Enhancing photovoltaic performance and efficiency by innovative cooling system of sawdust: Experimental investigation

Abstract Photovoltaic (PV) panel overheating conditions represent a crucial problem since temperature elevations above standard test conditions (STC) decrease productivity and operational lifespan. The research explores experimental methods to reduce PV panel working temperatures. A water spray cooling system operated on natural sawdust fibers, which were positioned behind the photovoltaic (PV) system surface. The cooling process achieves heat dispersion from PV surfaces through evaporation. Testing was done on three PV modules under standard conditions, including a bare PV system, a (PV/W) system cooled by dushing way, and a third (PV/SW) system covered by a novel sawdust rear layer. The surface temperature assessment revealed that the novel PV/SW system attained a reduction of 27% compared to the bare PV system and 16% relative to the PV/W system. The temperature reduction from the novel PV/SW system produced a 43% improvement in average electrical efficiency relative to the standard PV system and achieved improved efficiency by 12% above the (PV/W) system. Implementing sawdust layers on the PV panel surface produced prolonged wet conditions that boosted its cooling power. The authors examined the temperature uniformity of their cooling technique because uneven heat distribution could cause significant panel damage.