Proper cooling can improve the electrical efficiency, and decrease the rate of cell degradation with time, resulting in maximisation of the life span of photovoltaic modules. The excessive heat removed by the cooling system can be used in domestic, commercial or industrial applications.
Experimental tests conducted on the system demonstrated a record energy storage efficiency of 2.3%. Meanwhile, the integration of the MOST system with the solar cell was found to decrease the cell’s surface temperature by approximately 8 C under standard solar irradiation conditions, helping to reduce energy losses due to heat.
The cooling simplifies solar cell cooling and TE conversion technology by integrating a heat exchanger with a thermoelectric cooler. The apparatus (a modular structure) cools solar panels, increases efficiency, and acts as a thermal insulator for the roof. The heat sink's core constructs a compact and easier-to-build TE.
Moreover, Subarna Maiti et al. studied the performance of cooling the concentrated photovoltaic panel by using a suitable liquid for the heat exchanger, using a square parabolic-type reflector. The results showed that a more than two-fold increase in output power was realized on a clear sunny day employing a 0.13 m 2 silicon solar module.
The electricity savings afforded by this co-localized system can surpass those of a regular solar cell by up to 30%. This integration of radiative cooling and PV power generation signals a transformative shift toward optimizing energy conservation without sacrificing the benefits of solar energy.
Guanheng Fan et al. designed a photonic cooler (see Fig. 25) to cool the solar cells of a space solar power plant by selectively reflecting solar radiation and enhancing the radiative cooling to outer space. This technique can effectively reduce the temperature of solar cells by 30 °C and increase their efficiency by 1.4 %. Fig. 25.