Efficiency Improvement of Photovoltaic Modules via Back Surface Cooling

Piero Bevilacqua, Stefania Perrella, Daniela Cirone, Roberto Bruno and Natale Arcuri
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Piero Bevilacqua: Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci 46/C, ZIP 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy
Stefania Perrella: Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci 46/C, ZIP 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy
Daniela Cirone: Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci 46/C, ZIP 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy
Roberto Bruno: Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci 46/C, ZIP 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy
Natale Arcuri: Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci 46/C, ZIP 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: Crystalline silicon photovoltaics are a cardinal and well-consolidated technology for the achievement of energy efficiency goals, being installed worldwide for the production of clean electrical energy. However, their performance is strongly penalized by the thermal drift, mostly in periods of high solar radiation where solar cells reach considerably high temperatures. To limit this aspect, the employment of cooling systems appears a promising and viable solution. For this purpose, four different cooling systems, working on the photovoltaic (PV) panel back surface, were proposed and investigated in an experimental set-up located at the University of Calabria (Italy). Hourly electrical output power and efficiency were provided accounting for different meteorological conditions in several months of the experimental campaign. The results demonstrated that a simple spray cooling technique can provide an absolute increment of electrical efficiency of up to 1.6% and an average percentage increment of daily energy of up to 8% in hot months. More complex systems, based on ventilation or combining spray cooling and ventilation, were demonstrated not to be a viable option for PV performance improvement.

Keywords: PV cooling; experimental analysis; PV efficiency improvement; water cooling; spray cooling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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