Parametric enviro-economic analysis of cooling photovoltaic panels with phase change materials

This study conducts a parametric analysis to evaluate the effects of cooling PV panels using phase change materials (PCM), considering both economic and environmental aspects for two cases: a domestic house and a power plant. The study employs the consumption ratio (R), defined as the ratio between the actual energy consumption of a building and the maximum energy producible by the PV panels, as an indicator of energy use efficiency. Results show that the combined PCM-PV with heat sink (CPCM-PV-HS) system achieved the highest performance, with average energy production values of 634.35 × R kWh and 132182.7 × R kWh for the domestic house and power plant, respectively. Corresponding economic savings were $272.77 × R and $56838.57 × R, while reductions in CO₂ emissions averaged 367.92 × R kg and 76665.97 × R kg. The PV panel with PCM (PV-PCM) cooling method recorded the lowest values across all metrics. Additionally, a linear relationship was observed between efficiency enhancements and both savings and CO₂ reductions over the months of the year. This study underscores the potential of PCM-based cooling systems to improve PV panel performance, providing valuable insights for energy efficiency, cost savings, and environmental sustainability.