.IDEAS.Fluid.PVTCollectors.Validation.PVT_UN.PVT_UN_Electrical

Information

This model validates the electrical performance of the PVT_UN collector, an uncovered and uninsulated PVT collector, using the same 58-day outdoor dataset as the thermal model (Veynandt et al., 2023).

The model uses the PVWatts V5 formulation and includes:

• Temperature-dependent efficiency losses
• Datasheet-based estimation of UAbsFluid
• Constant system loss factor (7 %)

The PV cell temperature is derived from the thermal model using a two-node coupling via UAbsFluid, ensuring accurate representation of the thermal-electrical interaction.

Despite the presence of extreme weather conditions, including wind speeds up to 10–12 m/s and continuous pump operation, the electrical model remains robust. Validation shows excellent agreement with measurements, with a normalized MAE of 5.2 % and nRMSE of 9.9 % (Meertens et al., 2025).

The model's accuracy confirms the reliability of the datasheet-based estimation method for UAbsFluid, even under challenging real-world conditions.

Contents

Revisions

• September 3, 2025, by Jelger Jansen:
  Introduce week parameter to change the weather dataset. This is for #1462.
• July 7, 2025, by Lone Meertens:
  First implementation PVT model. This is for #1436.