Assessment of the performance of the PV / T collector integrated with a heat pump: A short review

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Abstract
Photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collectors co‐located with heat pumps are a potential hybrid solution for simultaneous electricity and useful heat recovery in architectural applications. This brief review summarizes the latest developments in PV/T heat pump systems, focusing especially on system integration concepts (direct‐expansion and indirect coupling), reported performance indicators, and sensitivity to operating conditions. The review brings out three key outcomes. First of all, treating PV/T heat pump systems as coupled electro‐thermal units reveals strong interactions among electrical output power, compressor input power, condenser heat recovery, and the overall coefficient of performance (COP). Second, refrigerant selection—in particular the move towards low‐GWP alternatives—has a substantial impact on discharge conditions, pressure ratio, and attainable COP and accounts for part of the variability reported in the literature. Third, inconsistencies in performance definitions and boundary conditions limit direct comparisons across studies, highlighting the need to harmonize reporting of electrical, thermal, and heat pump metrics. By synthesizing recent experimental and numerical results within a unified framework, this review not only explains current trends in performance but also identifies research gaps and offers guidelines for the design and assessment of next‐generation PV/T‐heat pump systems.

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