A Review on the Photovoltaic Panels: Applications, ‎Modeling and Economic Evaluation with Focusing on ‎the Phase Change Material Cooling Method

A photovoltaic (PV) panel consists of several photovoltaic cells designed to convert solar radiation into electrical energy. Cooling of PV cells is an important task to increase PV panel efficiency, improve output power and optimize performance parameters. There are various methods for PV cooling. Phase change materials (PCMs) can be used to cool PV panels. The integrated system is called PV-PCM system. This paper provides an overview of the history, applications, mathematical modeling and economic evaluation for PV-PCM systems. The focus of this study is on the cooling of the PV cells using PCMs. Furthermore, the other types of PV systems (hybrid systems) are investigated. The effects of main parameters on the performance of PV or PV-PCM systems are investigated, too. