DOI: 10.5937/jaes0-28761
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0

Volume 19 article 818 pages: 504-514
The cooling of the surface of the solar photovoltaic (PV) system is a major operative factor in achieving greater efficiency.
Correct cooling can improve electrical efficiency and reduce cell degradation rates over time. This results
in increasing the life of the solar PV modules. In industrial and domestic utilization, the cooling system is used for
the removal of excess heat. This paper presents a new method for cooling systems for solar PV which results in the
improvement in the collection of the solar insolation. The additional feature of the method has been the tracking of
sunlight for efficient power generation. Further, the extra heat can be utilized for other purposes including heating
and power generation through thermal means. The concept of the proposed system has been explained in detail with
the pictorial representation. Also, for the validation of the improved performance of the proposed system, a detailed
comparison with the conventional methods have been provided for five different cities of Saudi Arabia and an improvement
of twice collection of insolation has been estimated compare to the conventional systems. The proposed
system shows improved performance for all operating conditions.
1. Hu J, Chen W, Yang D, et al (2016) Energy performance of ETFE cushion roof integrated photo-voltaic/thermal system on hot and cold days. Appl Energy 173:40–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.03.111
2. Yau YH, Lim KS (2016) Energy analysis of green office buildings in the tropics - Photovoltaic system. Energy Build 126:177–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. enbuild.2016.05.010
3. Wang Y, Zhou S, Huo H (2014) Cost and CO2 reductions of solar photovoltaic power generation in China: Perspectives for 2020. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 39:370–380
4. Parida B, Iniyan S, Goic R (2011) A review of solar photovoltaic technologies. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 15:1625–1636
5. da Silva RM, Fernandes JLM (2010) Hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar systems simulation with Simulink/Matlab. Sol Energy 84:1985–1996. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2010.10.004
6. Elbreki AM, Alghoul MA, Al-Shamani AN, et al (2016) The role of climatic-design-operational parameters on combined PV/T collector performance: A critical review. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 57:602–647
7. Prince Winston D, Kumaravel S, Praveen Kumar B, Devakirubakaran S (2020) Performance improvement of solar PV array topologies during various partial shading conditions. Sol Energy 196:228–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2019.12.007
8. Peng Z, Herfatmanesh MR, Liu Y (2017) Cooled solar PV panels for output energy efficiency optimisation. Energy Convers Manag 150:949–955. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2017.07.007
9. Shaik R, Beemkumar N, Adharsha H, et al (2019) Efficiency enhancement in a PV operated solar pump by effective design of VFD and tracking system. In: Materials Today: Proceedings. Elsevier Ltd, pp 454–462
10. Royne A, Dey CJ, Mills DR (2005) Cooling of photo¬voltaic cells under concentrated illumination: A critical review. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 86:451–483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2004.09.003
11. Khan M, Ko B, Alois Nyari E, et al (2017) Performance Evaluation of Photovoltaic Solar System with Different Cooling Methods and a Bi-Reflector PV System (BRPVS): An Experimental Study and Comparative Analysis. Energies 10:826. https://doi.org/10.3390/en10060826
12. Potnuru SR, Pattabiraman D, Ganesan SI, Chilakapati N (2015) Positioning of PV panels for reduction in line losses and mismatch losses in PV array. Renew Energy 78:264–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2014.12.055
13. Sahay A, Sethi VK, Tiwari AC, Pandey M (2015) A review of solar photovoltaic panel cooling systems with special reference to Ground coupled central panel cooling system (GC-CPCS). Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 42:306–312
14. Bassi H (2020) Method for harvesting solar energy. US Patent, US10804838B2 .
15. El-Sebaii AA, Al-Hazmi FS, Al-Ghamdi AA, Yaghmour SJ (2010) Global, direct and diffuse solar radiation on horizontal and tilted surfaces in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Appl Energy 87:568–576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2009.06.032
16. Hay JE (1979) Calculation of monthly mean solar radiation for horizontal and inclined surfaces. Sol Energy 23:301–307. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-092X(79)90123-3
17. Spencer JW (1972) Computer estimation of direct solar radiation on clear days. Sol Energy 13:437–438. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-092X(72)90011-4
18. Alrashoud K, Tokimatsu K (2020) An exploratory study of the public’s views on residential solar photovoltaic systems in oil-rich Saudi Arabia. Environ Dev 35:100526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100526
19. Rashwan SS, Shaaban AM, Al-Suliman F (2017) A comparative study of a small-scale solar PV power plant in Saudi Arabia. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 80:313–318
20. Al Garni HZ, Awasthi A, Wright D (2019) Optimal orientation angles for maximizing energy yield for solar PV in Saudi Arabia. Renew Energy 133:538–550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2018.10.048
21. Elshurafa AM, Alsubaie AM, Alabduljabbar AA, Al-Hsaien SA (2019) Solar PV on mosque roof-tops: Results from a pilot study in Saudi Arabia. J Build Eng 25:100809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2019.100809