Experimental Investigation of a Combined Photovoltaic Thermal System via Air Cooling for Summer Weather of Egypt

Abstract

Utilizing photovoltaic (PV) panels for generating electrical power is accompanied with a low electrical efficiency that is further reduced as its surface temperature surpasses an acceptable limit. In order to overcome this critical issue, it is necessary to maintain the PV panels relatively at low surface temperatures as possible as using appropriate cooling systems. The current implementation assesses experimentally the performance of a combined PV thermal (PV/T) system using a forced-air cooling system during April, May, June, and July of summer weather of Egypt. The results reveal that the highest values of the solar intensity and the ambient air temperature are obtained in July. Employing the forced-air cooling system reduces the average temperature on the front and back sides of the PV panel during July by 12% and 12.8%, respectively. In addition, the forced-air cooling system enhances noticeably the electrical power output of the PV panel by 3.3%, 4.3%, 4.5%, and 6.1% during April, May, June, and July, respectively. Moreover, the maximum value of the average thermal efficiency achieved during July is 37%; whereas, the corresponding value of the average overall efficiency fulfilled during April is 48.7%.