Enhancing the performance of photovoltaic using exhausted air from thermal comfort spaces

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental investigation using the exhaust air from the central air conditioning system as cooling air for the PV modules. Experimental tests were conducted under harsh outdoor weather conditions in Baghdad, Iraq, during the summer session, where the recorded ambient temperature was around 33 to 47 °C. In this study, the exhaust air was flowing in the back side of the PV module to reduce the operating temperature of the PV module and thus improve its performance and electrical efficiency. The results show that the temperature of the PV module decreased from 62.42 to 47.42 °C, the output voltage increased from 14.28 to 16.17 V, the generated electrical power increased from 80.39 to 87.89 W, and the electrical efficiency increased from 13.88% to 15.18%. Overall, the enhancement percentage of the PV temperature, voltage, power, and electrical efficiency is 23.7%, 13%, 9.33%, and 9.33%, respectively, compared to the PV module without cooling.