Preliminary Study of Solar PV Characteristics Cooled by Water
Spray
Putu Wijaya Sunu
1a
, Daud Simon Anakottapary
1b
, I Dewa Made Susila
1c
,
I Dewa Gede Agus Triputra
1d
, I Nyoman Edi Indrayana
2
, Asrori
3e
, Andoko
4f
, Ketut Suarsana
5
and C. Bambang Dwi Kuncoro
6g
1
Mechanical Engineering Department, Bali State Polytechnic, Badung, Bali, Indonesia
2
Electrical Engineering Department, Bali State Polytechnic, Badung, Bali, Indonesia
3
Mechanical Engineering Department, Malang State Polytechnic, Malang, Jawa Timur, Indonesia
4
Mechanical Engineering Department, Malang State University, Malang, Jawa Timur, Indonesia
5
Mechanical Engineering Department, Udayana University, Badung, Bali, Indonesia
6
Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Energy Engineering Department, National Chin-Yi University and Technology,
Taiwan
Keywords: Solar PV, Automatic Cooling, Water Spray, Nominal Power.
Abstract: The efficiency of the solar PV array will decrease significantly as the temperature of the surface module
exceeds a certain limit a nominal value. To handle the efficiency problem, it is important to control the surface
temperature of solar PV. This study investigated the effect of the surface temperature of solar PV array
modules due to automatic water spray cooling installed on the top roof of a residential structure in the
Denpasar area. The performance indicator were then compared to that of the case without a water spraying
cooling system. A thermostat is an automatic controlling system of cooling mechanism to keep the surface of
solar PV temperature nearly to the ambient temperature. In this experiment, the surface temperature was kept
at approximately around 33
0
C with the active cooling system by the water spraying technique focus on the
front surface of the PV module. The result presented an increase of PV voltage by 4.69% on average.
Consequently, the output power produced by the cooled PV array module increase is 107.14 W against 94.01
W for the non-cooled PV array.
1 INTRODUCTION
To limit the use of fossil fuels and reduce the carbon
footprint of the global electricity system requires
comprehensive policies on production and incentives
to stimulate growth in renewable energy use.
Electricity generation from solar energy resources
which is utilizing solar radiation with solar panels as
alternative energy offers many advantages namely
cheap, pollutant-free, and environmentally friendly
a
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6915-0475
b
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7856-6512
c
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2567-9932
d
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9422-7876
e
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9414-3015
f
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1923-2445
g
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5054-2794
energy. Solar PV is a very promising energy
instrument for the sustainability of energy
development (Jager-Waldau, 2019; Meral et al.
2011). Power generated by solar energy is a function
of the PV module efficiency, and several other factors
i.e., cell materials, photovoltaic system devices,
environmental factors. Special attention is paid to
environmental factors, hot climatic conditions, long
periods of sunshine, and high ambient temperatures
which is given a very dominant factor influence on
Wijaya Sunu, P., Simon Anakottapary, D., Dewa Made Susila, I., Dewa Gede Agus Triputra, I., Nyoman Edi Indrayana, I., Asrori, ., Andoko, ., Suarsana, K. and Bambang Dwi Kuncoro, C.
Preliminary Study of Solar PV Characteristics Cooled by Water Spray.
DOI: 10.5220/0010947000003260
In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Applied Science and Technology on Engineering Science (iCAST-ES 2021), pages 429-433
ISBN: 978-989-758-615-6; ISSN: 2975-8246
Copyright
c
 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
429

the efficiency and power of PV module. With
environmental conditions as described above, there is
a reduction in the quantity of energy that is converted
into useful energy by about 31%. The rest of it will be
changed into heat energy which will affect the surface
temperature of the PV panel. This condition will
decrease the PV module lifespan and energy
conversion efficiency (Idoko et al., 2018).
Several introductory articles regarding the solar
PV cooling method as a solution to the overheating of
PV surface temperatures describe below. It is well
recognized that the number of efficiency can be
reached by keeping the surface panel temperature.
