Combined photovoltaic and thermal enhancements of solar photovoltaic system using SiO2 and Al2O3 nanoparticle-enhanced paraffin wax phase change material

Abstract

This study addresses the reduction in electrical efficiency and power output caused by elevated operating temperatures in Solar Photovoltaic Thermal (SPVT) panels by implementing an effective cooling approach to enhance energy yield and overall system performance. The study experimentally evaluates a passive thermal management system using a nanoparticle-enhanced paraffin wax phase change material (NPCM) containing SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles to improve the thermal and electrical performance of a 100 W SPVT system. Experiments were conducted under outdoor conditions from 8:00 to 16:00 h, and the performance of the conventional SPVT system was compared with those of PCM- and NPCM-integrated SPVT systems. The thermal stability and phase-change characteristics of the prepared NPCM were analyzed using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and the results were compared with those of pure PCM. The results showed that the NPCM-SPVT system reduced the panel temperature by 4.5 °C and improved the electrical and thermal efficiencies by up to 2.7% and 6.4%, respectively, compared with the conventional SPVT system under peak solar radiation conditions. These improvements highlight the effectiveness of NPCM-based passive cooling and demonstrate its potential for enhancing SPVT performance in regions with high solar irradiance and elevated ambient temperatures.