Enhancement of photovoltaic solar module performance for power generation in the Middle East

Despite the abundance of solar energy in the Middle East, the efficiency and reliability of photovoltaic (PV) modules is severely affected by elevated cell operating temperature, which reduces the effectiveness of sun tracking techniques. In this study the potential of water-cooling to improve the electrical performance of stationary and sun-tracked PV modules is experimentally investigated for application at off-shore oil and gas facilities in the Persian Gulf. In parallel with measurements of PV module electrical characteristics and operating temperature, global solar irradiation, ambient air and cooling water temperatures, wind velocity and relative humidity are also recorded. In autumn conditions in the United Arab Emirates (24.43°N, 54.45°E), water-cooling is found to reduce PV module operating temperature by up to 30°C relative to passive cooling conditions, depending on operating conditions. Using water-cooling, power output is enhanced for a significant portion of the day for fixed geographical South facing modules (e.g., 22% at solar noon, and 13% at 2 p.m.) relative to passive cooling, and even more significantly for sun-tracked modules (e.g., 20% at 2 p.m.). Sun tracking enhances power output by 16% and 24% for passively- and water-cooled modules, respectively, at for example 2 p.m. The incorporation of water-cooling and sun tracking is the most effective, with enhancements in output power of on order 40% at for example 2 p.m. relative to passively-cooled, fixed South facing operation. In winter conditions (e.g., December), modest reductions in operating temperature and improvements in electrical performance are obtained using water-cooling and/or sun tracking, which may not justify the associated capital and operating costs.

[1]  Masud Behnia,et al.  Improving Photovoltaic Module Efficiency Using Water Cooling , 2009 .

[2]  Yutaka Nawata,et al.  Performance Evaluation of Photovoltaic Power-Generation System Equipped With a Cooling Device Utilizing Siphonage , 2006 .

[3]  Pushpito Kumar Ghosh,et al.  Self regulation of photovoltaic module temperature in V-trough using a metal–wax composite phase change matrix , 2011 .

[4]  Arif Hepbasli,et al.  A key review on present status and future directions of solar energy studies and applications in Saudi Arabia , 2011 .

[5]  Abul Fazal M. Arif,et al.  On the feasibility of community-scale photovoltaic-powered reverse osmosis desalination systems for remote locations , 2011 .

[6]  K. Araki,et al.  A simple passive cooling structure and its heat analysis for 500/spl times/ concentrator PV module , 2002, Conference Record of the Twenty-Ninth IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2002..

[7]  Jie Ji,et al.  Hybrid photovoltaic-thermosyphon water heating system for residential application , 2006 .

[8]  Pushpito Kumar Ghosh,et al.  Performance of a silicon photovoltaic module under enhanced illumination and selective filtration of incoming radiation with simultaneous cooling , 2010 .

[9]  Morteza Abdolzadeh,et al.  Improving the effectiveness of a photovoltaic water pumping system by spraying water over the front of photovoltaic cells , 2009 .

[10]  S. Krauter.  Increased electrical yield via water flow over the front of photovoltaic panels , 2004 .

[11]  G. N. Tiwari,et al.  Optimizing the energy and exergy of building integrated photovoltaic thermal (BIPVT) systems under cold climatic conditions , 2010 .

[12]  Tin-Tai Chow,et al.  A Review on Photovoltaic/Thermal Hybrid Solar Technology , 2010, Renewable Energy.

[13]  J. Lienhard,et al.  Erratum to Thermophysical properties of seawater: A review of existing correlations and data , 2010 .

[14]  Azadeh Kordzadeh,et al.  The effects of nominal power of array and system head on the operation of photovoltaic water pumping set with array surface covered by a film of water , 2010 .

[15]  William Gerard Hurley,et al.  A thermal model for photovoltaic panels under varying atmospheric conditions , 2010 .

[16]  T. Muneer,et al.  A review of installed solar photovoltaic and thermal collector capacities in relation to solar potential for the EU-15 , 2009 .

[17]  I. Kubo,et al.  Measurement of solar energy radiation in Abu Dhabi, UAE , 2009 .

[18]  Paolo Rosa-Clot,et al.  Optical and thermal behavior of submerged photovoltaic solar panel: SP2 , 2012 .

[19]  Mats Sandberg,et al.  Design procedure for cooling ducts to minimise efficiency loss due to temperature rise in PV arrays , 2006 .

[20]  J. Z. Liu,et al.  Thermally conductive and electrically insulating EVA composite encapsulants for solar photovoltaic (PV) cell , 2008 .

[21]  Jochen Kämpf,et al.  The circulation of the Persian Gulf: a numerical study , 2005 .

[22]  Steven Dubowsky,et al.  Enhancing the Performance of Photovoltaic Powered Reverse Osmosis Desalination Systems by Active Thermal Management , 2011 .

[23]  K. Terwilliger,et al.  Materials Testing for PV Module Encapsulation , 2003 .

[24]  A. D. Jones,et al.  A thermal model for photovoltaic systems , 2001 .

[25]  Ha Herbert Zondag,et al.  Flat-plate PV-Thermal collectors and systems : a review , 2008 .

[26]  Earle A. Wilson.  Theoretical and operational thermal performance of a ‘wet’ crystalline silicon PV module under Jamaican conditions , 2009 .

[27]  Graham L. Morrison,et al.  Performance of a building integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPVT) solar collector , 2009 .