(Moharram et al., 2013) the investigation was made
to reveal the phenomena of cooling the PV module
using water spraying, this study also revealed how
long to decrease the temperature of the surface
temperature to 35
0
C. From the data, it specifies the
PV energy output was highest when surface
temperature commenced around 45
0
C. In the study by
(Schiro et al., 2017), for controlling the temperature
and reaching the maximum module performance, the
researcher studied the opportunity of a cooling system
method without varying the original PV structure.
They observed the specified methods to maintain the
temperature of the front panel with watering. The
result shows, the method applied in this experiment
could recover both the economic and performance
aspect of the PV system. (Sajjad et al. 2019) expected
to increase the efficiency and performance. A special
cooling system developed by placing PV modules in
the refrigerated duct of a buildings. The performance
was made for one PV module cooled by refrigerated
air and the other one was non-cooled. The cooled PV
performance reaches 6% higher compared to that of
the without cooling system. Also, the efficiency
reached 7.2% better. In another research an
investigation of applied water as cooling medium by
(Abdolzadeh and Ameri, 2009). The aims of the study
were to decrease the PV module surface temperature.
In the case of spraying, it is usual use a water pump.
The experiment data shows a significant electrical
power increase of the solar PV. Off course this
phenomenon will causes the efficiency of the system
better. An investigation by (Kordzadeh, 2010), a thin
water film layer generated by spraying water at
surface area of PV to reduce the PV array
temperature. In this test rig, the pump flows the
cooling water to the surface of PV module. The
results confirmed that the improvement of PV module
efficiency.
To increase the efficiency of the PV module array,
another active cooling was preserve using a heat
exchanger. (Ceylan et al., 2014) an approach was
agreed out to deliver active cooling using a spiral heat
exchanger. The HX was stationed on the module. The
result designates 13% module efficiency increased
with this HX cooling approach. A HX use as a precool
the ambient air. This is an alternative cooling system
employs. This method is used to cool the back surface
of a PV panel. A good agreement was found to
decrease the temperature from 55
0
C to 42
0
C
(Elminshawy et al., 2019). Another active cooling
method that is applicate from the back surface of PV
modules using HX proposed by (Bahaidarah et al.
2013). The result found 9% of efficiency. This
method assisted to decrease the module temperature
significantly. For residential PV, another alternative
cooling system method was proposed using channels
which is placed under the flat of solar panel. In this
schema, the thermal power exchanging take place
between water circulation in/out from a tank for
domestic hot water applications in England by (Peng,
2017). (Irwan et al. 2013) proposed a cooling system
with the force convection system applied using a fan
for air cooling. A good agreement on the amount of
energy saving was accomplished. Another progress in
fan cooling to reduce the temperature of PV modules
by (Teo et al. 2012). In this experiment, the back side
of the PV panel was tailored with an arrangement of
air channel and found around 14% efficiency.
It can be summarized from the literature study
done by many researchers that using water as a
cooling media, found to be effective to increase the
solar PV power. Therefore, the objective of this study
is to build a cooling system using the spraying
technique to controlled the surface of solar cells
temperature from overheating problematic.
2 EXPERIMENTAL METHODS
A water tank with a capacity of 120L is considered to
provide a supply cooling system of a PV panel
(Figure 1). Water is pumped through the pipe system
by a centrifugal pump. Ten nozzles were placed on
the edge of solar PV which is spraying the water to
the surface of solar PV. The solar PV was cooled
during the optimum solar irradiance intensity of a day
period of 2.5 hours, from 11:00 a.m. to 01:30 p.m., in
May 2021 at Denpasar city, Bali, Indonesia. The
experimental setup comprises two solar PV units.
Every solar PV unit has 72 monocrystalline silicon
cells. The load is about 50 W. The unit’s specification
is presented in Table 1.
iCAST-ES 2021 - International Conference on Applied Science and Technology on Engineering Science
430

Table 1: Spesification of the PV panel.
