Comprehensive analysis and general economic-environmental evaluation of cooling techniques for photovoltaic panels, Part II: Active cooling techniques
TL;DR: In this article, a comprehensive review and evaluation of the research activities and in general studies related to the development of passive cooling techniques for photovoltaic panels (PVs) was obtained.
About: This article is published in Energy Conversion and Management.The article was published on 2017-10-01. It has received 188 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Active cooling & Passive cooling.
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TL;DR: The role of smart technologies can become very important and useful to solve the main population issues nowadays and provide foundations for a sustainable future as mentioned in this paper, however, the main challenge is to reduce the effects of global warming and ensure a balanced economic development of society.
235 citations
TL;DR: The results revealed that the negative environmental impacts of PV systems could be substantially mitigated using optimized design, development of novel materials, minimize the use of hazardous materials, recycling whenever possible, and careful site selection.
185 citations
11 May 2020
TL;DR: In this article, the authors demonstrate a new and versatile photovoltaic panel cooling strategy that employs a sorption-based atmospheric water harvester as an effective cooling component.
Abstract: More than 600 GW of photovoltaic panels are currently installed worldwide, with the predicted total capacity increasing very rapidly every year. One essential issue in photovoltaic conversion is the massive heat generation of photovoltaic panels under sunlight, which represents 75–96% of the total absorbed solar energy and thus greatly increases the temperature and decreases the energy efficiency and lifetime of photovoltaic panels. In this report we demonstrate a new and versatile photovoltaic panel cooling strategy that employs a sorption-based atmospheric water harvester as an effective cooling component. The atmospheric water harvester photovoltaic cooling system provides an average cooling power of 295 W m–2 and lowers the temperature of a photovoltaic panel by at least 10 °C under 1.0 kW m–2 solar irradiation in laboratory conditions. It delivered a 13–19% increase in electricity generation in a commercial photovoltaic panel in outdoor field tests conducted in the winter and summer in Saudi Arabia. The atmospheric water harvester based photovoltaic panel cooling strategy has little geographical constraint in terms of its application and has the potential to improve the electricity production of existing and future photovoltaic plants, which can be directly translated into less CO2 emission or less land occupation by photovoltaic panels. As solar power is taking centre stage in the global fight against climate change, atmospheric water harvester based cooling represents an important step toward sustainability. Photovoltaic panel conversion generates heat that reduces the energy efficiency and lifetime of the panel. A photovoltaic panel cooling strategy by a sorption-based atmospheric water harvester is shown to improve the productivity of electricity generation with important sustainability advantages.
122 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a comprehensive review of dust problem and cleaning methods for engineers, designers, and researchers dealing with PV systems is provided, where the main dust elements which have impact are six dust pollutants.
121 citations
TL;DR: A comprehensive literature review of the state-of-the-art aspects of PV-PCM systems is presented, with the focus on technology overview and materials selection and a triangle about materials selection criteria and determination strategy of phase transition temperature is proposed.
Abstract: In recent years, the utilization of phase change materials (PCMs) in photovoltaic (PV) module for thermal regulation has attracted wide attention in this field, as the hybrid PV-PCM technology can not only achieve higher photoelectric conversion efficiency but also make it possible to extract thermal energy stored in PCMs for cascade utilization. Although substantial research has been carried out on PV-PCM systems, the promise of practical application is still far from clear with some barriers unsolved, such as PCMs which need further improvements in both technical and economical view. In this paper, a comprehensive literature review of the state-of-the-art aspects of PV-PCM systems is presented, with the focus on technology overview and materials selection. The concept of hybrid PV-PCM system is first discussed with its general configuration and energy balance, to figure out the key factors affecting its performance. Besides, the development route of PV-PCM research is outlined through a comprehensive review of 104 research articles during 2004–2018, clarifying the representative achievements and existing problems in each stage. Furthermore, PCMs are highlighted in this paper with details on their classification, properties, and application in previous PV-PCM research. In particular a triangle about materials selection criteria and determination strategy of phase transition temperature is proposed. Finally, the challenges and prospects of future research on PV-PCM systems are raised, advocating that more attention should be addressed on new strategies to overcome the existing problems such as insufficient reliability and economic feasibility.
112 citations
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5,509 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the photovoltaic technology, its power generating capability, the different existing light absorbing materials used, its environmental aspect coupled with a variety of its applications have been discussed.
Abstract: Global environmental concerns and the escalating demand for energy, coupled with steady progress in renewable energy technologies, are opening up new opportunities for utilization of renewable energy resources. Solar energy is the most abundant, inexhaustible and clean of all the renewable energy resources till date. The power from sun intercepted by the earth is about 1.8 × 1011 MW, which is many times larger than the present rate of all the energy consumption. Photovoltaic technology is one of the finest ways to harness the solar power. This paper reviews the photovoltaic technology, its power generating capability, the different existing light absorbing materials used, its environmental aspect coupled with a variety of its applications. The different existing performance and reliability evaluation models, sizing and control, grid connection and distribution have also been discussed. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
1,524 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the progress made in solar power generation research and development since its inception is reviewed, highlighting the current and future issues involved in the generation of quality and reliable solar power technology for future applications.
787 citations
770 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an overview of various cooling methods that can be employed for photovoltaic cells, including linear concentrators, single-cell arrangements, and densely packed photovolastic cells.
678 citations