Novel Technique for Photovoltaic Solar Cell Efficiency Enhancements by Coating with Chlorophyll

Abstract

In this paper a novel technique proposed and implemented practically for photovoltaic cell efficiency enhancements. It is known that Iraq is one of the hottest countries in the world. It has a solar insolation average and energy higher than that of most of other countries. Solar photovoltaic cell has a limited efficiency boundary, which is affected by the amount of absorbed solar heat (energy). It is found that; when the solar array temperature excess 70 C0, the photovoltaic solar cell efficiency will be decreased remarkably. This novel technique which include painting the solar cell surface with chlorophyll only one time and painting it’s surface with chlorophyll and polymer mixture another time gives a perfect solution to get a wide band of solar temperature array with a remarkable efficiency enhancement. The experimental results show that coating solar cell surface with chlorophyll only increases its efficiency by 5.5 % which is the maximum increase, while coating solar cell surface with chlorophyll and polymer mixture increases its efficiency by 3.1 % only.which is less than increase in the first case but more than that of solar cell without coating. All cells tested at constant solar irradiation (I=1000 W/m^2), and variation of temperature in range (30 °C to 80 °C).