An Experimental Investigation of Back Flow Cooling Tempered Glass Photovoltaic Thermal System in the Malaysian Peninsula Climate

Abstract

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology transforms sunlight into electricity and is expected to play a significant role in Malaysia’s renewable energy growth. However, as the temperature of the cell rises, so does its electrical efficiency. Photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) systems combine a PV system with a solar thermal collector (STC) to capture heat energy from solar cells and boost their efficiency. In this study, back flow thermal absorbers PV/T were designed utilizing cooper pipe, and the systems were constructed using monocrystalline cells, tempered glass, and epoxy lamination. Various designs of spiral, horizontal, and vertical pipes were used. The experiment was carried out between December and January at Wisma R&D, University of Malaya, with real-time data recording on power output, water, and surface temperatures at the peak sun irradiation of 735 W/m2 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The spiral PV/T system had the maximum daily electrical efficiency of 15.2%, compared to horizontal PV/T, vertical PV/T at a flow rate of 0.5 LPM, and PV system-only, which had daily electrical efficiencies of 14.4%, 14.36%, and 13.65%, respectively. The spiral PV/T system also had the highest daily thermal efficiency of 23.78%, compared to the horizontal and vertical PV/T systems, which had 23.02% and 13.95%, respectively. When compared to a PV system, the PV/T system increased the electrical efficiency of the module, with the spiral design having the highest efficiency among the designs.