Cooling channel effect on photovoltaic panel energy generation

Abstract It is a well-known fact that even though the electricity generation is higher when the solar radiation is high on a photovoltaic panel, its efficiency drops as its temperature increases. In this study, it is intended to achieve cooling effect using an air duct placed under a photovoltaic panel, thereby increase its efficiency. Hourly electricity generation, PV efficiency and cell temperature values over a year are calculated using annual temperature and radiation data by using MATLAB and PV Sol software. Maximum cell temperature for the uncooled case is determined as 57.91 °C on July 21st at 1p.m. as a result of hourly calculations. The incident solar radiation is 976 W/m2 when the panel reached its maximum temperature. The PV panel and cooling channel are modelled in ANSYS Fluent software and cooling effect was investigated for different air velocities and air-cooling channel geometries for the hour when maximum cell temperature is reached. Environmental analyses are also made. It is observed that with finned cooling channel, it is possible to cool PV temperature more than with the flat cooling channel. Cooling the PV panel from its maximum cell temperature to 39.82 °C with 5 m/s air velocity and 82 fins cooling channel is achieved and new PV panel efficiency is recorded as 18.92 %. Environmentally considerations show that the use of solar energy provides the reduction of coal and natural gas-based CO2 emissions as 15 and 8 tons, respectively.