Techno-Economic Evaluation of PVT systems in Monterrey, Mexico

Abstract

Although there are benefits of a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) system over a traditional photovoltaic system, the high costs and
non-availability in the Monterrey’s market represent a great barrier to increase its adoption rate. If the case were presented in
which it is desired to have electrical and thermal generation, it would be necessary to have photovoltaic panels and solar collectors
forcibly separated. The objective of this research was to develop a techno-economic feasibility analysis for hybrid PVT
generation systems for Monterrey, Mexico market. The technical performance results were carried out through simulations in the TRNSYS and System Advisor Model (SAM) software, and financial analysis models. After having carried out the corresponding simulations of the systems to analyze their competitiveness, it was concluded that a system composed entirely of PVT modules is not competitive due to the high initial investment cost. A system with 2 PVT modules was found to have a solar fraction of 20%, while a system with 14 PVT modules reached 26%, making the increase in recuperators unattractive. PVT technology was proven to be competitive by making a hybrid between a PVT and photovoltaic system, achieving the energy needed by the system to meet electrical demand, and having thermal energy from recoverers, achieving a return on investment (ROI) of 4 years and 1 bimonthly attractive and competitive to independent systems with ROI of 3 years and 1 bimonthly.