Recent Advancement on Photovoltaic Panel Cooling Using Various Methods: A Review

PV panels has been proven to be a good renewable energy source. However, excessive heat of the panel can lead to degradation of the longevity of the panel. Crucial determinants impacting the effectiveness of PV panels encompass the type of materials, temperature, and the level of solar radiation received. Thus, cooling is required to overcome this issue which leads to improved electrical efficiency and lifespan of the panel. This study provides an overview of different techniques that can be employed to mitigate the adverse effects of elevated temperatures while simultaneously improving the performance of photovoltaic solar panels operating above the recommended temperature of the Standard Test Conditions (STC). The objective of this review is to enhance comprehension of the mentioned technologies in order to decrease the surface temperature of the PV module. Cooling methods that are reviewed are heat exchanger, nanofluids and phase change material (PCM). The review and classification of many research publications is conducted based on their specific focus, contribution, and the sort of technology employed to facilitate the cooling of photovoltaic panels. Each of these systems is exemplified with precise schematics and extensively examined and compared. Moreover, this work presents a novel categorization system for the cooling techniques employed in photovoltaic panels, providing useful direction for future investigations and enhancing efficiency. The findings of this review shows that heat exchanger with higher flowrate has better higher temperature improvement. Moreover, different heat exchanger pipes shapes resulted in different cooling efficiency outcome. Hybrid nanofluids shows higher temperature drops compared to nanofluid with water. Addition of porous material to PCM resulted in a lower melting point thus cooling occurs faster compared to regular PCM.