Problems such as low photovoltaic module (PV) efficiency due to the increase in cell temperature, and limited roof space for separate PV and thermal collector system give rise to the idea of combining the two systems in one hybrid module called the photovoltaic solar thermal collector (PVT). An improved parallel flow arrangement absorber that is completely underneath the PV has been designed and fabricated to enhance the PVT performance. The PVT performance for the improved parallel flow was tested and compared with the conventional direct flow absorber in terms of the PV efficiency, for different mass flow rates ranging from 0.03 to 0.06 kg/s, different solar radiation varying from 400 to 850 W/m2. It was found that the improved absorber design achieves better system performance than the direct flow design for the same operating conditions. The maximum PV efficiency is 12.51 %, for the improved parallel flow, as compared to 12.43 % for the direct flow design.

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