Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024.
Solar energy technology uses solar radiation/energy to generate electricity or heat. Solar energy is a renewable and sustainable energy source, which has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential to mitigate climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Therefore, the exploitation of solar radiation has led to the development of a subsequent (solar energy) technology, which is expressed into two types: photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal.
The PV technology involves the use of solar cells to directly convert solar energy into electricity. These cells are typically made from semiconductor materials like silicon. PV systems can be installed on rooftops, solar farms, and even integrated into various structures like windows and facades.The literature documents the economic and environmental evaluations of conventional phase change materials (PCMs), such as paraffin wax, used in photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) systems. Nonetheless, there is limited evidence of bio-based PCM applications within PV-T systems. This study investigates the economic and environmental aspects of employing shea butter as a bio-based PCM in a PV-T setup. The photovoltaic-thermal system integrated with shea butter was designed using the Transient Simulation System (TRNSYS). The shea butter system showed superior economic performance, with a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of US$0.131/kWh, compared with US$0.146/kWh for the paraffin wax system. Its energy costs were also lower than those of the grid and diesel generation in Nigeria. However, the payback period was longer than that of traditional PV systems. Environmentally, shea butter has a global warming potential (GWP) of 0.615 kg CO2e, significantly lower than that of paraffin wax (3.75 kg CO2e).
Renewable energy is abundantly available from the sun, wind, and tidal sources on mother Earth. Solar power is emerging as one of the cleaner and major form of energy generation globally. Developing as well as developed nations are using rooftop as well as ground mounted solar power plants as a dominant alternative to thermal power generation, which is being considered as the major contributor to air pollution worldwide. Around the world, Solar PV energy generation is now an affordable alternative, but achieving maximum efficiency remains challenging due to multiple factors. Dust, dry leaves, bird excreta, and air pollutants might be considered as significant factors that impact the solar panel efficiency. Accumulation of dust particles not only decreases module output but also increases the solar panel temperature by up to 10%, which further decreases power output over time. Various studies concluded that the efficiency decreases by around 30–40%, and the accumulation of moss could reduce the output power by up to 86%. Further, many studies have revealed that regular cleaning is very important to avoid efficiency losses. The present study discusses the design and development of an automated mechanical system that can be fitted or retrofitted to existing or newly installed PV Solar Panel(s) for cleaning applications with minimal water requirement. Specifically designed and programmed to automatically operate/function as per the present conditions for optimum cleaning of the solar panel surface on a regular basis. It will enable the PV Solar Panel to function at maximum efficiency. This system can be mounted on any off grid and on grid solar power plant. The system will be best suited for the standalone installation of PV Solar Panels.
