Improving Photovoltaic Panel Using Finned Plate of Aluminum

Researchers are continually striving to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic panels which contain solar cells that convert light energy to electrical energy. The objective is to improve photovoltaic (PV) efficiency by maintaining it below maximum allowable temperature. Accordingly, the excess in heat must be dissipated efficiently in order to avoid excessive high temperatures, which have an adverse effect on the electrical performance of the cell. Therefore, in this paper an experimental study is presented to enhance the performance of PV panels using Aluminum finned plate, and cooling under natural convection. The use of heat sinks has been conducted to address this problem by using an optimum design of Aluminum finned plate. The results show that the use of an Aluminum finned plate has increased the solar to electrical conversion efficiency by 1.75%, and the output power by 1.86 Watt. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.