Advances of Solar PV System Output Improvement through Cooling Technologies in Malaysia

Abstract

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panel is the most widely used renewable energy technology in Malaysia due to constant irradiation throughout the year as the country is located near the equator. According to the current state of the Malaysian weather, the ambient temperature is around 25°C and can go up to 30°C. The electrical efficiency of a PV panel is sensitive towards temperature where it is known that the power and efficiency decrease at the rate of ±0.5%/°C and ±0.05%/°C respectively as the ambient temperature increases [1]. This paper discusses the cooling of solar PV technologies, the methodologies of the cooling system and its effectiveness. Generally, the effectiveness of the studies conducted were derived from the solar PV panel temperature reduction and solar PV electricity power output increment. This paper elaborates the trend of methodologies for cooling of solar PV in Malaysian climate. The methodologies that were used by the researchers vary according to the specific objectives which can be categorized as active cooling and/or passive cooling. The gaps of the studies were also identified alongside with the possible solutions to mitigate the problems.