The National Institute of Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on the 31st that it has enacted and announced, for the first time in the world, a national standard (KS) for photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) hybrid modules that simultaneously produce electricity and heat from solar energy.
According to the institute, there are standards domestically and internationally for photovoltaic modules that produce only electricity and for solar thermal collectors that produce only heat. However, there were no standards for PVT hybrid modules, which combine a photovoltaic module and a solar thermal collector through technological convergence, creating hurdles for market entry by domestic PVT hybrid module production corporations.
In response, the institute enacted the world's first national standard to resolve market entry difficulties for domestic PVT hybrid module production corporations and to promote the rollout of PVT hybrid modules.
PVT hybrid modules are well suited for application to buildings and other facilities that require electricity and heat at the same time. The institute expects that the new KS will contribute to achieving the new administration's national agenda of "energy transition centered on renewable energy" and to attaining zero energy building grades for energy self-reliance.
Director Kim Dae-ja said, "The world's first standardization of PVT hybrid modules is an exemplary case that supports the activation of market distribution for our corporations' converged new products," adding, "We will also consider pursuing international standardization to support our corporations' entry into global markets."