analysis evaluated the effects of the fluid inlet position, water slick thickness, and the height of distribution manifolds on temperature distribution, pressure drop, energy, and exergy performance. The influence of irradiation and water flow rate (FRT) on these indicators was also examined. A sustainability assessment was also conducted, encompassing both environmental and economic impacts. The three-dimensional modeling of the system was performed using COMSOL Multiphysics, based on the finite element method (FEM). The best performance was achieved with a lateral inlet, a manifold height of 30 mm, and a water slick thickness of 1 mm, yielding a thermal efficiency of 81.27%, an electrical efficiency of 13.76%, and an overall exergy efficiency of 16.51%. As the water FRT increases, the annual reduction in CO₂ emissions improves by 1.02 tCO₂/year, accompanied by an approximate 28% increase in environmental cost. Meanwhile, the system’s sustainability index decreases slightly, from 1.19774 to 1.17247, representing a reduction of 0.02527. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9789ea88d6ab40a18959e3143092e175 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2590-1230 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Results in Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-9789ea88d6ab40a18959e3143092e1752025-08-20T02:40:47ZengElsevierResults in Engineering2590-12302025-09-012710634210.1016/j.rineng.2025.106342Numerical approach of an advanced hybrid photovoltaic thermal system based on exergy, energy, enviro-economic, and sustainability factorsYassine El Alami0Elhadi Baghaz1Rehena Nasrin2Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban3Mohamed Louzazni4Laboratory of Electronics, Instrumentation and Energetic, Faculty of Sciences, Chouaïb Doukkali University, El Jadida, MoroccoLaboratory of Electronics, Instrumentation and Energetic, Faculty of Sciences, Chouaïb Doukkali University, El Jadida, MoroccoDepartment of Mathematics, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, 1000, BangladeshDepartment of Electrical Engineering, IT and Cybernetic, University of South-Eastern, Norway–Campus Porsgrunn, 7430, Norway; Corresponding author.Science Engineer Laboratory for Energy, National School of Applied Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University of El jadida, MoroccoConventional photovoltaic thermal systems (PVT-Ss) suffer from several limitations, including the use of heavy and expensive heat exchangers, the lack of direct contact between the heat transfer fluid and the photovoltaic (PV) cells, as well as problems associated with the absorber plate, such as increased weight, high cost, and thermal expansion. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a novel PVT-S configuration. This innovative concept eliminates the absorber plate, allowing direct contact between the water and the PV cells, reducing costs, weight, and pressure drop. A parametric analysis evaluated the effects of the fluid inlet position, water slick thickness, and the height of distribution manifolds on temperature distribution, pressure drop, energy, and exergy performance. The influence of irradiation and water flow rate (FRT) on these indicators was also examined. A sustainability assessment was also conducted, encompassing both environmental and economic impacts. The three-dimensional modeling of the system was performed using COMSOL Multiphysics, based on the finite element method (FEM). The best performance was achieved with a lateral inlet, a manifold height of 30 mm, and a water slick thickness of 1 mm, yielding a thermal efficiency of 81.27%, an electrical efficiency of 13.76%, and an overall exergy efficiency of 16.51%. As the water FRT increases, the annual reduction in CO₂ emissions improves by 1.02 tCO₂/year, accompanied by an approximate 28% increase in environmental cost. Meanwhile, the system’s sustainability index decreases slightly, from 1.19774 to 1.17247, representing a reduction of 0.02527.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025024120Photovoltaic-thermal systemNumerical simulationFinite element methodExergy and energy analysisEnviro-economic and sustainability analysis |
| spellingShingle | Yassine El Alami Elhadi Baghaz Rehena Nasrin Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban Mohamed Louzazni Numerical approach of an advanced hybrid photovoltaic thermal system based on exergy, energy, enviro-economic, and sustainability factors Results in Engineering Photovoltaic-thermal system Numerical simulation Finite element method Exergy and energy analysis Enviro-economic and sustainability analysis |
| title | Numerical approach of an advanced hybrid photovoltaic thermal system based on exergy, energy, enviro-economic, and sustainability factors |
| title_full | Numerical approach of an advanced hybrid photovoltaic thermal system based on exergy, energy, enviro-economic, and sustainability factors |
| title_fullStr | Numerical approach of an advanced hybrid photovoltaic thermal system based on exergy, energy, enviro-economic, and sustainability factors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Numerical approach of an advanced hybrid photovoltaic thermal system based on exergy, energy, enviro-economic, and sustainability factors |
| title_short | Numerical approach of an advanced hybrid photovoltaic thermal system based on exergy, energy, enviro-economic, and sustainability factors |
| title_sort | numerical approach of an advanced hybrid photovoltaic thermal system based on exergy energy enviro economic and sustainability factors |
| topic | Photovoltaic-thermal system Numerical simulation Finite element method Exergy and energy analysis Enviro-economic and sustainability analysis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025024120 |
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