A review on the outlook of thermal management of photovoltaic panel using phase change material
Sajan Preet
Abstract
In recent years, photovoltaic panels for electricity generation have become famous worldwide due to their eco-friendly nature. Photovoltaic cells are made up of semiconductors with electrical efficiency ranging between 4% and 47%, depending upon solar cells' properties and arrangement. Part of the solar spectrum incident on photovoltaic panels (PV) not utilized for electricity generation raises its operating temperature, which reduces its electrical performance and shortens its lifespan. Different sensible thermal management cooling systems have been suggested to regulate the photovoltaic panel's temperature. These sensible thermal management cooling systems have less heat storage capacity with high energy investment. Utilization of the phase change materials (PCMs) in the thermal management of the photovoltaic panel has emerged as a suitable solution due to its substantial heat storage capacity with extended heat availability. In this paper, novel and recent developments on the thermal management of photovoltaic panel using PCM and its every aspect like phase change material (PCM) and nano-particles enhanced PCM integrated with PV panel and photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) system are critically summarized. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of using PCM in photovoltaic panel thermal management are also raised. In conclusion, this review article also summarizes the effort taken by various researchers to enhance the thermal performance of PV integrated PCMs systems. It is expected that this review article may help the researchers to understand the concept and fundamental science behind the PV/T integrated with PCM to improve further its overall performance.