You idea is a good one in theory but from the practical standpoint, there are several challenges as follows:

1) You're integrating a solar PV system with PCM system and in system integration there is always efficiency loss.

2) When PCM cools down, it released the stored latent heat to heat the solar PV. The question here is would this heating spreads uniformly? Also, for how long?

3) You are trying to make the solar PV functions as a thermoelectric system which is driven by the temperature gradient between the hot side and the cold side.

In summary, the solar PV efficiency may increase in this integrated system and the increase depends on how you integrate the two system and how you rare able to minimize the heat losses from this integrated system.

Hope this helps answer your question.

Professor Yehia Khalil

Yale University

USA

If your PCM will be able to absorb an appreciable quantity of heat from the PV panel then automatically the Electrical Efficiency of the PV panel will increase.

Yes I agree with Jairaj. You have to use PCM with critical temperature (for teh phase change) in a low range close to the reference temperature of PV. In this case, by using an adequate amount of pcm you can keep the temperature in the desired levels for high performance.

This is a good idea, have you tried it or are you planning a trial. I would be interested to know what happens! However - the heat input into a panel in full sun is rather large, and you might need an uneconomical amount of PCM to achieve an effect. Basically you  are trying to smooth out the diurnal temperature variation - and this must work at least to some degree.

You idea is a good one in theory but from the practical standpoint, there are several challenges as follows:

1) You're integrating a solar PV system with PCM system and in system integration there is always efficiency loss.

2) When PCM cools down, it released the stored latent heat to heat the solar PV. The question here is would this heating spreads uniformly? Also, for how long?

3) You are trying to make the solar PV functions as a thermoelectric system which is driven by the temperature gradient between the hot side and the cold side.

In summary, the solar PV efficiency may increase in this integrated system and the increase depends on how you integrate the two system and how you rare able to minimize the heat losses from this integrated system.

Hope this helps answer your question.

Professor Yehia Khalil

Yale University

USA

Where the latent heat is stored in the box will go ?, So if is kept stored then it reduces the efficiency !

Dear Prof. Veera,

                The base idea of reducing solar PV panel temperature is good and that heat is stored in PCM. But in practical we have to think of effective reduction in temperature & increase in the efficiency of Solar PV panel and installation cost of PCM & effective usage of stored heat in PCM  has to be analysed.

The heat will come out at night when the PV system isn't producing any power. So it's irrelevant. I think a detailed study should be done - it's too easy to say yes or no. Let's do at least a good simulation, if not an actual experiment. Then you can say with some authority that it does or doesn't work.

A lot of research is already done.

e.g. https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805269/document

Just Google: solar panel temperature PCM

and you will have a good start for contacting some experts.

vkr. Anco

Cooling PV panels using PCMs is one of the research topics I have investigated experimentally with my students at UAE University and Lebanese International University. Yes PCMs can reduce the heat of PV panels and consequently improve their power output. However special attention should be given to the selection of the right PCM (melting point and price/Kg). One more thing, the heat stored in PCMs and released later may be used to heat something ... maybe to heat water! Again, one main concern here is the availability of the PCM in large quantity and at a reasonable price to justify its use in cooling PV panels. By the way, we have used the PCM at the back of the PV panel; a container filled with PCM in a liquid form was attached at the back of the panel ... fins also were used to improve conductivity.

Literature has solar collector with PCM. I dont know, is there any PVT with PCM. Anco Sangers said that "A lot of research is already done". You can try. However, you have to consider the comments.

Second comment of Yehia F. Khalil is important. Heat can be moved to a different location (for example; tank) from PCM.

Also, comment of Tony Maine; amount of PCM is impotant.

Comment of Yehia F. Khalil; integrating a solar PV system with PCM system.

Comment of Ali H. Assi; the selection of the right PCM.

After a certain period of time, It can not carry heat or the heat returns.

Use of PCM for cooling PV may increase the efficiency for this the selection of proper PCM material (melting point of PCM) and the amount of PCM is very crucial. It is to ensure that all the cells maintained at the uniform temperature and amount of PCM are sufficient to absorb the heat throughout the day.

We will be testing the PCM for PV cooling at our Lab soon. I think using PCM will enhance the electrical efficiency for sure if the climatic conditions are such that they overheat the panel for the major fraction of the year though its possible that the net influence on thermal efficiency might be negative calculated year round because of the heating of the panel at night.

Hi

It depends on the type of the PCM , also it depend on the ambient temperarue, solar radaition intensity during a year and the wind speed.

This pecause the PCM could be work only in the summer (depending on the melting temperature) and in the winter it will not melted and it will be thernal resistance which prevent the heat to be released from the back of the PV panel.

Therfore, you have to analysis that to see if the this PCM suitble for PV panel in a cpecific location for whole yearor not.

To do this thermal analysis, you can use one dimensional model of the PV-PCM.

Now , I am writ ting a matlab code to simulate the PV - PCM , and I already simulated it by fluent. If need more help contact me by this email [email protected]

The use of PCM may increase the electrical efficiency of PV panel. However, special attention should be paid to the amount of PCM and the phase change temperature of PCM. What’s more, the thermal conductivity of PCM is very important. As far as I know, the thermal conductivities of most PCMs are lower than 1 Wm-1K-1. Using low conductivity PCM will lead to a very slow heat storage process and a poor thermal management outcome. Currently, many researchers prefer to use composite PCM with a relatively high thermal conductivity or combine PCM with finned structures in PV systems. Besides, other issues like local climate and impact of season should be taken into account.

My group has conducted some investigations on a PV-PCM system. Paraffin/expanded graphite composite material with phase change temperature of around 27 oC and thermal conductivity of 7.6 Wm-1K-1 is chosen. The thermal performance of the system is investigated experimentally and numerically. If you want to know more details, you can find my paper in https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196890417306829.

I agree with Dr. Yehia F. Khalil

We are doing experimental work to check the performance of spv system in India. I am agree with Zhaowen Huang