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Title: Reducing Operating Temperature in Photovoltaic Modules

Journal Article · · IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). National Center for Photovoltaics
  2. Univ. of Toledo, OH (United States). Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC)
  3. Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
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Reducing the operating temperature of photovoltaic modules increases their efficiency and lifetime. This can be achieved by reducing the production of waste heat or by improving the rejection of waste heat. We tested, using a combination of simulation and experiment, several thermal modifications in each category. To predict operating temperature and energy yield changes in response to changes to the module, we implemented a physics-based transient simulation framework based almost entirely on measured properties. The most effective thermal modifications reduced the production of waste heat by reflecting unusable light from the cell or the module. Consistent with previous results and verified in this work through year-long simulations, the ideal reflector resulted in an annual irradiance-weighted temperature reduction of 3.8 K for crystalline silicon (c-Si). Our results illustrate that more realistic reflector concepts must balance detrimental optical effects with the intended thermal effects to realize the optimal energy production advantage. Methods improving thermal conductivity or back-side emissivity showed only modest improvements of less than 1 K. We also studied a GaAs module, which uses high-efficiency and high-subbandgap reflectivity to operate at an annual irradiance-weighted temperature 12 K cooler than that of a c-Si module under the same conditions.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1419416
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5J00-67837
Journal Information:
IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Vol. 8, Issue 2; ISSN 2156-3381
Publisher:
IEEECopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 54 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Figures / Tables (7)

Fig. 1(p. 2)figure Fig. 1
Fig. 2(p. 4)figure Fig. 2
Fig. 3(p. 4)figure Fig. 3
TABLE I(p. 5)table TABLE I
Fig. 4(p. 6)figure Fig. 4
TABLE II(p. 6)table TABLE II
Fig. 5.(p. 7)figure Fig. 5.

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