Modular Linear Fresnel Solar Concentrator for Integrated Photovoltaic Thermal Energy Systems: A Comprehensive Design and Numerical Analysis

Photovoltaic thermal concentration has emerged as a method to enhance the energy efficiency and performance of photovoltaic installations. This approach addresses the growing demand for renewable energy aimed at reducing emissions and mitigating climate change. It represents a significant solution for applications requiring both thermal and electrical energy under constraints of a limited available area for solar energy harvesting. However, currently developed devices rely on expensive photovoltaic cells, incorporate complex geometries that are difficult to manufacture and maintain, and employ tracking systems that complicate interconnection with similar units. The objective of this study is to design and numerically evaluate a hybrid thermal–photovoltaic modular linear Fresnel solar concentrator (H-MLFRC) based on commercial silicon cells. The proposed system allows series and parallel interconnection and is suitable for both islanded and grid-connected configurations. Its development was guided by integrated optical, photovoltaic, and thermal analyses, which defined the system geometry, characteristic parameters, and operating conditions. The results indicate that the maximum operating temperature of the device is 70 °C under a nominal operating mass flow rate of 0.45 kg/s. Additionally, the thermal and photovoltaic efficiencies are 49% and 16%, respectively, resulting in a combined efficiency of 65%.