Abstract
Africa and Nigeria in particular are blessed with abundance of sunshine throughout the year. Unfortunately, the region is associated with high temperature values which is a major factor militating against the efficiency of photovoltaic systems in use today. Since for each degree rise in temperature, about 0.50% efficiency is lost, then this implies that once a photovoltaic panel enters the Nigeria atmosphere about 5%-10% of its maximum power is lost. To tackle this problem, a cooling mechanism has to be incorporated into photovoltaic system design for adequate cooling and temperature monitoring. A smart automatic cooling mechanism and a smart photovoltaic MPPT tester were deployed in the study. In situ measurements were obtained in outdoor real-time conditions. The results reveal better performances for voltage, current, power and efficiency for the photovoltaic module whose temperatures was regulated not to exceed the threshold temperature of 350C. This study shows and suggest that lowering the panel temperature of photovoltaics through the application of cooling mechanism should be considered in the design of photovoltaic systems.
Highlights
The problems brought by climate change, energy security and possible depletion of fossil fuel reserves have triggered the improvement of renewable energy technologies [1], [2]
A digital high precision photovoltaic smart panel maximum power point tracker (MPPT) tester of the model WS400A was used to track and determine the maximum power generated by the photovoltaic module
Africa and Nigeria in particular are blessed with abundance of sunshine throughout the year but the high temperatures associated with this region do not favor the effective harvest of solar energy through photovoltaic technologies
Summary
The problems brought by climate change, energy security and possible depletion of fossil fuel reserves have triggered the improvement of renewable energy technologies [1], [2]. Approximately 80% of the total energy which is consumed in the world is obtained from fossil fuels which is among the major contributors to global climate change (ozone layer depletion and global warming) [3], [4]. Apart from been sustainable and reliable, solar energy stands as the most favorable renewable energy resources due to its clean, noiseless and pollution free nature [6], [7]. Photovoltaic is the technology that produces direct current (DC) electricity from semiconductors when exposed to light (natural or artificial). As long as light reaches a photovoltaic cell, DC electricity will be generated. Photovoltaic cells do not need to be recharged, and some of them have been in continuous outdoor operation on earth or in space for more than 30 years [9]
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