Efficiency Improvement in polycrystalline solar panel using thermal control water spraying cooling

Abstract

Abstract The increasing demand for electricity generated from main grids has necessitated the use of multiple microgrids, which serve as subsystems of the utility power. More recently, solar farms are being utilized for electricity generation, since solar irradiation is a green and sustainable renewable energy source. This energy source has witnessed high global growth figures, as more countries explore this alternative power source in the fourth industrial revolution. Solar panels are exposed to high temperatures due to the heat absorbed from the sun and this heat negatively impact its thermal control that lags its power generation. The excessive heat absorbed from the sun limits energy generated by the solar cells. Colling of solar panels is essential, especially on concentrated Photovoltaic (PV) systems. The paper focuses on an optimization option of an automated water spraying method that has effectively addressed a major gap experienced by the solar panel under hot weather conditions. The Introduction of a microcontroller-based thermal control water spraying system using an Arduino board was found to improve the efficiency of the solar cells. In the study, a solar collector cooling algorithm was designed and developed using a thermal control feedback system, which increased the efficiency of the solar panel array by 16.65%.