This paper proposes a novel loop heat pipe based solar photovoltaic/thermal air conditioning (PV/T-AC) system. The system incorporates two condensers: a microchannel air-cooled condenser (MACC) that supplies heat to the outdoor evaporator of the air conditioner, and a coil-type water-cooled condenser (CWCC) for domestic hot water production. Meanwhile, the electricity generated by the PV/T module is stored in the battery and then used to power the air conditioner, enabling synergistic integration of cooling, heating and power. For such a novel system, the combined utilization of thermal and electrical energy is critical for simultaneously enhancing the PV/T module’s solar energy conversion efficiencies and air conditioner performance. Consequently, a prototype of the proposed system was designed, constructed, and experimentally investigated. It was found that the system performance varies significantly with the operating mode. When the refrigerant passed through the CWCC, the average water temperature in the storage tank increased by 23°C, with the PV/T module achieving an electrical efficiency of 18.3%, a thermal efficiency of 41.9%, while the AC module achieved a heating COP of 2.1. When the refrigerant flowed through the MACC, the electrical and thermal efficiencies were 18.2% and 51%, respectively. More importantly, under this operating mode, the heating COP was improved by more than 24.8% compared to the case without PV/T assistance. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of integrating PV/T technology with air conditioning systems, help optimize the system configuration, and highlighting the potential of such synergies for efficient building energy supply.
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)