A REVIEW OF INTEGRATING PHOTOVOLTAIC THERMAL TECHNOLOGY WITH PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS AND NANOFLUID

The ever-increasing demand of usable energy has caused an increasing search for alternative energy sources. One of the commonly used renewable energy sources is solar energy due to its cost-effectiveness, cleanliness and environment friendliness. A common method to harvest said solar energy is by using a photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system that can produce both heat and electrical energy at the same time. A method to further increase the efficiency of the PVT system is by adding both nanofluid (NF) and phase change materials (PCM). The review elaborates on what NF and PCM are like, how it can improve the efficiency of the PVT system, and their effect on improving the PVT system in a tropical climate. Based on existing literature, the PVT systems with both PCM and NF show the best improvement in both thermal and electrical efficiencies.