Investigating the Effect of Changing Ratios and Flowrates on Photovoltaic Thermal and Evacuated Tube Collector Array Performance for Different Building Types

Photovoltaic thermal and/or evacuated tube collectors on building roofs can be effectively used to reduce fossil fuel use for heating and reliance on the electrical grid. To evaluate the potential of this reduction, a set of models were created for rooftop photovoltaic thermal and evacuated tube collector energy production, both thermal and electricity, and tested using a series of potential layouts. Five collector area ratios, two layout options, and three working fluid flowrates were investigated using five reference buildings as case studies. From these case studies it was determined that in Toronto’s climate, the exclusive use of photovoltaic thermal collectors produces the most total energy, while using only evacuated tube collectors maximally offsets greenhouse gasses. The results suggest that district heating would be highly effective to reduce the carbon footprint of city cores like the Toronto 2030 District.