Comprehensive performance analysis of a novel closed-loop hydronic cooling of photovoltaic panel with a controlled intermittent flow strategy

Dirawi, Hazim; Wang, Qiliang; Hu, Mingke; Su, Yuehong; Riffat, Saffa

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) technology has seen rapid development in hot and arid regions due to intense solar radiation. However, extreme weather conditions pose challenges for PV applications in terms of efficiency and lifespan. A new closed-loop hydronic cooling system for PV panels, designed for 24-h continuous operation, was developed to address these challenges. However, a circulation pump can consume a considerable amount of electricity due to 24-h continuous operation, resulting in substantial wastage. This study proposes a controlled intermittent flow (CIF) strategy for the pump to optimize operation hours and minimize energy consumption under favourable PV temperature conditions. A dynamic 3D simulation model was developed and validated to numerically analyse the performance metrics of the proposed PV cooling method with CIF. The yearly performance of PV panel cooling systems with continuous flow (CF) and CIF, as well as common PV panels, was comprehensively evaluated and compared. The results showed that the CIF strategy effectively reduces the pump's operating hours and energy consumption while minimally impacting the system's net electricity output. The CIF strategy is found to yield a significant enhancement in seasonal net power output, with a 0.57 % increase during winter and a 0.83 % increase in summer compared to the CF system. Moreover, employing the CIF strategy with a setpoint of 35 °C results in a consistent 0.96 % rise in annual net power output across all months compared to the CF system, except for the lifespan, the CF is better. For Basra's local climatic condition in Iraq, the CF and CIF closed-loop photovoltaic cooling systems show significant lifetime improvements of up to 34.3 % and 41 % over common PV panels, while for Hong Kong's local climatic condition, the CIF system outperforms by 4.9 % and 22.2 % compared to CF system and common PV panel, respectively. The proposed closed-loop hydronic cooling method for PV panels with CIF exhibits the best performance among the three types of PV systems, making it particularly suitable for regions with hot and arid climates.

Citation

Dirawi, H., Wang, Q., Hu, M., Su, Y., & Riffat, S. (2025). Comprehensive performance analysis of a novel closed-loop hydronic cooling of photovoltaic panel with a controlled intermittent flow strategy. Renewable Energy, 239, Article 122185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2024.122185

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 15, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Dec 15, 2024
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2025
• Deposit Date: Jan 13, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 15, 2025
• Journal: Renewable Energy
• Print ISSN: 0960-1481
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-0682
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 239
• Article Number: 122185
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2024.122185
• Keywords: Photovoltaic (PV), Closed-loop hydronic cooling, Controlled intermittent flow (CIF), PV temperature, Net power production, Lifetime
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/43361370
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148124022535?via%3Dihub