Solar energy conversion module research

Abstract

<p>Due to climate change, decreasing and rising costs of fossil resources, and geopolitical factors, renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly important. The use of solar energy may be one of the solutions. The rapid development of this energy sector encourages the search for ways to increase the efficiency of these modules. One of the simplest methods would be to collect the heat reflected by the module and use it in other processes, while simultaneously reducing the surface temperature of the photovoltaic module and optimizing its operating conditions. On sunny summer days, the overheating of photovoltaic modules can significantly affect the total amount of electricity generated by a solar power plant. This article analyzes the characteristics of three different hybrid solar energy conversion module designs. The research was conducted in 2024 in Kaunas district (Lithuania) under solar irradiance of 800-1000 W·m-2. The symbiosis of the photovoltaic solar energy module with an air solar collector allowed the efficiency of the solar energy conversion process to be increased to 62.6 ± 1.2%. In parallel with the electrical energy flow, an additional heat flux of 481 ± 10 W·m-2 was generated, which can successfully be used in drying or heating technologies. The hybrid solar energy conversion module design also created conditions for cooling the photovoltaic module and providing more favorable operating conditions: the surface temperature of the photovoltaic module decreased from 55.58 ± 0.81 °C to 39.31 ± 0.73 °C.</p>