Two innovative concentrating PVT solar collector geometry concepts based on a CPC geometry concept were built and tested, and subsequently, a comparative analysis against the Solarus PowerCollector has been developed.

The results revealed that the updated version of the CPC geometry is the most suitable for CPVTs, where the electrical peak efficiency per gross area reached 10.6 % for both design concepts, which are +16.5 %_rel higher than the Solarus PowerCollector. Furthermore, the heat loss coefficients were registered, with U₁ = 5.0 W/m².K (η₀ = 62.3 %) and U₁ = 5.4 W/m².K (η₀ = 61.8 %) for CPC 1 and CPC 2, respectively. Additionally, the overall efficiency of both design concepts achieved a higher overall efficiency (by +1.1 %_rel) than the Solarus PowerCollector.

A PV module (0.5 m²) combined with an ST collector (0.5 m²) system to be able to deliver the same overall energy yield as the newly developed PVT collector (1 m2) requires on average +0.02 m² (at 45 ºC), -0.06 m² (at 55 ºC) and -0.15 m² (at 65 ºC) of installed area, for a wide range of latitudes.

Notwithstanding the improved IAM and overall efficiencies of the CPC 1 solar collector, a CPC-PVT system to increase its competitiveness requires a material cost reduction and at the same time an increased thermal efficiency (by adding a selective surface to the dead-areas (i.e. non-producing areas) or a low-emissivity coating to the receiver core). Nevertheless, the energy/performance gap between a system composed of PV+ST technologies and a CPC-PVT decreased.