Reflexión académica sobre temáticas relacionadas con la Ingeniería
Nowadays two different facilities are needed for the implementation of thermal and photovoltaic solar energy systems, this implies increased economic and spatial requirements. In Spain the Universidad de Zaragoza has been working since 2009 in hybrid or combined systems, which operate simultaneously with
thermal and photovoltaic systems. By fusing the two systems, a proper and constant working temperature can be maintained for both and, at the same time, the heat stored by the solar cells can be used for ambient or water heating devices. This reflection paper, which stems form the research project “Improvement on
the Efficiency of Photovoltaic Panels Using a Combined System” funded by Conadi, 2010-2011, presents the general characteristics of such systems, it emphasizes the factors that influence output power in solar panels, and the characteristics of hybrid systems that improve their efficiency.
Keywords:
photovoltaic system, hybrid system, thermal system