Parameter of PV panel Spesification
Cell type Monocrystalline Si
Number of cells 72
Maximum power (Pmax) 220 W
Current at P max/ Isc 5.73A
Voltage at P max/ Voc 47.00V
Dimensions of module (mm) 1320 x 992 x 40
The graphic of the test experimental setup is
shown in Fig.1.
Figure 1: Sketch of water spray cooling system of the solar
PV.
The PV panel is placed at a proclivity angle around
15
0
to the flat surface. The positioning of solar PV
depends on geographical conditions. Besides that in
the meantime of spraying, this inclination will
prevent puddles on the surface of solar PV. The
experiments were carried out for cut-off surface
temperature around 33
0
C. Temperature
measurements were taken every second from some
point in the surface of the PV module with K-type
thermocouples and logged with a data logger.
Meanwhile, electrical parameters were taken via
Bluetooth communication for every 30 s.
3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Firstly, the data were conducted under relatively high
radiation intensities at noon. The increase of PV-
surface temperature was logged under these solar
irradiances without any cooling system. The data was
then compared to that of the surface temperature of
solar PV 33
0
C. The water flow rate considered for the
spray cooling is 4 l/min of all PV surface area.
Figure 2: The time series of PV surface temperature (for
without-cooled).
Figure 2 shows the temperature of the PV surface as
a function of time. It can be seen, that the temperature
increased gradually by increased of time. The
temperature of the PV panel surface for the uncooled
PV system is varied and reached a maximum of about
51.5
0
C. The panel cooled down by the spray water
cooling systems and maintain the surface temperature
around 33
0
C with a deviation of about 2
0
C as shown
in Fig 3.
Figure 3: The time series of PV surface temperature (for
33
0
C conditions).
The spray technique is effective to reduce the PV
surface temperature by reducing the reflection of
electromagnetic radiations and the efficiency of solar
PV are strongly correlated with the solar spectrums.
(Hadipour, 2021). Fig. 4 shows the time series of
voltage values of the duty cycle on the experiment
period. As shown in fig.4, by decreasing the surface
temperature of PV, the voltage produced by the solar
PV increase.
Preliminary Study of Solar PV Characteristics Cooled by Water Spray
431

Figure 4: The time series of PV voltage (for without-cooled
and 33
0
C conditions).
The maximum electrical voltage significantly
increases, by decreasing the surface solar PV
temperature. The changes in the maximum current of
the PV panel can be observed in Fig.5. It is also
revealed, the water spraying cooling technique is
more effective to increase the current in a high solar
irradiation environment.
Figure 5: The time series of PV current (for without-cooled
and 33
0
C conditions).
Fig. 6 described the time series of the electrical power
generated by solar PV for all variables in this
research. As described in this figure, the average
electrical power output of 94.01 W. On the other
hand, the average electrical power output is 107.29 W
for the cooled PV panel can be achieved by using a
steady water spraying cooling system. The more
decreases of the surface PV temperature, the more
increases power output.
Figure 6: The time series of PV power (for without-cooled
and 33
0
C conditions).
The spray cooling technique has the better
performance on the electrical parameter but they're
still need to investigate about the electrical
efficiencies for both cases. So, it is strongly suggested
to use the water spraying technique for maintaining
the PV panel's temperature.
4 CONCLUSIONS
To cool the PV panels, this research proposed a
technique using spray water. The experimental setup
has been arranged to find the correlation of cooling
the PV surface on the electrical parameter. It can be
determined from the results that:
1. The application of a cooling system by means
of spray cooling is very possible.
2. Based on the concern operating conditions
the average power for cooled PV surface is
107.29 W, and 94.01 W for non-cooled PV
surface. It has a strong correlation between
the output electrical energy and surface PV
temperature.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to express sincere gratitude to
Kemdikbud-Ristek, Republic of Indonesia for
research fund, No. 180/E4.1/AK.04.PT/2021. Also
Politeknik Negeri Bali with research project number
is No. 31/PG/PL8/2021.
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