ABSTRACT
Photovoltaic cell efficiency is notably affected by temperature, with higher operating temperatures leading to significant drops in electrical performance. To mitigate this thermal drawback, the present study investigates a passive cooling approach that integrates PCM beneath photovoltaic modules. Exploiting the latent heat absorption during the PCM phase transition, the system effectively moderates panel temperature. Three system configurations are assessed: uncooled photovoltaic panels, photovoltaic panels equipped with PCM, and photovoltaic panels incorporating both PCM and fins for enhanced thermal dissipation. Key performance indicators, including cell temperature, electrical output, and PCM liquid fraction, are evaluated across the setups. Results demonstrate a marked reduction in panel temperature with the use of PCM, while the addition of fins further amplifies cooling efficiency and electrical performance.
KEYWORDS
PAPER SUBMITTED: 2025-03-02
PAPER REVISED: 2025-05-04
PAPER ACCEPTED: 2025-07-10
PUBLISHED ONLINE: 2025-09-26
THERMAL SCIENCE YEAR
2025, VOLUME
29, ISSUE
Issue 4, PAGES [3097 - 3104]
- Ingersoll, J. G., Simplified Calculation of Solar Cell Temperatures in Terrestrial Photovoltaic Arrays, J. Sol. Energy Eng., 108 (1986), 2, pp. 95-101
- Krauter, S., et al., Simulation of Thermal and Optical Performance of PV Modules - Part III: Renew. Energy, 5 (1994), 3, pp. 1701-1703
- Wolf, M., Performance Analyses of Combined Heating and Photovoltaic Power Systems for Residences, Energy Conversion, 16 (1976), 1-2, pp. 79-90
- Kern Jr, E. C., Russell, M. C., Combined Photovoltaic and Thermal Hybrid Collector Systems (No. COO-4577-3; CONF-780619-24), Lincoln Lab., Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Lexington, Mass., USA, 1978
- Hendrie, S. D., Evaluation of Combined Photovoltaic/Thermal Collectors (No. COO-4577-8; CONF-790541-54), Lincoln Lab., Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Lexington, Mass., USA, 1979
- Raghuraman, P., Analytical Predictions of Liquid and Air Photovoltaic/Thermal, Flat-Plate Collector Performance, J. Sol. Energy Eng., 103 (1981), 4, pp. 291-298
- Bhargava, A. K., et al., Study of a Hybrid Solar System - Solar Air Heater Combined with Solar Cells, Energy Conversion and Management, 31 (1991), 5, pp. 471-479
- Prakash, J., Transient Analysis of a Photovoltaic-Thermal Solar Collector for co-Generation of Electricity and Hot Air/Water, Energy Conversion and Management, 35 (1994), 11, pp. 967-972
- Sopian, K., et al., An Investigation into the Performance of a Double Pass Photovoltaic Thermal Solar Collector, Procedings, ASME Int. Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exhibition, San Francisco, Cal., USA, 1995, Vol. 35, pp. 89-94
- Garg, H. P., Adhikari, R. S., Performance Analysis of a Hybrid Photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) Collector with Integrated CPC troughs, International Journal of Energy Research, 23 (1999), 15, pp. 1295-1304
- Zondag, H. A., et al., PVT Roadmap, A European Guide for the Development and Market Introduction of PVT Technology, Rapport EU-Project PV-Catapult, 2005, p. 87
- Tiwari, A., et al., Performance Evaluation of Photovoltaic Thermal Solar Air Collector for Composite Climate of India., Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 90 (2006), 2, pp. 175-189
- Solanki, S. C., et al., Indoor Simulation and Testing of Photovoltaic Thermal (PV/T) air collectors, Applied Energy, 86 (2009), 11, pp. 2421-2428
- Baloch, A. A., et al., Experimental and Numerical Performance Analysis of a Converging Channel Heat Exchanger for PV Cooling, Energy Conversion and Management, 103 (2015), Oct., pp. 14-27
- Reteri, A., et al., Experimental Study of Temperature Influence on the Electrical Performance of Polycrystalline Photovoltaic Cell, Mechanics & Mechanical Engineering, 22 (2018), 4, pp. 1111-1119
- Korti, A. I. N., Numerical Heat Flux Simulations on Double-Pass Solar Collector with PCM Spheres Media, International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration, 24 (2016), 02, 1650010
- Qu, H., et al., Experimental Study on the Effect of Tilt Angle on the Output Parameters of a Photovoltaic-Phase Change Material (PV-PCM) System under Wind Conditions, Journal of Energy Storage, 102 (2024), 114263
- Yagci, O. K., et al., An Experimental Study on the Performance of PCM-Based Heat Sink with Air for Thermal Regulation of PV, Solar Energy, 278 (2024), 112800
- Tang, H., et al., Experimental Study of a PV-PCM Window under Hot Summer and Warm Winter Climate, Journal of Energy Storage, 96 (2024), 112724
- Sheikh, Y., et al., Enhancing PV Solar Panel Efficiency through Integration with a Passive Multi-Layered PCM Cooling System: A Numerical Study, International Journal of Thermofluids, 23 (2024), 100748
- Cai, H., et al., Thermally Geometric Design of Phase Change Material and Photovoltaic (PV-PCM) for Cooling and Efficiency Improvement, Renewable Energy, 254 (2025), 123533
- Meng, E., et al., Study on Simulation and Optimization of Thermal Performance of PV-PCM Roof in China, International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 166 (2025), 109145
- Shawish, H., et al., Performance Investigation and Machine Learning Modelling of PV Panels Equipped with PCM Based Passive Cooling Systems, Applied Thermal Engineering, 274 (2025), 126588
- Reteri, A., Korti, N. A. I., Computational Analysis of Phase Change Material and Fins Effects on Enhancing PV/T Panel Performance, Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 31 (2017), July, pp. 3083-3090
- ***, Rubitherm, Technologies, Innovative PCM's and Thermal Technology, Product Manual RUBITHERM 2009, SP22A17
- Sarhaddi, F., et al., An Improved Thermal and Electrical Model for a Solar Photovoltaic Thermal (PV/T) Air Collector, Applied Energy, 87 (2010), 7, pp. 2328-2339
- Bergene, T., Lovvik, O. M., Model Calculations on a Flat-Plate Solar Heat Collector with Integrated Solar cells, Solar Energy, 55 (1995), 6, pp. 453-462
- Patankar, S., Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid-Flow, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., USA, 2018
