Optical performance analysis of a hybrid parabolic trough collector with photovoltaic slats

Small-sized parabolic trough collectors are a promising solution for renewable heat supply, meeting the industrial demand for thermal energy up to 250°. In this manuscript, a novel, to our knowledge, optical design hybridizing parabolic trough concentrators with photovoltaic generators is introduced, incorporating actionable photovoltaic slats in the aperture plane. This configuration allows efficient operation under diffuse irradiance and improves electricity production when direct irradiation is insufficient. Optical simulations using OTSunWebApp software demonstrate that the inclusion of photovoltaic slats does not significantly reduce optical efficiency. The hybrid collector allows simultaneous or exclusive production of thermal and photovoltaic energy, adapting to various energy demand conditions.