Comparative study of PV, PVT, and solar thermal systems for residential applications in Europe

Solar energy is a key renewable resource for addressing increasing energy demands and reducing emissions. This study examines photovoltaic (PV), photovoltaic-thermal (PVT), and solar thermal (ST) systems for residential use across 26 European countries, focusing on energy provision, economic feasibility, and environmental impact. Key findings reveal that PV systems demonstrate economic advantages with a low payback time. The average payback time across the 26 countries is 9.5 years, with all countries achieving cost recovery within the system's lifetime, and consistently showing high life cycle savings, averaging 6646 € over their lifespan. Although PVT systems, achieve higher annual energy savings (44.7 %), they exhibit intermediate economic performance, 18 out of 26 countries achieve cost recovery within the system's lifetime, with average life cycle savings of 2519 €. Environmentally, PV systems show a higher average CO2 emission reduction of 1528 kgCO2/year compared to PVT systems (1275 kgCO2/year) and ST systems (334 kgCO2/year). The research highlights the impact of geographic and climatic variations on system suitability, identifying optimal conditions in southern coastal regions like Spain and Portugal and reduced suitability in landlocked northeastern countries such as Sweden. Furthermore, energy price fluctuations, particularly rising natural gas prices, can enhance the economic attractiveness of PVT systems. This research provides insights for the strategic deployment of solar technologies in Europe, contributing to informed policy and investment decisions aligned with EU renewable energy goals.