A Numerical Investigation on the Performance and Sustainability Analysis of Conventional and Finned Air-Cooled Solar Photovoltaic Thermal (PV/T) Systems

Imik E., YILMAZ M.

Sustainability (Switzerland), cilt.17, sa.23, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 17 Sayı: 23
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3390/su172310638
  • Dergi Adı: Sustainability (Switzerland)
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Geobase, INSPEC
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: air-cooled, electrical efficiency, exergy efficiency, numerical simulation, PV/T system, sustainability index, thermal efficiency
  • İnönü Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The increasing global demand for sustainable energy has increased the importance of solar photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) systems, which simultaneously increase electrical efficiency by removing excess heat and utilizing it for beneficial purposes. Although the addition of fins is generally known to increase efficiency, the influence of Z-finned geometries on PV/T system performance has not yet been fully characterized. In this study, the performance of conventional (PV/T-C) and Z-finned (PV/T-F) air-cooled PV/T systems was numerically investigated through comprehensive energy, exergy, and sustainability analyses. Simulations were conducted using ANSYS Fluent 2025 R1. The results revealed that, compared to the PV/T-C system, the PV/T-F system achieved an increase of 17.18% in overall efficiency. Furthermore, the incorporation of fins enhanced the overall exergy efficiency by 2.57% and improved the sustainability index by 0.32%. The findings demonstrate that Z-shaped fins improve the overall, exergy, and sustainability performances of air-cooled PV/T systems under the climatic conditions of Malatya, Türkiye. This study highlights the critical role of fin geometry in enhancing PV/T system performance and contributes valuable insights for the design of more efficient and sustainable solar energy systems.