Intersolar Europe 2025 exhibition witnessed a wide spectrum of new PV products, ranging from mainstream to niche applications, from diverse exhibitors. The TaiyangNews team attended the event and visited multiple PV module company booths, displaying niche application products.
FOTOTHERM’s booth (Hall A1, Stand 534) featured its latest PVT module from the FT AS-N series, an extension of the company’s existing AS series portfolio. Leveraging its patented Fototherm technology, this Italian company has been manufacturing thermo-photovoltaic modules (PVT) since 2006.
What is PVT?
PVT technology is a hybrid solar technology that combines PV and thermal energy generation in a single module. The module, featuring a top layer of a traditional PV panel over an underlying thermal collector, converts the sunlight to electricity, while the thermal collector captures the heat generated by the panel. While the PV layer converts sunlight into electricity, the thermal collector captures excess heat and transfers it to a circulating fluid, typically glycol, through embedded piping. This captured heat can then be used for various applications such as hot water supply, space heating, or industrial thermal processes.
Although the company did not disclose many technical specifications of the newly displayed FT AS-N full-black aesthetic module, it confirmed that the model features a split-type junction box configuration, distinguishing it from its commercially available predecessor. According to the company’s datasheet, FT-AS series modules are defined by 2 main sets of characteristics: electrical and thermal performance. We are currently analyzing the parameters of the current commercial model to give our readers a clear understanding of how the new FT AS-N PVT module is expected to perform and to facilitate a meaningful comparison.
Electrical Performance
The top layer of the PV panel, equipped with 60 pieces of 156 mm monocrystalline silicon cells, boasts a power output and an efficiency of up to 320 W and 19.67%, respectively. The system operates at a voltage of 1,000 V DC, and this module can deliver a short-circuit current of up to 10.06 A at standard test conditions (STC). Featuring dimensions of 1,640 × 992 × 36 mm and weighing 30 kg, the company says this module is engineered to withstand a mechanical load of up to 5,400 Pa.
Thermal Performance
The underlying surface of the panel, a 1.63 m² thermal collector or heat exchanger, featuring metal heat pipes, boasts a thermal efficiency of up to 47.2%. This indicates how effectively the system converts incident solar radiation into usable thermal energy (heat), relative to the total solar energy it receives. Notably, this system can produce up to 827 W of thermal output when operated nominally.
According to the company, the heat exchanger supports a fluid flow rate of between 1.5 and 2.5 liters per minute. The specification of flow losses in the range of 400-900 mmH₂O indicates the hydraulic resistance (pressure drop) experienced by the fluid within the collector. For system design considerations such as pump selection and antifreeze calculations, the fluid volume is specified at 0.91 liters.
The module is certified under international standards IEC / EN 61215 (ed. 2016) and IEC / EN 61730. Additionally, it carries the Solar Keymark certification, a 3rd-party mark of quality for solar thermal products in Europe.
This product offers a product warranty of up to 12 years and a linear power attenuation warranty of up to 30 years.
