Performance enhancement of solar photovoltaic modules using graphene-enhanced Glauber’s salt eutectic phase change material for advanced thermal management

This study addresses the temperature-induced performance degradation in solar photovoltaic (PV) modules by developing and integrating a graphene-enhanced Glauber’s salt eutectic phase change material (PCM) for advanced thermal management. The composite PCM was synthesized and rigorously characterized using Thermal Conductivity Analysis (TCA), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). These analyses confirmed the material’s superior thermal stability, phase uniformity, and reliable cyclic stability, crucial for long-term thermal energy storage. Comparative outdoor testing was conducted under real-environmental conditions at the KPR Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore, India (11.0834° N, 77.1402° E), utilizing two identical PV modules: a reference panel and a panel integrated with the modified PCM. Under peak irradiance (∼940 W/m²) and an ambient temperature of ∼32.5°C, the PCM-integrated module consistently operated 5–7°C cooler. This thermal mitigation resulted in a significant electrical efficiency enhancement, achieving a peak efficiency of 13.4% compared to 11.4% for the conventional reference panel. The sustained lower operating temperature also led to measurable improvements in key electrical parameters, including the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current (Isc). The primary contribution of this work is the experimental validation of a graphene-enhanced Glauber’s salt composite PCM that effectively mitigates PV thermal stress, establishing a scalable and sustainable pathway toward improving solar energy harvesting and offering potential for broader thermal applications.

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