A review on performance and environmental effects of conventional and nanofluid-based thermal photovoltaics

Abstract From the last few decades, due to the escalating requirement of heat and electricity, the relative utilization of Photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system has enlarged as compared to the photovoltaic or solar thermal system alone due to better performance of combined PV/T systems when compared to the conventional ones. PV/T hybrid systems generate both electrical and thermal energy concurrently, giving it a broad variety of applications. Recently, different nanoparticles mixed with base fluid (Nanofluid) have been used in these hybrid systems resulting in attracting the attention of numerous researchers. Due to its improved thermal conductivity nanofluid can be used as an optical filter and proficient coolant in PV/T systems. In the last years, much research has been focused on this domain because it is crucial for the design of sustainable and environmentally friendly energy systems. The primary focus of this review is to accomplish the briefing of diverse PV/T technologies at the outset together with aspects of their efficiencies, structure, thermal governing expressions and their applications as well as the latest technologies and parameters which profoundly affect the PV/T collector performance. We have also reviewed the various positive and adverse effects on the environment safety level by applying these solar techniques for the energy production as compared to the conventional energy sources techniques. As the solar techniques are tremendously helpful for the environment in several ways but at the same deployment of these resources on the wide-scale may lead to adverse implications for the environment. Moreover, the variations in the performance efficiency of the PV/T system using nanofluids, and finally, the suggestions for future research directions are presented. The outcome of this review paper would give an overview of further enhancements in solar PV/T systems with high practicability for extensive relevance in energy supply at all levels in the vicinity of future.

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