Solar Photovoltaic Panel Cooling Technology | DSBsolar
With the continuous maturity of photovoltaic power generation technology, the efficiency of solar photovoltaic cells has been greatly improved. However, the absolute value is still relatively low. Currently, the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells produced in industrial batches is about 13%~14%, and the remaining light energy is converted into thermal energy.
The materials used for solar panels mainly include monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, and thin-film batteries, among which monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon batteries have the highest usage. The power generation efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells depends on their operating temperature, and every 1 ℃ increase in temperature will result in a 0.4% to 0.5% decrease in output power. Due to more than 80% of the energy reaching the surface of the battery being converted into heat, the working temperature of solar cells is usually above 50 ℃, and even reaches 80 ℃ when heat dissipation is poor. Excessive temperature of solar photovoltaic panels will seriously affect the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of solar cells. Therefore, studying cooling technology to reduce the temperature of photovoltaic panels is of great significance for improving the power generation efficiency of solar photovoltaic systems.
Natural circulation cooling technology
Natural circulation cooling technology refers to the addition of ribs, channels, and other structures on the back of solar panels to cool them, mainly using air or water as the working medium to absorb heat and achieve the purpose of cooling. Due to the higher thermal conductivity of water compared to air, water cooling is more effective than air cooling under ventilation conditions.
Forced circulation cooling technology
The forced circulation cooling technology mainly involves adding ribs, channels, and other structures, using a forced flow circulation system that requires additional driving force. The working medium mainly uses air or liquids with high transmittance. However, adding additional power will undoubtedly increase costs.
Combination of natural circulation cooling and forced circulation cooling
The solar photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) cooling technology combines photovoltaic cells with solar collectors, combining natural circulation cooling and forced circulation cooling. The conversion efficiency of PV/T cooling technology is about 40%~80%, which is relatively high compared to simple solar photovoltaic cells and solar water heaters.
