Solar cooling with concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (CPVT) systems

• Published in: Energy conversion and management Vol. 48; no. 9; pp. 2481 - 2490
• Main Authors: Mittelman, Gur, Kribus, Abraham, Dayan, Abraham
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Absorption; Applied sciences; Cogeneration; Combined power plants; Concentrating photovoltaics (CPV); Desalination; economic conditions; Electric power generation; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy; Natural energy; Polygeneration; Q1; Solar cooling; Solar energy; Temperature; Trigeneration; Concentrating photovoltaics (CPV); Solar cooling; Cogeneration; Trigeneration; Polygeneration; Costs; Temperature; Solar collector; Cooling; Thermal energy; Solar cooling systems; Desalination; Steam production; Performance; Refrigeration; Photovoltaic conversion; Operating system; Combined power plant
• ISSN: 0196-8904; 1879-2227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2007.04.004

Simultaneous production of electrical and high grade thermal energy is proposed with a concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (CPVT) system operating at elevated temperature. CPVT collectors may operate at temperatures above 100 °C, and the thermal energy can drive processes such as refrigeration, desalination and steam production. The performance and cost of a CPVT system with single effect absorption cooling are investigated in detail. The results show that under a wide range of economic conditions, the combined solar cooling and power generation plant can be comparable to, and sometimes even significantly better than, the conventional alternative.