Advancements in hybrid photovoltaic systems for enhanced solar cells performance

Photovoltaic (PV) cells can absorb up to 80% of the incident solar radiation available in the solar spectrum, however, only a certain percentage of the absorbed incident energy is converted into electricity depending on the conversion efficiency of the PV cell technology. The remainder of the energy is dissipated as heat accumulating on the surface of the cells causing elevated temperatures. Temperature rise of PV cells is considered as one of the most critical issues influencing their performance, causing serious degradation and shortening the life-time of the cells. Hence cooling of PV modules during operation is essential and must be an integral part of PV systems particularly in sundrenched locations. Many researches have been conducted investigating a range of methods that can be employed to provide thermal management for PV systems. Among these designs, systems utilizing air, liquid, heat pipes, phase change materials (PCMs), and thermoelectric (TE) devices to aid cooling of PV cells. This paper provides a comprehensive review, of various methods reported in the literature and discusses various design and operating parameters influencing the cooling capacity for PV systems leading to an enhanced performance. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.