I don't like the idea of a hybrid PV/T module because the device has to get hot to produce a thermal output and heat reduces the efficiency of the PV by increasing the internal shunt currents. The cost will depend almost entirely on the location of the manufacturer and the volume being manufactured, and will be largely technology independent, once the engineering issues have all been resolved.

However, you could make the thermal side part of a heat pump which drives thermal energy from the outside to the inside of a building, This would be ideal for cold climates. It would also keep the PV cooler and increase its efficiency. But I have never seen a practical one for sale.

Answer to this question is not general. it is different case by case. Also capital cost of this system is 1.5 of photocell separately. But payback time is more than photovoltaic cell separately unless in large scale.

To my knowledge there are not yet any PV/T systems that are cost-competitive with separate PV and solar thermal arrays. In principle PV/T is an elegant solution because it allows heat and electricity generation in the same area, and the heat extraction cools the solar cell, but it isn't yet cheap enough.

The cost of PVT system is more than that of separate PV and thermal systems and it also depends on mass of production of system. But PVT system produces thermal and electrical energy from single system therefore requiring less space for generation of two form of energy simultaneously and also heat extraction by working fluid reduces the temperature of PV panel. 

Thank to all for your very interesting answer. I agree with most of your comments. But the  cost effectiveness of PVTs, like photovoltaic or wind systems, are place dependent (irradiance or wind speed). So the economical assessment of such systems can be done starting from the capital and M&O costs and considering the enegy production during the life of the system. The peculiarity of PVT is that also the thermal energy has to be also managed. This last issue can be better managed if a water tank to storage the hot water is used. In this case the diurnal mismatch between hot water domand and electrical energy and thermal energy can be solved.

I am interested in studies about economical issues in PVT systems

The use of PV/T systems is still not popular. The hot water produced from such systems is nothing but lukewarm, because if one waits until the water at the back of the modules heats up to a meaningful temperature, then the efficiency of the PV cell drops. Also, it is not possible to circulate warm water behind the cells to make it hotter and hotter. Moreover, the maintenance and control of an active hot water system is not to be underestimated, especially when you have a large system. Also, the pipe losses and electrical power needed for pumping would be considerable. Although the PV/T panel could be cheaper than individual panels, the complete infrastructure is more expensive and more difficult to control than two separate systems. Perhaps, the only way how this is reduced is when one uses other PV cells such as GAS with solar concentration and full two-axis tracking.

I am quite not agree with Mr Yousif  course pv/T will be more economical retherls the capital cost the same 

the productivity of electrical energy will be higher in PV/T than PV only because the reduction of cells temperature. and this is enoughan this is the main goal of PV/T systems. I have an article published from 15 years in a conference I don't now I have the full text or not beca use I lost my coputer ""

@ Dr Nassar

While it is possible to say that the output will be more and hence PVT is more economical but it really depends on many factors including for example the price of electricity to run the water pumps and the price of the feed-in tariff to sell the electricity, plus many other factors. I am sure if such systems were really economical they would have picked up in the market and become popular. As far as I know they did not.

such systems often used not to cooling the PVCELLS temperature ofcorse this worthless  but to provide a particulate load with thermal and electrical power together such a drying food's etc . so the mptive forces  exist with or without the pv/t ssuggested system. we can establish a air drier with pv/t flat plate solar collector with absorber plate partially or fully from pv panels. I suggest cooperation you and me together to search this problem?

Thank you Dr Nassar.

PV with forced air systems would probably be economically even less attractive than PVT (with water), given that the blowers would conume much more energy than water pumps (air is a compressible gas and needs more energy to move). One could simulate such systems using software such as Polysun.

Dear Charles and Nassar,thank you for your interesting condsiderations.

I would like to ask you if  your considerations are based on effective measurements and/or simulations about a single module or a PVT systems.

  if they are experimental or simulation results would be very interested  in having a look at these figures, it it is possible of course

I   have performed some experimental tests on a PVT systems based on TESPI patented PVT module and the average daily temperature of the outlet water is about 45-50 °C fotr two PVT systems installed in Italy.

The reduction of the efficiency of crystalline PV modules is limited  compared with NOCT operating conditions. Also for pumping power that the system requires is almost the same of a normal solar thermal system. 

No I have not tested such systems myself but am aware of other people's experiences.

Problems of hybrid system is the efficiency...if you like hot water the temperature of the module is getting to hot....if it vc versa the problem you don t have enough temperature for hotwater.

You might like to perform an analyse with water/water heatpump were you get very cold return of heatpump which will cool down modules ...that would be a perfect match.

Also I heard of a system were they use " rainwater" as cooling liquid in summer and as a pre heating source for winter ; so the snow " falls of " much quicker if angle is big enough......

But hybrids in general are more expensive than " normal pv " and normal " thermal" systems combined.....

Cheers

Andreas

For getting a quick status and leads to further information, please check the presentation by Jean-Christophe Hadorn, Operating Agent IEA SHC TASK60 2018-2020 (see: task60.iea-shc.org )

Presentation as PDF: https://www.ises.org/sites/default/files/webinars/SHC%20Market%20and%20Industry%20Trends_JHadorn.pdf

But please also hear Mr. Hadorn giving many more details in the ISES webinar on June 12, 2018, where above presentation is the basis. https://www.ises.org/webinars/448

Mr. Hadorn is the third speaker on the webinar and his presentation starts at minute 50

Enjoy,

Anco