Performance enhancement of solar pv using octacosane phase change material: an energy and exergy analysis

Abstract Recent developments in solar panel systems emphasise the need to enhance their efficiency. However, a rise in PV panel temperature creates a major hindrance to enhance efficiency. In this regime, researchers have employed different cooling techniques; notably, the utilisation of phase change material (PCM) is extensively recognised. The present study proposes the use of cost-effective C 28 H 58 Octacosane as PCM in PV panels to enhance the cooling performance. Solar photovoltaic panels, each capable of producing up to 10 W of electricity, are utilized for the experiments. Additionally, the effects of different tilt angles (15°, 23°, 30°) on cooling performance are also investigated. Temperature dispersion over the front surfaces are also analysed. The findings demonstrate that the largest temperature dispersion is seen in the front segment of the PV panels, whereas the PCM panel exhibits the most uniformly low temperatures. A typical temperature reduction in the PV PCM 5.4% at 15°, 14.9% at 23°, and 11.6% at 30° is observed. Additionally, C 28 H 58 Octacosane PCM with 18 mm thickness exhibits 16.47% growth in the generation of electrical power in comparison to the reference panel (PV-R). At an angle of inclination of 23°, the PV-PCM panel demonstrates a 17.43% increase in average efficiency compared to PVR. The maximum exergy efficiency of PV-PCM systems increased by 18.10%. At 23° best result is obtained as this angle is close to the latitude of Aizawl, Mizoram. Finally, the efficacy of the present study was examined by comparing the output values with existing literature.