Indoor Test Performance of PV Panel through Water Cooling Method

The purpose of this paper is discussed about how to increase the electrical efficiency of the photovoltaic (PV) panel in indoor test. The performance of PV panel depends on the environmental factors, which is solar radiation and operating temperature. These environmental factors will be reduced the electrical efficiency of PV panel due to increase in operating temperature of PV panel. The solar simulator is set up on a steel frame is used to lift all the halogen lamp bulbs. The halogen lamp bulbs act as a natural sunlight. Four sets of average solar radiation at the test surface of the solar simulator are measured as 413, 620, 821 and 1016 W/m(2). A DC water pump is used to overcome the problem of low efficiency of PV panel with water flow over the front surface of PV panel. This water cooling mechanism is one way to enhance the efficiency of PV panel for maintaining a low operating temperature during its operation period. The experimental results mentioned that the decrement of operating temperature and increase the power output of the PV panel with water cooling mechanism based on different fixed of solar radiation. The water spraying can be reduced heat on the front surface of the PV panel. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.