Enhanced electrical performance in a solar photovoltaic module using V-trough concentrators

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) Vol. 148; pp. 605 - 613
• Main Authors: Michael, Jee Joe, Iqbal, S. Mohamed, Iniyan, S., Goic, Ranko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Air conditioners; Air conditioning; Concentrators; Electric power; Electricity generation; Glazing; Illumination; Incidence angle; Lamination; Metal sheets; Noon; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaics; PV cooling; PV module; Ray-tracing; Silicon; Solar cells; Solar concentrator; Studies; V-trough; PV cooling; PV module; Ray-tracing; Solar concentrator; V-trough
• ISSN: 0360-5442; 1873-6785
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2018.01.101

The electrical performance of a novel solar photovoltaic collector fabricated by lamination of silicon PV cells onto a copper metal sheet using EVA as the bond material and adding a single water channel underneath was further improved by using V-trough booster reflector mirrors. From the ray-tracing analysis, it was observed that under fixed tilt of 13°, the one-mirror arrangement even though of less concentration provides uniform illumination for seven months, whereas the two-mirror arrangement does not provide uniform illumination in any month except June. The non-uniform illumination on the solar photovoltaic collector due to different incidence angles throughout the day, can be minimized by increasing the length of the reflector mirrors by 2.82 times the length of the modified PV module. Experimental results show that due to the fixed tilt of the V-trough concentrator and the reflection losses on the glazing, the increase in electrical power was realized only for a duration of 90–120 min around solar noon in one-mirror arrangement and for about 60 min around solar noon in the two-mirror arrangement. The higher power output observed for the fixed tilt V-trough concentrator during peak noon conditions is favourable for peak noon demand such as air-conditioning, irrigation, etc. •Water was allowed to flow through a channel beneath a copper direct-laminated PV module.•Without glazing provided higher electrical output than with glazing.•Two-mirror reflectors with fixed tilt provided higher electrical output only for a short time.•Forced cooling showed marginal improvement in electrical performance.•On an annual-average, one-mirror reflector provided uniform illumination in fixed tilt.