An experimental study of a solar hybrid system to produce freshwater from waste heat of photovoltaic module by using thermosyphon heat pipes

An experimental study was conducted on a solar hybrid system to transform the waste heat of photovoltaic module (PV module) into a useful heat which could be used in a solar desalination (SD) system in order to produce freshwater (scenario 1). Then, different parameters such as the amount of the produced freshwater by condensed vapor on the glass cover and basin side walls were taken into consideration after the fabrication of the SD system. Furthermore, the effect of water depth in the tray and the effect of the presence of a fan inside the basin (scenario 3) on water yield (kg/m(2) hr) were evaluated. In addition, the effects of using a mirror to lead the reflected light on the PV module and its power output as well as different parameters of PV module were measured (scenario 4). The daily overall system efficiency (Thermal + Electrical) of the active (scenarios 1, 3 and 4) and passive (scenario 2) configurations were calculated. Furthermore, the mirror installation caused an increase in freshwater production and electric power. Finally, economic analysis was performed on the proposed system by which the production cost for a liter of freshwater was calculated.