Analytical model for the prediction of solar cell temperature for a high-concentration photovoltaic system

Abstract

This study presents a simple analytical model for the prediction of solar cell temperature for a high concentration photovoltaic system. The model is based on a heat transfer approach through the system's backplate. The results show that the solar cell temperature is governed by the incident light, material characteristics, ambient conditions, and cell size. The parameters that have a crucial impact on reducing the solar cell temperature were the backplate emissivity, wind velocity, backplate thickness, and backplate length. The backplate coating was found to be of paramount importance due to the considerable reduction of the solar cell temperature with emissivity. Higher wind speeds ventilated the HCPV system and helped lower the cell temperature through convective heat transfer. The thicker the backplate, the lower the cell temperature is due to thermal diffusion on the plate. But this finding prevailed only up to a certain thickness, after which its feasibility is neither maintained nor guaranteed. The study recommends using smaller cell sizes in harsh environments of ambient temperature higher than 40 °C to help manage the reduction of the cell temperature below a critical value of 80 °C.