Photovoltaic Performance Improvement with Phase Change Material Cooling Treatment

Abstract

Solar energy is a clean, abundant, and low-emission renewable energy source. Photovoltaic (PV) technology can convert solar energy into electrical energy; however, it still has a poor output efficiency since high temperatures can lower PV efficiency. Phase Change Materials (PCM) can absorb latent heat, which can be applied to PV as a passive cooling system. In this study, 50 wp PV was treated without and with PCM as a passive cooling system to determine the PV performance. This study compares three PCM types: soy wax, paraffin, and beeswax. Utilizing the PV-PCM panel temperature modeling technique, the inaccuracy in the experimental data was ascertained. According to the simulation, soy wax, paraffin, and beeswax PV panels had average temperatures of 48.6℃, 45.8℃, and 42.6℃, respectively, at an intensity of 1100 W/m2. The experimental results show that PCM beeswax is the best in reducing the working temperature of PV from 60.7℃ to 52.5℃ at an intensity of 1100 W/m2. The results showed that PV with PCM beeswax treatment as a passive cooler could increase the maximum PV output power of 3.04 Watt and the maximum efficiency of PV by 0.94% by lowering the maximum temperature of PV by 8.2℃ compared to PV without a cooling system.