Solar photovoltaic cooling using Paraffin phase change material: Comprehensive assessment

Cooling with phase change material has been identified as one of the most promising cooling approaches for lowering solar photovoltaic module temperature and enhancing system performance. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the specific contribution of Paraffin based phase change material with its prospective thermal enhancement strategies in solar photovoltaic cooling systems has not been reported. This study comprising four phases aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the use of Paraffin-based phase change materials, an active cooling approach and metal oxide-based nanoparticles in solar photovoltaic cooling systems through the use of recent and relevant research studies. The comprehensive and comparative discussions, in contrast to former reviews, are provided at the end of each phase to summarize their technical considerations. Furthermore, for each examined study, limitations and implications are discussed in order to identify research gaps for further improvements. This comprehensive assessment findings show that a Paraffin-based phase change material cooling approach can cope with a greater drop in solar photovoltaic module temperature ranging from 3 to 26.6 °C, which stimulates an increase in module electrical efficiency ranging from 1 to 56 %. Challenges and environment impact of the existing systems are summarized. Opportunities and future perspective in this field pave the way for utilizing the possibilities for developing more thermal efficient and economic viable solar photovoltaic cooling systems for a sustainable environment.