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DOI of the published article https://doi.org/10.56975/ijsdr.v10i4.302395
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Comparison Of Recent Trends in Cooling of Photovoltaic Cells to Increase Its Performance

##article.authors##

  • Aswin Karkadakattil Independent researcher , India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31224/6315

Abstract

Solar energy is a clean, renewable, and widely available source of power that can be utilized through photovoltaic (PV) and photothermal technologies. However, the performance of PV panels is highly sensitive to operating temperature, with electrical efficiency decreasing as panel temperature rises under strong solar radiation. This makes effective thermal management essential for improving both theefficiency and long-term reliability of photovoltaic systems. In this study, a comparative experimentalanalysis of passive cooling techniques for PV panels is carried out to identify the most effective approach for temperature control and performance improvement. Three passive cooling configurations were investigated: phase change material (PCM) cooling, fin-based cooling, and a hybrid system combining PCM and fins. OM35 was selected as the PCM based on the ambient climatic conditions of the experimental site. Aluminium fins were employed as extended surfaces to enhance heat dissipation through conduction, convection, and radiation. The performance of each cooling method was evaluated in terms of panel temperature reduction, electrical power output, and conversion efficiency. The experimental results show that all passive cooling techniques improved the performance of the photovoltaic panel compared with the uncooled reference case. Among the tested configurations, the fin-cooled system delivered the best overall performance, achieving a maximum temperature reduction of 10.37 °C. The hybrid PCM–fin system and the standalone PCM system achieved temperature reductions of 5.5 °C and 4.4 °C, respectively. In addition to improving electrical output, passive cooling also reduced thermal stresses on the PV panels, which may help extend their operational lifespan. Overall, the findings indicate that passive cooling particularly fin-based cooling provides a simple, effective, and practical solution for enhancing the efficiency and durability of photovoltaic systems.

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Posted

2026-01-20 — Updated on 2026-02-16

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Copyright (c) 2026 Aswin karkadakattil

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Version justification

I am writing to provide clarification regarding the submission of the corrected version of our manuscript. The original version was inadvertently uploaded as a DOCX file without proper formatting and indexing considerations. Due to my limited familiarity with digital archiving procedures at the time, the manuscript was not processed in a way that supports proper indexing in academic databases such as ResearchGate and Google Scholar. As a result, its visibility and discoverability have been affected. The present submission provides a properly formatted and fully indexable PDF version. No changes have been made to the experimental data, methodology, results, figures, or conclusions. Only minor typographical corrections and small wording clarifications regarding the experimental duration have been included, as indicated in the manuscript. This resubmission is solely intended to ensure accurate archival formatting and proper indexing. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and kindly request that this version be considered for archival replacement and indexing purposes. Thank you for your understanding. Yours sincerely, Aswin K.