Experimental Study of a Cooling Photovoltaic Solar Panel Using Water-Wet Jute Fabric

Abstract

One of the most significant problems solar panels face is the rising temperature in their solar cells, which can lead to a decrease in electrical production. To solve this issue, we conducted a comparison study to establish the effectiveness of using porous jute fabric that was constantly wet with water to cool the back of a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel. This fabric is well known for its high absorbency and porous structure, which allow for effective heat exchange between the PV module and its surroundings. The experiment aims to compare the electrical performance of two solar PVs: one its backside covered with jute fabric that is constantly wet with water as a cooling mechanism and the other a standard PV. When solar radiation reaches its peak of 900 W/m2 at 12:00, the findings demonstrate that this cooling method reduces the temperature of the PV panel by 23 ∘C, where the standard PV temperature was 64 ∘C and the temperature of the PV (with cooling) was 41 ∘C at the same time. This decrease in temperature leads to a 2 V increase in the voltage produced by solar photovoltaics, resulting in a 1.3% improvement in electrical efficiency.