Evaluation of an Integrated Photovoltaic-Thermal Option for HVAC Cooling System in UAE

This paper investigates the integration of a photovoltaic-Thermal Collector (PV/T) and a Triple Effect Absorption System (TEAS) for cooling residential as well as commercial buildings. Energy and exergy analyses are conducted to examine the performance of the recommended system and to investigate the variation of different operating conditions and PV/T characteristics on the overall performance of the PV/T collector. Power and heat generated by the PV/T system are used to mainly drive mainly the TEAS by supplying power and heat to the HTG. This paper studies the effect of the of average solar radiation for different months during the year on the Coefficient of Performance (COP) and/or the overall efficiency of the (PV/T) collector integrated with TEAS to produce 10 kW of cooling capacity. This paper also investigates how the rate of energy output of the PV/T collector. It is found that energetic and exergetic efficiencies of the PV/T collector as well as the overall energetic and exergetic efficiencies of the integrated system decrease with increasing the solar irradiance. The analyses show that the maximum energetic and exergetic COPs obtained for PV/T integrated with TEAS are 2.32 and 2.06; respectively. Finally, this paper provides a new interpretation in which alternative energy is utilized in operating HVAC cooling systems and presents a new insight into one of the most sustainable integrated systems that can be applied in residential and commercial buildings in the UAE.