PHOTOVOLTAIC-THERMAL SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTOR WITH INTEGRATED BALANCE OF SYSTEM

摘要

Systems, methods, and apparatus by which solar energy may be collected to provide electricity, heat, or a combination of electricity and heat are disclosed herein. In one aspect, an integrated balance of system for a photovoltaic-thermal solar energy collector comprises an inverter configured to convert direct current received from the solar energy collector to alternating current, and a heat transfer fluid control system configured to circulate a heat transfer fluid through the solar energy collector. The heat transfer control system includes a controller, a pump controlled by the controller, and a power supply electrically coupled to the inverter to receive alternating current electric power from the inverter.