Design and Optimization of Linear Concentrating Photovoltaic System for Combined Power Heat and Desalination

Currently, the world is being faced with an impending energy supply crisis. In other to provide solution to this dilemma, there is need to expand and effectively maintain our energy resource and this has to be done in such a way that it takes into account the surrounding environment; as a matter of fact, this is incredibly vital for progress to be made with renewable energy technologies. However, regardless of this urgent demand, it is crucial to appraise the bigger environmental impact that is associated with the use of these renewable energy resources. The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of Linear Concentrating Photovoltaics system (LCPVs) from an engineering point of view; this technology is as a result of the recent developments and numerous researches in this field; and so, this has led to the development of this system. Python software was used to simulate the performance of LCPVs, and the results were compared with results obtained by other authors, who used the Engineering Equation Solver (EES). Moreover, the effect of a cooling fluid in the system and its effect on the productivity of multi-junction cells were also evaluated. The results acquired from the data simulation painted a picture of LCPVs from an environmental perspective, electricity plus water heating. In addition, this system utilised renewable energy which helped in reducing CO2 emission. The comparison of the current study results with those obtained previously, indicated that a great similarity exist with a minimal error of 0.002 (kWh). Also, when the design of the LCPVs was changed, the average efficiency increased to 0.598 % during the simulation; this is in contrast to the old design model. Keywords: Linear Concentrating Photovoltaics System (LCPVs), Solar Energy, Thermal Energy, Multi-junction Cell