Thermal and electrical performance of solar floating PV system compared to on-ground PV system-an experimental investigation

Abstract

Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) is a relatively new concept for producing clean green energy. This study presents the results of an experimental investigation of a small-scale FPV system. The goal is to evaluate and compare the thermal and electrical performances of mono and polycrystalline photovoltaic modules used in FPV with those of On Ground PV (OPV) systems with a similar nominal capacity. To accomplish this, a test bench consisting of an FPV and an OPV system has been established. The results show that when the water body is partially covered with a Floating PV system, water evaporation is reduced by 17%. And it is reduced by around 28% when fully covered. It was also found that water bodies provide an adequate cooling effect. Lowering the front temperature of Floating PV modules by 2–4% and the back temperature by 5–11% compared to similar On-ground PV modules. Thermal imaging revealed that at 0 degrees of tilt, the front temperatures of the modules are uniform. Still, as the tilt increases, a temperature gradient is observed between the bottom and middle parts of the modules. In addition, an experimental test was performed to compare the power generation of Floating PV at varying tilt angles. The test results show that the Floating PV system produces the most energy when installed at the annual optimal tilt angle. As a result, for FPV, adjusting the Photovoltaic panels to their optimized tilt angle is also recommended. While Floating PV system produces 20–28% more energy than the on-ground PV system at 0°as compared to the optimal tilt angle.