Pure speculation- water cooled panels

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bluewickedburner
bluewickedburner Solar Expert Posts: 78 ✭✭✭✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
Maybe this has been discussed before, if so feel free to shut down the thread.

Having learned that heat is an enemy of the most efficient solar power generation couldn't a liquid heat transfer system be used to cool panels from the backside and thus increase their production?

On a large scale the amount of heat generated could be quite large but for a small system cooling the water at the inlet is simple enough and with a closed loop system you wouldn't even need a pump.

This is what happens when you're waiting for parts.
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Pure speculation- water cooled panels

    there are a couple of companies out there that provide cooling for backs of panels, however the cost of adding cooling is more than overwhelmed by just adding more panels if needed to offset the heat issues.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Pure speculation- water cooled panels

    Yes it has been discussed before. Try a search for "panel cooling" or the like.

    Let's revisit it in a brief summary:
    The amount of energy needed to pump the water over the panels exceeds the power gained by the very minor cooling effect.

    Understand that panels are glass and don't effectively conduct heat from the P-N junctions inside the panel where it's produced to the surface for radiation. It gets very hot inside a panel, and the ambient temperature has to be much lower in order to reduce the internal temperature. To be really effective they'd have to be super-cooled, like Winter in the Cariboo. :D That would take far more energy than would be gained.

    It's an eternal problem. If you could make them with finned aluminium backings they'd cool much better. Of course they'd also short out and set your roof on fire, so no gain there. Anything that would insulate the cells from the back electrically will also insulate them thermally. (And you engineers can skip the lectures on heat sink grease as you know that wouldn't be practical. :cool: )
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,448 admin
    #4
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    Re: Pure speculation- water cooled panels

    Here is a discussion thread about "Sun Drum" solar array cooling.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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