Enhancing PV/T System Performance with Active Water and Nanofluid Cooling

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) modules experience efficiency losses due to heat stress, particularly in regions with high solar exposure, such as Ma'an Governorate, Jordan, where cooling techniques could significantly improve PV performance. Conventional coolants such as water and air have limited thermal conductivity and heat capacity. Adding Nanoparticles (NPs) raises concerns about toxicity and environmental sustainability. This research investigates the impact of using cooling nanofluids, namely Graphene Nanoplatelets/Distilled Water (GNP/DW) and Distilled Water (DW), as cooling agents for solar PV modules. The cooling of PV modules using GNP/DW and DW was experimentally compared to uncooled PV systems under different solar irradiation intensities and Flow Rates (FR). The research was conducted at the uppermost level of the REL at the university, assessing nanofluids at a 0.1% v/v concentration and an FR of 0.6 L/min. The results showed that GNP nanofluids achieved the greatest improvement in electrical power, demonstrating a performance enhancement of up to 13.18% relative to no cooling and 5.45% relative to water cooling.