Enhancing the Efficiency of Solar Cells by Automatic Water Cooling
Keywords:
solar cells, efficiency, coolingAbstract
Solar cells are increasingly popular for electricity generation due to their clean energy nature. However, their efficiency decreases at high temperatures, especially in hot climates where cell temperatures can reach up to 70°C, resulting in a significant reduction in power output. The objective of this research was to increase the efficiency of solar cells by automatic water cooling. It used two 300-watt monocrystalline solar panels: one without a cooling system and one with a cooling system. The automatic control system uses a microcontroller ESP8266, a 12-volt DC water pump with a flow rate of 60 liters/min, and 24 water release holes, operating based on the set temperature condition of 50°C and stopping working when the temperature drops to 40°C. The experiment was conducted during April, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, recording data every 15 minutes. The results showed that water-cooled solar cells had higher efficiency than those without a cooling system, at 20.05 and 18.49, respectively. The average temperature of both types of solar cells was 46.26 and 61.50°C. The time with the highest solar intensity was at 12:00 pm, with a voltage and current of 41.28 volts and 7.30 amperes.
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