Feasibility & design of PV-T polymer solar collector for real estate households in Addis Ababa

Abstract: A combined application of PV and polymer thermal solar collector (PVT) of solar energy for residential electricity and thermal demand can be harnessed sustainably with effective means at a time where long sun duration and most consistent solar irradiation throughout the year is available, in place like Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Due to frequent power shedding though out the country which Addis Ababa is part of problem, because of the energy demand in the country is increasing and a source of electricity is merely dependent on hydro power of rain which droughts are occurring frequently affecting the generation of the grid. Housing development, particularly the real estate Housing is booming since a couple of decade in Addis Ababa which theoverall PVT cost could be integrated with the cost of house construction. Although, currently, residential houses are constructed with various means, as an entail step, the real estate house are chosen to implement the PVT as most of the real estate house are targeting the higher income citizens who could offered the PVT installed residences. A number of real estate companies are engaged in wide range of house construction which the area and model of the houses are important in design of specific family house. In general the houses are categorized in to three main residential buildings such as apartments where a range inhabitant can be accommodated, town type house and Villa type housing.Feasibility and design of PVT is evaluated for the real estate residential houses of the main above mentioned house type where the results are suggestingencouraging outcomes of pay back and percentage of PVT cost with the price of house. Despite the cheap cost of grid electricity from hydropower, the PVT would be feasible with long term loan and low interest from government Banks to encourage customers of the real estate companies, and thereby the sector could contribute significant share in the energy consumption that can reduce power shedding problem of the country besides of the direct advantages of-3-inhabitants to access uninterrupted energy of heat and electricity. Electrical heater often face scaling and frequent breakdown and long maintenance that PVT polymer solar collector avoids the problems completely. The government policy for energy is principally directed towards renewable energy that can increase the energy generation of the country along the hydropower projects which solar energy shallalso cover major role in the renewable resources of energy use incities.The Solar energy is part of a five year plan (GTP) of the government to increase energy in cities, a cost effective polymer or plastic thermal solar collectors is employed in the PVT that can be used for generation of hot water for domestic use along with generation of electricity from PV modulesof PVT would be good means of application of solar energy. This master’s thesis paper will cover an application of PVT polymer solar collector for households in the growing sector of real estate in Addis Ababa city. However the efficiency of Photolytic PV cell is limited to maximum of 20 % and yet, the cost is getting cheaper from time to time that some more people in cities can afford it.The polymer thermal collector is less in cost than the conventional flat plate collector or vacuum tube collector and function properly to collect the thermal energy and facilitate more efficient use of the PV which the operating temperature of the PV module gets stable because of the heat removing effect of circulating fluid through thermal absorber.