Convert Energy are UK specialists in PV-T (photovoltaic-thermal) technology: hybrid panels that generate electricity and useful heat simultaneously from a single roof installation.
Large-scale solar thermal/PV-T installation designed and delivered by Convert Energy
A conventional solar PV panel converts around 20% of sunlight into electricity. The remaining 80% is lost as heat. A PV-T hybrid panel captures some of this otherwise wasted heat energy via a fluid circuit, delivering it for use in space heating or hot water.
The result is a single panel that simultaneously generates electricity and useful thermal energy: the highest-yield solar technology available for buildings with both electricity and thermal demand.
PV-T is a specialist product, though, and not right for every building. It only pays off where the heat has somewhere useful to go and demand for it stays high throughout the year: buildings with only occasional or seasonal heat demand are usually better served by standard PV alone.
Our directors have helped shape many of the PV-T products on the market today: co-developing early panels and securing the first PV-T system to achieve MCS accreditation in the UK. We've been designing and installing PV-T systems since the earliest days of the technology, and that depth of experience is exactly why we know when it's the right call for a project, and when it isn't.
We are technology agnostic within PV-T too, selecting the manufacturer and format that suits each site's roof profile and thermal demand.
Sunmaxx
Hybrid module combining photovoltaic cells with automotive-derived thermal management and full-surface heat transfer.
Ground source heat pump integration. A low-temperature collector that mounts on virtually any roof, and on flat roofs, uniquely, using standard PV racking rather than a specialist frame.
Solimpeks
Large-format flat-plate module with 132 TOPCon cells and an integrated copper thermal absorber, delivering 23.5% electrical efficiency alongside useful heat from the same panel.
Industrial and commercial sites with substantial low-grade heat demand. A large-format, robust, cost-effective collector built for scale.
Abora Solar
Enhanced thermal collector with 72 monocrystalline cells, maximising thermal output alongside electrical generation.
Domestic hot water demand where residential roof space is limited, with high-temperature output from a compact footprint.
Naked Energy
Low-profile evacuated-tube collector: monocrystalline PERC cells paired with a borosilicate vacuum tube thermal circuit.
Direct, high-temperature contribution to hot water on commercial flat roofs only. Its low-profile tube format is purpose-built for this application.
A PV-T (photovoltaic-thermal) panel generates electricity and captures heat from the same roof area. A thermal absorber behind the solar cells extracts warmth that would otherwise be wasted, cooling the cells, which improves their electrical output, while delivering hot water or space heating.
Any organisation with year-round demand for both electricity and hot water: leisure centres and pools, care homes, hotels, food production facilities and process industries. If you currently pay to heat water and to power the building, PV-T addresses both from a single installation.
Per square metre of roof, yes: a PV-T array can achieve combined efficiencies of 60-80% versus around 20% for PV alone. Where roof space is constrained, it is the highest-yield option available. Where space is plentiful, we model both approaches and recommend whichever delivers the better return.
The electrical side needs the same minimal attention as standard solar PV. The thermal circuit is a sealed system similar to solar thermal, and an inspection of fluid condition and pressure as part of an annual service keeps it performing. Remote monitoring covers both outputs.
PV-T isn't right for every project, but for buildings integrating heat pumps or with limited roof space, it can be transformative. Book a free survey and we'll tell you honestly whether it's the right choice for your project.