An experimental investigation to augment the efficiency of photovoltaic panels by using longitudinal fins

Abstract

AbstractThe temperature of a photovoltaic (PV) panel has a negative effect on the generated power. As the solar irradiance that falls on the PV increases, the operating PV temperature rises, which leads to a decrease in electrical efficiency. Therefore, there arises a need to introduce a cooling system to minimize PV temperature. In this study, the simple passive cooling method of extending its surfaces with fins was used to reduce the PV temperature. Different numbers of longitudinal aluminum fins were attached to the bottom surface of a PV panel and their effects were examined under realistic weather conditions for Baghdad, Iraq. Results show that the use of the passive cooling method under natural convection will be more effective in reducing PV temperature before solar noon than after solar noon. The maximum power enhancement was about 2.5 W and occurred at solar noon when using 10 aluminum fins. The peak efficiency value of the PV panel with fin cooling was about 15.3% against 14% for the unfinned PV panel.