CFD model of the heat transfer processes in an offshore photovoltaic panel

Abstract

Solar energy has become increasingly important in recent years. The installed capacity has increased over the years, and today solar energy represents a significant part of the renewable energy contribution. One of the handicaps of photovoltaic panels is the cooling process. The panels are susceptible to overheating, which leads to a reduction in efficiency. One of the ways to mitigate this problem is to install the photovoltaic panels offshore, where cooling is more efficient, thus increasing power generation. Due to the lack of in-depth analysis of numerical models for studying heat transfer in offshore photovoltaic panels in the literature, this work proposes a computational fluid dynamics model to analyse the thermal performance of an offshore photovoltaic panel. The numerical model was used to characterize the heat transfer processes. The model was validated with experimental data from an onshore panel setup, where key parameters such as solar radiation, inlet air temperature, and solar cell temperature were measured. A comparison between onshore and offshore installations was made. The model showed that the average solar cell temperature in offshore conditions is 39.11°C, compared to 45.5°C for onshore panels. Over a day analysed, the average efficiency improved from, 10.7% to 11.2%. The research also highlighted the critical role of water temperature in affecting the thermal performance of PV panels. The potential impact on the marine ecosystem due to increases in water temperature was found to be negligible, supporting the sustainability of offshore PV systems. These results demonstrate the advantages of offshore photovoltaic systems over traditional onshore ones, contributing to the advancement of sustainable energy solutions.