Research on Different Types of Cooling System on Ground Mounted Solar Photovoltaic System for Electrical Output Enhancement

Abstract

Solar photovoltaic (PV) can be used to generate power by using semiconductor materials to convert solar energy into electricity. In Malaysia, solar PV technology plays a significant role in increasing renewable energy generation capacity target at 20% by 2025. Malaysia’s strategic location at the equator makes it possible to achieve this target. However, several challenges need to be mitigated when implementing this technology, among others is the effect of temperature on solar PV system performance. Solar PV panel is currently rated at a range of efficiency between 13% to 20%. The efficiency of the PV panel is affected by temperature where the PV power and efficiency decrease at the rate of -0.5%/°C and -0.05%/°C respectively as the ambient temperature increases. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of PV cooling systems in reducing the solar PV panel temperature. In this study, the PV systems were retrofitted by two types of cooling system which are passive cooling and active cooling systems. The results of panel temperatures were measured against the control system without the cooling mechanism. The research was conducted in real operating condition with direct sunlight. Active cooling system reduced the temperature of the PV system and improved the electrical output by 4.9% while the best passive cooling system improved the output by 3%. Factors contributing to the results are also discussed in this paper.