Volume 11 Issue 3 ( September 2024)

Using renewable alternative energy as a source of electricity is necessary due to the limited supply of fossil fuels. Solar energy is the alternative energy source with the most significant natural supply. Thus, it needs to be utilized to the fullest extent. This energy is easily obtained by using photovoltaic solar panels. The main issue with this energy is that excess heat from the solar panels can reduce the efficiency of the solar cells. Therefore, a cooling system is required to lower the operating temperature of the solar panels. This paper covers the usage of a specific concentration of CuO/water nanofluid as a working fluid. PV/T systems that decrease the operating temperature by 8.5°C, 11.2°C, and 19.7°C were compared to solar panels in terms of performance. The systems included water cooling, CuO/water nanofluid 0.2 vol.% and CuO/water nanofluid 0.4 vol.%, and solar panels without cooling. Compared to solar panels without cooling, a PV/T system with a part volume of 0.4% CuO/water nanofluid produces the most notable results, boosting output power by 6.9 W and efficiency by 1.7%.

Keywords: Solar Energy, PV/T System, CuO/water Nanofluid, Efficiency