Photovoltaic-Thermal Solar Collectors – A Rising Solar Technology for an Urban Sustainable Development

Abstract

The increasing global warming awareness related to climate change due to the high emissions of carbon dioxide in recent decades linked all nations into a common cause, which requires ambitious efforts to combat climate change by adapting energy systems to its effects. This book chapter aims at investigating the potential role of Photovoltaic-Thermal (PVT) solar collector technologies for an urban sustainable development based on the current state-of-art, system components and subsidies for PVT technologies. PVT technologies are a practical solution to compete with isolated systems such as photovoltaic (PV) modules and solar thermal collectors if a significant reduction in manufacturing cost is achieved, coupled with an increased energy production performance. Therefore, its success is intensely linked to the capacity of the PVT industry/researchers to scale down its current system cost and complexity in a way that can shorten the cost/performance gap to both PV and Solar Thermal (ST) technologies. The knowledge gained presented in this book chapter has been acquired through an extensive literature review, market surveys and project development made by several PVT experts with extensive expertise in the development of PVT technologies, which establishes the foundations for more efficient and cost-effective PVT solar collectors.