PVT – A Renewable Energy Technology with High Efficiency

Photovoltaic-thermal collectors, or PVT, are in vogue. Because they simultaneously produce electricity and heat, they are a suitable energy source for heat pumps. Also, a PVT collector achieves a significantly higher overall efficiency than a PV module alone. So far, the market for PVT is still relatively small. This could soon change, however, as the technology is attracting increasingly more attention. It is already considered a game changer by experts when it comes to driving forward the heat transition. However, in order for the potential to be exploited quickly, various challenges need to be tackled, and Fraunhofer ISE is doing just that. Innovation4E spoke with Dr. Korbinian Kramer, coordinator of PVT at Fraunhofer ISE, about the institute’s research activities in this area. Born in Bavaria, Kramer has been working at ISE for almost 20 years and presently is group head of Product Qualification and Standardization.