Solar Energy, Vol.188, 464-474, 2019
Experimental study for thermal regulation of photovoltaic panels using saturated zeolite with water
This paper presents a novel experimental work for cooling photovoltaic panels using water saturated zeolite/activated alumina. Different system configurations, with 4 different zeolite thicknesses, were tested indoor. Moreover, the zeolite was tested with different added components (fins and metal mesh/particles) for enhancing the system performance. Three different radiations intensities were set for a period of 6 h and the results were compared with the uncooled system. The experimental results showed a significant solar panels temperature reduction of approximately 14.9 degrees C and 9 degrees C for radiation intensities of 600 and 1000 W/m(2) respectively. The expected electrical efficiency, according to this temperature reduction, was calculated and an average enhancement of 10% and 7% at radiation of 600 and 1000 W/m(2) intensity respectively was estimated.