Progress of experimental studies on compact integrated solar collector-storage retrofits adopting phase change materials

The unpredictability of heat demand–supply is one the major challenges in our future sustainable energy system. Thus, coming up with new methods storage for operating solar systems during low irradiance among advanced technical approaches this field. compact integrated thermal collector-storage have recently attracted researchers’ attention due to direct usage stored as well reduced space occupation. current literature lacks a review paper on investigating various existing designs such PCM-solar systems; thus, analyzes latest developments experimentally investigated single-unit PCM-based collectors regarding both water and air heaters. Various types collectors, including flat plate, evacuated tube, concentrating, photovoltaic/thermal been thoroughly reviewed discussed thermodynamic correlations system analysis given. investigations revealed that large proportion plate designed provide heating it was deduced paraffin other hydrocarbons were basically used low-temperature production domestic uses. Also, concentrating mostly utilized providing medium temperature industrial employing salt hydrates nano-composite based phase change materials possessing higher melting points are adopted. Last but not least, concluded exergy efficiencies remarkably (below 5%), hybrid photovoltaic-thermal can encounter drawback by exploiting high electrical exergy.