Thermal and Electrical Modelling of a CPV/T System Varying Its Configuration

In this paper, the main aim is the performances modelling from the electrical and thermal point of view of a concentrating photovoltaic and thermal (CPV/T) system in order to evaluate the primary energy and economic savings respect to a traditional system, when the same energy loads are satisfied. This study is realized by both varying the CPV/T system configuration and considering two different users. In particular, the point-focus (PF), and linear focus (LF) configurations of the CPV/T system are considered in order to match the residential user and hotel energy loads. The CPV/T system is sized adopting as input data: the Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) modelled by an artificial neural network and the users’ energy demands. In these hypotheses, the performances of the PF and LF systems are evaluated and then compared for the two users located in Southern Italy, in terms of electrical and thermal energy production, cells number, space occupied, energy and economic savings and CO2 emissions avoided. Finally, the PF system shows a lower simple pay-back and a higher primary energy saving, while the space occupied by a LF system results to be lower respect to the PF configuration.