Hey everyone! I'm curious if anyone has experience connecting a PVT (Photovoltaic Thermal) system to an air source heat pump. I'm considering it for something like preheating, but I'm not sure how well it works in practice. If you've tried this or have insights on how to make it effective, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
2 Answers
It sounds like you're mixing up systems. Many folks have an air source heat pump alongside a regular PV system, but they're typically independent of each other. If you're referring to thermal solar instead, then ideally, you'd have a hot water tank with dedicated heat exchangers—one for the heat pump and another for the thermal solar. What are you hoping to accomplish with the setup?
Using PVT can definitely help with heating water, especially if you have a sizeable tank (200+ liters) connected to a heat pump for your domestic needs. However, remember that solar energy dips in winter when you might need more heat for your home. So it might not be a complete solution for house heating during those months. But it could still reduce energy consumption significantly as a booster!
That’s good to know! I was thinking of using it to decrease my overall energy use and boost my PV system. Here in the UK, I’ve seen combined systems for heating water and houses. So, I might just pipe my cold inlet through the PVT panels to help heat my water tank.