Study of Photovoltaic/Thermal Systems with MgO-Water Nanofluids Flowing over Silicon Solar Cells

Solar photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) applications can provide heat and electricity at the same time and thus improve the conversion efficiency of solar energy. In this paper nanofluids have been applied to the top of silicon photovoltaic panel to cool down solar cells and collect heat. Nanofluids with different mass fractions have been prepared and their optical properties have been measured. The results show that the transmittance of visible lights decreases with the mass fraction and the film thickness. The solar cell temperature, the temperature difference between the entrance and outlet, and the output power of solar cells within the PV/T system have been studied. Although the electrical efficiency of the PV/T system is lower than the bare PV module, the overall energy conversion efficiency of the PV/T system is higher.