Modeling and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) panels

In this study, the energy performance of photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) hybrid panels was investigated through both experimental measurements and numerical analyses. A 25 W monocrystalline PV panel was converted into a PV-T configuration by integrating a copper pipe water circulation system, and its electrical and thermal performances were comparatively evaluated against a standard PV panel. Experimental results demonstrated that the PV-T panel maintained cell temperatures approximately 8–10 °C lower than those of the reference PV panel, resulting in an improvement of 3–4% in electrical efficiency. Furthermore, at the end of a one-hour experimental test, the average thermal power transferred to the water by the PV-T panel was calculated as 33,31 W based on experimental data. Numerical analyses were conducted using the ANSYS Fluent software and showed strong agreement with the experimental findings. The grid-independence tests confirmed the reliability of the numerical model, indicating that the panel surface temperatures stabilized at approximately 41,7 °C. Moreover, the effects of different flow channel geometries (cylindrical, square, and rectangular) on thermal performance and pressure drop were examined in detail. The analyses revealed that the cylindrical, square, and rectangular flow channel panels produced 30,6 W, 33,2 W, and 38,7 W of thermal power, respectively. These findings demonstrated that the rectangular flow channel geometry achieved the highest thermal performance, with a thermal efficiency of up to 49,8%. In conclusion, PV-T panels have been identified as a strong alternative for sustainable energy applications due to their ability to enhance electrical efficiency while simultaneously generating additional thermal energy. Furthermore, the flow channel geometry was determined to be a critical design parameter influencing both the thermal and hydraulic performance of the panels.