Coupling PV/T Collectors with a Ground Source Heat Pump System (OR-16-C046)

Photovoltaic panels that provide electricity and thermal energy are now commercially available. These PV/T collectors use either the air or a liquid as the heat transfer fluid to collect thermal energy. This paper examines the overall system performance of PV/T collectors linked to a ground-source heat pump equipped with a four-pipe borehole. The system selected for this study consists of two independent fluid circuits. In the first circuit, the outlet fluid from a liquid-cooled PV/T collector is first pumped through a heat exchanger then to the ground heat exchanger. In the second circuit, fluid is pumped from the ground heat exchanger to the heat pump via the heat exchanger which provides a thermal link between the PV/T and GSHP circuits.