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Cost-Benefit Analysis of Hybrid Photovoltaic/Thermal Collectors in a Nearly Zero-Energy Building

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  • Paolo Conti

    (Building Energy Technique and Technology Research Group (BETTER), Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino, 56122 Pisa, Italy)

  • Eva Schito

    (Building Energy Technique and Technology Research Group (BETTER), Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino, 56122 Pisa, Italy)

  • Daniele Testi

    (Building Energy Technique and Technology Research Group (BETTER), Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino, 56122 Pisa, Italy)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the use of hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) collectors in nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs). We present a design methodology based on the dynamic simulation of the whole energy system, which includes the building energy demand, a reversible heat pump as generator, the thermal storage, the power exchange with the grid, and both thermal and electrical energy production by solar collectors. An exhaustive search of the best equipment sizing and design is performed to minimize both the total costs and the non-renewable primary energy consumption over the system lifetime. The results show that photovoltaic/thermal technology reduces the non-renewable primary energy consumption below the nearly zero-energy threshold value, assumed as 15 kWh/(m 2 ·yr), also reducing the total costs with respect to a non-solar solution (up to 8%). As expected, several possible optimal designs exist, with an opposite trend between energy savings and total costs. In all these optimal configurations, we figure out that photovoltaic/thermal technology favors the production of electrical energy with respect to the thermal one, which mainly occurs during the summer to meet the domestic hot water requirements and lower the temperature of the collectors. Finally, we show that, for a given solar area, photovoltaic/thermal technology leads to a higher reduction of the non-renewable primary energy and to a higher production of solar thermal energy with respect to a traditional separate production employing photovoltaic (PV) modules and solar thermal (ST) collectors.

Suggested Citation

  • Paolo Conti & Eva Schito & Daniele Testi, 2019. "Cost-Benefit Analysis of Hybrid Photovoltaic/Thermal Collectors in a Nearly Zero-Energy Building," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-22, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:8:p:1582-:d:225994
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ibrahim, Adnan & Othman, Mohd Yusof & Ruslan, Mohd Hafidz & Mat, Sohif & Sopian, Kamaruzzaman, 2011. "Recent advances in flat plate photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar collectors," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 352-365, January.
    2. Hartmann, N. & Glueck, C. & Schmidt, F.P., 2011. "Solar cooling for small office buildings: Comparison of solar thermal and photovoltaic options for two different European climates," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1329-1338.
    3. Daniele Testi & Paolo Conti & Eva Schito & Luca Urbanucci & Francesco D’Ettorre, 2019. "Synthesis and Optimal Operation of Smart Microgrids Serving a Cluster of Buildings on a Campus with Centralized and Distributed Hybrid Renewable Energy Units," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Rosiek, S. & Batlles, F.J., 2009. "Integration of the solar thermal energy in the construction: Analysis of the solar-assisted air-conditioning system installed in CIESOL building," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1423-1431.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rafał Figaj & Maciej Żołądek & Wojciech Goryl, 2020. "Dynamic Simulation and Energy Economic Analysis of a Household Hybrid Ground-Solar-Wind System Using TRNSYS Software," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-27, July.
    2. Paolo Conti & Giovanni Lutzemberger & Eva Schito & Davide Poli & Daniele Testi, 2019. "Multi-Objective Optimization of Off-Grid Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems in Buildings with Prior Design-Variable Screening," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-25, August.
    3. Sonja Kallio & Monica Siroux, 2020. "Energy Analysis and Exergy Optimization of Photovoltaic-Thermal Collector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-29, October.
    4. Sree Harsha Bandaru & Victor Becerra & Sourav Khanna & Jovana Radulovic & David Hutchinson & Rinat Khusainov, 2021. "A Review of Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) Technology for Residential Applications: Performance Indicators, Progress, and Opportunities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-48, June.
    5. Sangmu Bae & Yujin Nam & Ivor da Cunha, 2019. "Economic Solution of the Tri-Generation System Using Photovoltaic-Thermal and Ground Source Heat Pump for Zero Energy Building (ZEB) Realization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-25, August.
    6. Szymon Firląg, 2019. "Cost-Optimal Plus Energy Building in a Cold Climate," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-20, October.
    7. Shirazi, Peimaneh & Behzadi, Amirmohammad & Ahmadi, Pouria & Rosen, Marc A. & Sadrizadeh, Sasan, 2024. "Comparison of control strategies for efficient thermal energy storage to decarbonize residential buildings in cold climates: A focus on solar and biomass sources," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).

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