Advanced evaporative pad system for enhanced cooling of solar photovoltaic modules

This study develops an innovative cooling method for photovoltaic (PV) panels using a cellulose evaporative pad placed on the rear surface, aiming to improve performance under Saharan conditions. The research evaluates the effect of pad cooling on module temperature, electrical output, and efficiency compared with an uncooled reference panel. The main objective is to determine the optimal distance between the PV panel and the evaporative pad. Experiments involved wetting the cellulose pad and testing different spacings under identical conditions. Results show that the proposed cooling technique effectively reduces PV module temperature and enhances electrical performance. The optimal configuration was found at a 8 cm distance with a water flow rate of 2 L/h, leading to an average temperature reduction of about 17°C and an overall efficiency improvement of approximately 10%. Under this condition, the maximum power output reached 65.96 W, compared with 62.51 W at 4 cm, 61.71 W at 12 cm, and 59 W for the uncooled module. The 8 cm configuration also produced the highest improvement rate of about 11.79% and increased efficiency from 13.11% (control) to 14.41%.