Plazma doo Skopje, with the support of FITR created Photovoltaic Thermal - PVT collectors that produce electricity for 15% to 20 % more than the standard PhotoVoltaic panel and thermal energy even for about 3 times more. It is this innovation, her huge potential was the reason we talked to Prof.. Dr. Elias Naso, Owner of this company, at the same time President of the Solar Energy Association of the Republic of Northern Macedonia?
1. The future lies in new environmental energy sources. Although as a country we are still at the very beginning of their development, how much do you consider this field of interest and something we should strive for as a state?
Renewable energy sources are the only way to get environmental energy and the only way to reduce CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases, which are the biggest causes of global warming and pollution reduction., and especially in the air. From all renewable energy sources, Solar energy certainly has the greatest comparative advantages in Macedonia. Macedonia has 1480 to 1700 kWh / m2 / year. solar radiation, which is certainly one of the most suitable regions for harnessing solar energy. Solar energy is the most environmentally friendly energy source of all renewable energy, for which no import is required, nor transport, which comes directly to the place of use.
Global warming and climate change are the biggest problems facing our planet, We are already seeing the consequences of the pollution of the planet and especially the air with the most toxic PM particles with catastrophic consequences for human health.. One of the reasons for the decrease in the immunity of the respiratory organs is of course the PM particles and the changed climate which, if not solved in the coming decades, will cause really unforeseeable consequences.. What must not be delayed, it is solving these two biggest problems.
Encouraged by these reasons, we created a PVT collector product that produces electricity and heat at the same time.. It is environmentally friendly and we can freely say that it is one of the most economical solutions that does not emit CO2 and other greenhouse gases nor does it emit PM particles..
2.You are also the president of the Solar Energy Association. How much the natural conditions we have in the country allow us to develop new energy sources and especially on solar energy?
The Solar Association of Macedonia, which exists more than 15 years and which is deeply involved in the activities of the use of solar energy in the country through a number of activities and projects, and especially through European Union projects, international and European projects and here are the last two USAID projects, seeks to propose solutions and measures for greater utilization of solar energy in Northern Macedonia.
The previous measures to increase the use of solar energy in Macedonia were not only insufficient but often wrong.. There are stimulus measures but also obligatory measures that exist as in Europe , so in the world. The use of solar energy in our country, so far it has been at its lowest level in Europe although countries that have up to 30% less solar radiation and unfavorable climatic conditions have up to 50 times greater utilization of solar energy / inhabitant than Macedonia , how e.g.. Austria. I hope that with the new legal regulations that have been introduced for PV systems, the situation will drastically improve. But the subsidy measures for solar thermal collectors have not changed yet, where solar thermal collectors are subsidized without any quality certificate and customs duties on raw materials for collector production are still paid. So: when importing solar collectors, no customs duty is paid and only paid 5% ddv while for the raw materials for the production of solar collectors a full customs duty is paid with 18% ddv. In such conditions, of course, Macedonian producers are not competitive in both domestic and foreign markets.
3.Plasma Technology Center, Plazma doo Skopje, with the support of FITR created PVT collectors that produce electricity for 15% to 20 % more than the standard PhotoVoltaic module and thermal energy even for about 3 times more. Tell us more about this innovation?
We do, at the Plasma Development Research Center, which has the most modern equipment and technology in the field of surface engineering, we are working on development- research projects in the field of solar energy more than 15 years with the largest institutes in Europe, how about Fraunkofer, Cambridge, The University of Stuttgart and around 50 others. We have realized 7 European Development Research Projects, 3 Eureka projects, several international projects, we have partnered on barrier covers for hydrogen storage vessels for hydrogen energy and many more.
When FITR announced the competition for the application of innovative projects, we have already worked on this PVT collector.
We are grateful that they recognized our idea and previous references to this project, thus, with their co-financing, we are on the way to completing this project.
What is the essence of this project?
PV panels are becoming the most attractive environmental source of electricity and we have always looked positively at this product and our involvement so far and deeper in solving some features of PV panels with some world manufacturers of PV panels has only contributed to better insights into this project.
From there we saw some problems that affect the reduction of the efficiency of the PV panels and as the biggest is the temperature of the PV panels.
By increasing the temperature of the PV panels, which in our conditions, summer time reaches 80 0C , reduces efficiency and up to 30% in relation to operating temperatures of 20 0C.
In order to solve this problem in the last few years, the production of the so-called. PVT hybrid collectors. PV panels are cooled by circulating water or air from the back of the PV panel by assembling the so-called. heat absorber.
By subtracting the temperature from the PV panel, the fluid is heated, which gives two benefits.: reducing the temperature of the PV panel and heating the fluid in the absorber.
In this way, the PVT hybrid collector also produces up to 20% more electricity especially in summer compared to standard PV panel and about three times more heat compared to standard PV panel.
"Plasma" is already nearing completion of the project and the three innovative solutions that further increase the efficiency of the PVT collector and that is:
The first innovation is the application of the so-called. only a cleaning coating that does not allow the deposition of dust and other impurities on the surface of the glass and thus the transparency of the glass is not reduced and the efficiency is increased.
The second innovation is a large heat transfer through an innovative thermoconductive adhesive.
And the third innovation is an internal coating of corrosion-resistant absorber for direct circulation through aggressive environments, such as chlorinated water or salt water in swimming pools, which allows PVT collectors to be used to heat swimming pools with direct circulation of water from the pools and reduces the cost of these systems and up to 50% compared to standard .
4.Where can these innovative PVT collectors be applied??
These PVT hybrid collectors incorporated into PVT combined systems are used wherever there is a need for both electricity and heat.: private homes and facilities, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, spa centers, swimming pools, nursing homes, sports centers… .and everywhere where hot water and electricity are needed at the same time,
5. Are they already installed somewhere, and what are the first experiences?
We have installed four PVT projects so far, two of which are in private houses for heating pools and sanitary water., one in the Football Federation of Macedonia for shower water , one in the Shutka prison for sanitary needs.
So far, the results are very good, especially for swimming pools, as an example:
16 PVT collectors heat up the pool for free 80 m3 of water during the summer months from June to October 30 0 C which are certainly great results.
6.Do you plan to distribute it in European countries in the near future??
These Macedonian products, we have already exported them to Poland, We are on our way to export to Dubai because business partners from Dubai have already been with us and we have signed a cooperation agreement.. We look forward to expanding cooperation in the markets of the United Arab Emirates, and also in Slovenia where we have already made exports. We expect to continue the cooperation in the coming periods in the markets in Bulgaria, Croatia and other partners .
7.What are the next plans of the Center for Plasma Technologies, Plazma doo Skopje?
Plasma began working on development research projects in solar energy first on components for solar thermal collectors, then we implemented them in solar thermal collectors through Kamel Solar and now in PVT collectors.
Goethe's philosophy is our motto: Knowledge is not enough if you do not apply it and desire is not enough if you do not implementsw.
Now as I mentioned our commitment is to go about creating highly efficient combined PVT systems with multiple components: PVT collectors with and without additional glass to reduce the cooling of the PV panels on the front side and thus more heat energy in the system; water circulation systems and glycol water and now the latest PVT systems with direct freon circulation through the PVT collectors in the heat pump in cooperation with the Portuguese company Energie who are world leaders in these thermodynamic systems.
As a result of this collaboration we have installed two systems with heat pumps with small compressors with a power of 0,4 and 0,8 kW . With two or four PVTs combined with these small heat pumps heat up amazing 500 to 1000 liters / day and a higher COP of the system is achieved than standard heat pumps. We make these measurements in our test center and in a short time we will install commercial projects.
The text is taken from www.radar.mk