Wind convection coefficient correlations for CPV modules

Heat loss due to convection cooling from photovoltaic modules exposed to the external environment plays an important role in the study of photovoltaic design. It is well documented that thermal loss from external surfaces constitutes a large portion of the energy balance. The present work evaluates forced convective heat transfer from the inclined surface of CPV modules. A series of full-scale measurements in the outdoor environment were made to assess the magnitude and variability of wind-induced convective heat transfer from a CPV module mounted directly on an experimental test rig. This paper investigates the applicable wind coefficient correlations and their pertinence to experimental in-sun data.