Photovoltaic performance with three-position tracking and enhanced heat sink cooling system

The paper presents an original comparative analysis of the photovoltaic modules by combining solar tracking systems with fins and radiative cooling paint, which allows a unique comparative assessment of the contribution of each of these systems to reduce the electricity loss due to the cooling capacity contributed by the fins of the radiative cooling paint-and these have never been discussed in the literature. The experimental results show that the proposed SAST (SAST + fins + coating) system has higher peak voltage and current throughout the day, as it increases the amount of solar energy captured and increases output power. This is particularly beneficial for all solar applications, whether connected to a utility or not, as it helps achieve reliable power with higher conversion efficiency. At the three measured time points, 09:00, 12:00, and 15:00, the proposed system’s temperature analysis indicates that this system operates at slightly lower temperatures (38 °C, 47.0 °C, and 41.4 °C) than the fixed PV system (42.9 °C, 51.5 °C, and 44.9 °C), respectively. This small thermal benefit increases operational efficiency and reduces heat losses during the hours of maximum sun exposure. Under potentially stressful thermal conditions, the temperature difference between the two systems can be enormous, which provides a clear indication that the proposed SAST system with cooling technique can indeed maintain efficient and reliable thermal management in the long term. The integration of fins in the SAST system and the radiative coating resulted in the module temperature being less by 11.28, 10.81, and 11.11% than the fixed module. Its efficiency increased by 2.26, 2.27, and 1.64% over the fixed module for the three tested PV positions. The combination of easily applicable natural cooling methods indicates a viable and more efficient approach to enhance PV efficiency compared to deploying more complex methods.