Experimental Investigation to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Solar PV Panels Using Hydrophobic SiO2 Nanomaterial

Hatem R Alamri,Hegazy Rezk,Hamdy A Ziedan,Ahmed Elnozahy,Heba Abd-Elbary

doi:10.3390/coatings10050503

Hatem R Alamri, Hegazy Rezk + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10050503

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Abstract

This research aims to experimentally improve the overall efficiency of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels by coating them with hydrophobic SiO2 nanomaterial. Also, an accurate mathematical model was used to estimate the parameters of the PV panel, which is a non-linear optimization problem. Based on the experimental data and using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, the optimal five parameters of a single diode model of a PV panel were determined in this study. This experimental work was conducted and carried out in the Renewable Energy Laboratory of Assiut University, Egypt. A comparative analysis was completed for three identical solar PV panels; the first panel was coated with hydrophobic SiO2 nanomaterial, so it was considered to be a self-cleaning panel; the second panel was uncoated and cleaned manually on a daily basis; and the third panel was kept dusty all the time through the experimental investigation, and was used as a reference. Experimentally, the output power of the PV panels was monitored for each panel in this study. Also, the anti-static and anti-reflection effects of coating solar PV panels with hydrophobic SiO2 nanomaterial were investigated experimentally. According to the obtained experimental results, it was found that the use of SiO2 coating for PV panels results in the better performance of the PV panels. The overall efficiency of the coated panel increased by 15% and 5%, compared to the dusty panel and the uncoated panel which was manually cleaned daily, respectively.

Highlights

Global Warming is one of the greatest challenges facing people on earth these days
SiO2 nanomaterial coating compared to the dusty conducted during the experimental time.increases In Figurethe
On the other hand, using the self-cleaning hydrophobic SiO2 nanomaterial coating increases the output power by 15%

Summary

Introduction

Fossil fuel contributes significantly to global CO2 emissions. For this reason, using fossil fuel to generate electricity should be minimized, if not eliminated. There should be more penetration of clean energy sources to meet the global electricity demand to mitigate the effect of Global Warming [1]. The use of renewable energy sources, mainly from solar and wind, is growing very fast and competing with fossil fuel technologies with level costs. These renewable energy sources are sustainable, have great potential to be converted to useful energy forms and are more ecofriendly

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