Enhancement in efficiency of solar photovoltaic power generation with the assistance of PVC/TiO2 reflective composite applied for double-sided power generation

Abstract

Solar photovoltaic power generation is a productive and environmentally friendly technique. The results of objective evaluations show that double-sided power generation is more efficient than single-sided power generation, with a possible increase of 5 %–30 %. Hence, it is necessary to identify a composite that reflects the exact sunlight waveband (300–1100 nm) onto the backside of photovoltaic panels used for double-sided power generation. Herein, two different crystalline types of titanium dioxide (TiO2), rutile (R–TiO2) and anatase (A-TiO2), were combined with plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to create composites. A comparative analysis was conducted with other commonly utilized reflective fillers, such as barium sulfate (BaSO4) and magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2). As a result, the R–TiO2 was identified as the most appropriate substance to be blended with PVC for the production of PVC/R–TiO2 composite. As the quantity of R–TiO2 increased from 0 to 100 phr, reflectance in the distinctive waveband of 300–1100 nm of the PVC/R–TiO2 rose from 5.30 % to 82.97 %. Moreover, an improvement in the thermal conductivity of PVC/R–TiO2 sample was observed, which increased by 59.2 % from 0.179 W m−1 K−1 to 0.285 W m−1 K−1, indicating a positive effect on heat transfer. The rheological measurement showed that the amount of reflective filler was inversely proportional to the compatibility of the reflective filler with plasticized PVC in the overall composite system, whereas the thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the thermal stability of the composites improved as the number of reflective fillers increased. Substantially, PVC/R–TiO2 composites exhibit better performance in enhancing the power generation efficiency of solar photovoltaic panels.