ENGINEERINGNET.EU -- The UK-based start-up company Naked Energy has developed a new prototype system based on a patented substrate design that encases solar PV cells in a vacuum contained in glass tubes.
"Solar PV panels lose half a per cent of their efficiency with every degree above 25ºC, and in a warm climate they can reach temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees," explained Christophe Williams, managing director at the company.
"Our design transfers that heat away from the cells, increasing the electricity output from the solar cells and providing heat for hot water."
By efficiently drawing heat away from the solar panel using vacuum tubes, the photovoltaic cells are maintained at an optimum operating temperature. This results in significantly higher electrical output than standard photovoltaic panels.
Both energy outputs are optimized replacing the need for two separate conventional panels (PV and Thermal), dramatically reducing installation time and cost whilst maximizing useable installation area.
At high temperatures, Naked Energy’s hybrid solar PV and thermal panel promises to boost efficiency by around 50 per cent.
The company has worked with Imperial University to independently verify the performance of its prototype, concluding that it can deliver 70 per cent solar conversion efficiency when the electrical and heat output is combined.
Moreover, tests showed that the system increases electrical output by 46 per cent compared to conventional PV panels when the cells are heated to 65ºC.
5BB) (picture: Naked Energy)
