Integrating Advanced Self-Cleaning Coating and High Thermal Conductive Technologies for Enhancing Solar Photovoltaic Performance in Severe Environment Conditions

Summary

Recent advances in thermal management systems and nanoscale structural design offer a promising avenue for solar energy innovation. The collaborative project outlined effective strategies to enhance and stabilize the performance of solar devices within this framework. Commercial solar cells (SC) typically exhibit restricted efficiency, with only a fraction of the absorbed energy (around 23%- 30%) being converted into electricity, while the remainder is dissipated as heat wastes, elevating the SC temperature and diminishing the output power. Thus, it is imperative to regulate SC temperature by effective and economical dissipation of generated heat. Passive cooling systems as employing heat sinks affixed to the rear side of cells, are utilized to mitigate excess heat and to safeguard from damage. A proficient heat sink can lower SC temperature by around 15°C, boosting output power by 6%. One aspect of the project is the development of Aluminium composites with high fraction of SiC particles as lightweight heat sinks, which shows huge potential for their high thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance.

The power output of SC depends significantly on the incident irradiance reaching the solar cells. However, various environmental factors impinge upon the optimal power output of SC, with environmental conditions notably impacting SC performance. To address this challenge, self-cleaning coatings based on hafnium-zinc oxide have emerged as promising passive cleaning solutions, effectively diminishing dust adhesion rates (up to 90%) and dynamic water resistance owing to unique micro-nano structures and low surface energy. Coating SC with these materials ensures sustained light transmission and mechanical stability, maintaining consistent SC performance over time. The other aspect of this collaborative research aims to advance self-cleaning coatings for improved SC performance, paving the way for breakthroughs in solar energy utilization and architectural glazing.

Achievements

List of Publications from the Project

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