“PV-thermal installations are extremely versatile systems, and their manufacturers can cater to a wide variety of customers, single- and multi-family building owners, hotels, swimming pools and even production facilities among them.”
PhotoVoltaic Thermal Systems
Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) systems are designed to gather both electrical and thermal energy from the same panel. Due to the hugely beneficial impact this technology can have as a renewable energy source, the International Energy Agency (IEA) are actively developing the industry knowledge in this area, and in turn the benefits of coupling PVT with HVAC systems are being better understood.
PVT Wiki: Photovoltaic solar thermal collector
Further information and studies
From 2018-2020 the Interational Energy Agency ran the Solar Heat and Cooling Task 60 initiative for PV-thermal systems. Information from this collabration of industry and experience can be found in publications on the IEA website:
PVT technology position paper - Solar Heat and Cooling IEA, December 2020
A group of scientists and companies in the Netherlands has tested a PVT heating concept in a green district and has found that the proposed design, which is also based on underground storage and the use of heat pumps, is technically and economically feasible.
Photovoltic thermal district heating networks are feasible - PV Magazine, December 2020
This scientific paper concludes that the most promising technology involves active water cooling, which is how the PVT Lab CoolsheetTM works.
Advanced cooling techniques of P.V. modules: A state of art - Science Direct, October 2020