StegoSolar v2 – enhanced solar PV performance through passive cooling

This project is focused on optimizing photovoltaic system performance by integrating an optimum fin configuration for passive cooling. The choice and design of the fin is to ensure the configuration provides optimum passive heat dissipation at low cost towards sustainable energy development and poverty alleviation. With no moving parts this would be free from mechanical problems. As a passive device with no external energy requirements, it provides robust solutions to ensuring the PV system performs optimally in comparatively higher ambient temperature environments where the PV cell temperature can increase more than 30°C above ambient conditions. The reduction in PV cell temperature as is well established in literature, improves the conversion efficiency leading to a comparatively lower unit cost of electricity generated and a shorter payback period on investment. The chosen location for this project is Nigeria in Sub-Saharan Africa where peak ambient temperature ranges between 30.7--36.0°C. Here, almost 40% of the population have no access to electricity with the roughly 60% with access facing challenges of comparatively high cost per kW and intermittent power supply leading to widespread significant use of fossil fuel-based power generators. With anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission increasing global climate change, it is imperative that opportunities for clean renewable energy is explored and developed. Nigeria with all these challenges in electricity generation has abundant solar energy resources. However, this abundant solar resource comes with associated heat that impacts the electricity conversion efficiency of PV cells due to rise in surface temperature. To improve clean energy access in this sub-Saharan African country facing myriad energy problems, we propose the integration of an optimum fin design with PV systems towards passive cooling and enhancement of the conversion efficiency. The purpose is to achieve a lower unit cost of electricity and shorter payback. To achieve this, we will carry out numerical evaluation of the proposed integrated system for its theoretical performance. Once ascertained, a laboratory prototype would be developed and tested under laboratory conditions to ascertain experimental performance. Afterwards, the prototype system will be tested under real conditions in Nigeria to validate its real performance for adoption in the region. Critical to our design is the fins would be made from cheap, available, and highly conductive materials such as aluminium, copper, or a comparative alloy, to ensure that the optimization is done cost effectively with zero maintenance requirements by the end users to encourage its adoption.