A comprehensive review on the recent advancements in PV panel cooling techniques using phase changing materials

Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) panels, used to convert solar energy into electricity face many issues regarding its efficiency. Solar panels convert only a fraction of the solar radiations falling on them to electricity. The efficiency of silicon based solar panels ranges from 14%–17%. The manufactures of solar panels declare that the efficiency of the installed panels will be reduced by 0.07% in each year. In addition to this there are efficiency losses due to various factors. Among them temperature have a major contribution. This is a comprehensive review to study the effect of using Phase Changing Materials (PCM) on temperature for passive conductive cooling of SPV panels.