Performance of photovoltaic thermal collector under weather conditions in Baghdad, Iraq

The photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collector is a device that converts solar energy into two types of energy: electrical power, which is the main energy production of the photovoltaic (PV) module, and thermal energy, which is the secondary energy production of the PV module. This paper presents the experimental investigation of a PVT under real weather conditions in Baghdad (33.33o N, 44.44o E), Iraq. In this work, the PVT based on air heat transfer fluid is fabricated and tested experimentally, and the results are compared with the PV module. The results show that the average electrical efficiency of the PV module and PVT is 14.23% and 15.43%, respectively. Moreover, the average thermal efficiency of the PVT collector is 63.28% Overall, it can be concluded that the electrical efficiency of the PVT enhanced by 6.97% compared with the PV module.