Experimental investigation of a cooling and cleaning system for enhanced photovoltaic panel performance

Paper Title: Experimental investigation of a cooling and cleaning system for enhanced photovoltaic panel performance

Authors: Roua Toujani, Nadia Msadya, Achraf Abdelkafi, Abdelkarim Masmoudi, Lotfi Krichen

Corresponding Author: Achraf Abdelkafi (achraf.abdelkafi@enis.tn), Tunisia

 

Abstract

This paper presents the design and development of a cooling and cleaning system for photovoltaic (PV) installations. The key contribution of this work is the use of an Arduino-controlled closed-loop water circulation system to clean and cool the PV panels. The proposed solution incorporates sensors to measure the temperature, current, and voltage of the PV panels, as well as the water level in the tank. These measurements are used to control the pump’s operation, regulating the flow of water across the PV panels. The study aims to improve the performance of PV systems by addressing two main challenges: the heating of the panels and the accumulation of dust. In regions like the Sahara, dust and sand reduce the efficiency of PV panels, necessitating regular cleaning. To address these issues, a cooling and cleaning prototype was developed. Tests and temperature measurements were performed under identical weather conditions (i.e., the same ambient temperature and solar radiation), demonstrating the effective operation of the proposed system and an improvement in PV efficiency. The automated cooling and cleaning system successfully reduced the panel temperature and boosted the output power to 287.81 W under radiation of 761.13 W/m², resulting in an efficiency of 19.15%. In contrast, under the same radiation, the uncooled panels produced only 283.48 W, yielding an efficiency of 18.86%, a 4.33 W difference.

 

Keywords

Photovoltaic panels, Cooling system, Cleaning, Control, Efficiency

 

Cite:

Toujani, R., Msadya, N., Abdelkafi, A., Masmoudi, A., & Krichen, L. (2025). Experimental investigation of a cooling and cleaning system for enhanced photovoltaic panel performance. Future Technology, 4(1), 29–36. Retrieved from https://fupubco.com/futech/article/view/232