Study on enhancing the efficiency of solar panels using condensate water recovered from air conditioner evaporator

Under the tropical climate conditions of Ho Chi Minh City, the average ambient temperature of approximately 35.6°C causes the surface temperature of photovoltaic (PV) panels to gradually rise from 45°C ± 2°C under solar irradiance levels ranging from 800 to 1000 W/m², thereby reducing the system’s efficiency and durability. This study applies an active cooling solution using forced water spraying, in which domestic water (25–30°C) is mixed with condensate water from air-conditioning evaporator units (10–15°C) to produce a cooling source with a temperature range of 17.5–22.5°C. The experimental model shows that this method maintains a conversion efficiency of approximately η ≈ 19.5% to 20.08 and a power output close to the theoretical value, outperforming natural convection (~18.15%). The results demonstrate the feasibility of the mixed-water cooling system under hot and humid climatic conditions, contributing to improved energy harvesting efficiency and enhanced operational stability of the PV panels.