LAUSR

Several studies state that phase change material (PCM) improves the electrical power and efficiency of the photovoltaic (PV) module. To find the suitable PCM for tropical climatic conditions, multi-PCMs are examined simultaneously with melting temperatures of 31 °C, 35 °C, 37 °C, and 42 °C. In this study, PCM containers are integrated behind the PV module with a thickness of 50 mm. The performance of the multi PV-PCMs is monitored year-round and compared with PV-noPCM. The experimental results show that the selected four PCMs performed the cooling process autonomously in all the climates, such as PCM with a melting temperature of 37 °C and 42 °C enhanced the higher cooling rate in summer, and the same PCMs failed to achieve a higher cooling rate in winter. The lowest temperature drop was noted for pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons due to the low irradiance. On the other hand, the highest temperature drop of 16.33 °C is observed for pre-summer (March) and 15.7 °C, and 17.14 °C for summer (April) as compared to PV-noPCM. The results of the present investigation highlight the requirement for choosing the proper PCM melting temperature based on optimal year-round performance. Further, it is recommended that a single PCM melting temperature for cooling the PV modules year-round in tropical climates is inappropriate, and instead, a cascaded structure with different PCM melting temperatures is recommended.