New solar cell design offers over 90% efficiency, boosts durability

Researchers at Chouaïb Doukkali University in Morocco have made major advances in solar energy technology by developing an innovative type of photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) solar panel.

The creative design enhances effectiveness while also addressing ongoing durability issues associated with traditional PVT modules.

The team created a customized channel-box heat exchanger for the study. This element facilitates enhanced convective heat exchange, ensuring that the entire surface of the solar panel is in direct contact with the cooling fluid.

“In this work, a new aluminum heat exchanger configuration, consisting of 94 channels and attached directly to the PV module, was designed,” explained the researchers.

Addressing temperature inequality

This design tries to effectively address the issue of temperature variation, a frequent challenge that contributes to the deterioration and shorter lifespan of conventional PVT panels.

“This proposal seeks to solve the problem of temperature inequality, which impacts the durability of PV panels,” they added.

This new PVT panel consists of various key components, such as a photovoltaic module, a Tedlar layer, two transparent ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) layers, and a glass cover plate.

The heat exchanger, which is vital for the panel’s functionality, is divided into an aluminum solid zone and another section where water flows as the cooling medium.

Additionally, this heat exchanger is further segmented into three parts: a coolant inlet (AZ), heat exchange (ZE), and fluid evacuation (VZ).

Simulation results and performance enhancements

Simulations conducted using COMSOL software have yielded encouraging outcomes, indicating that the panel can achieve an electrical efficiency of 12.11%, a thermal efficiency of 78.59%, and an impressive overall efficiency of 90.7%.

The simulations highlight the significant impact of the cooling fluid’s flow rate on the performance of the panel.

The experiments indicated that for every 10 L/h rise in flow rate, the temperature of the solar cell drops by 33.59°F. This decline in temperature leads to a power output boost of 0.798 W and an enhancement of 0.051% in cell efficiency.

The heat exchange zone of the panel features an alveolar plate with a 0.4 mm thick flat top wall in contact with the PV module and a 0.4 mm thick bottom wall.

“It facilitates the optimum transfer of the heat between the PV module and the circulating cooling fluid within the channels,” highlighted the researchers.

“The proposed PVT-C offers good results in terms of temperature inhomogeneity and overall performance,” they concluded.

Promising future for sustainable energy

Its seamless integration into building structures and adaptability to provide either air or water heating make it a versatile addition to sustainable building design.

This innovation in solar panel technology showcases promising potential for sustainable energy solutions.

The improved efficiency and durability of this new PVT panel, achieved through innovative design and meticulous testing, could revolutionize the solar energy landscape.