Photovoltaic And Thermal Solar Panels

Solar thermal electric energy generation concentrates the light from the sun to create heat and that heat is used to run a heat engine which turns a generator to make electricity.

Photovoltaic and thermal solar panels.

Photovoltaic thermal pv t hybrid solar systems offer increased electricity production by cooling the pv panel and using the removed thermal energy to heat water all in the same footprint as a standard pv system. Solar thermal and solar photovoltaic. As the name may suggest to you solar thermals technology is used to create heat for your home. The california energy commission licenses solar thermal plants above 50 megawatts and promotes solar photovoltaic installation through the renewables portfolio standard with building efficiency standards and as a partner in the california solar initiative.

The solar thermal system differs from solar photovoltaic in that the solar thermal power generation works through the concentration of sunlight to produce heat. A standard photovoltaic panel only generates 20 of electricity during operation. In addition to being wasted this heat is also detrimental to the solar panel s efficiency which drops when the panel rises in temperature. Solar thermal uses the sun s energy to generate thermal energy which is used to heat water or other fluids.

Photovoltaic pv systems generate electricity rather than heat. Concentrator photovoltaics and thermal cpvt also sometimes called combined heat and power solar chaps or hybrid thermal cpv is a cogeneration or micro cogeneration technology used in the field of concentrator photovoltaics that produces usable heat and electricity within the same system. Solar energy in california falls into two categories. The energy is suitable for use in industries commercial and residential sectors.

The heat in turn drives a heat engine which turns a generator to make electrical energy. Solar thermal is currently used more often on large scale applications where lots of hot water is needed like a laundromat or a college dorm. Photovoltaic it is important to understand that solar thermal technology is not the same as solar panel or photovoltaic technology.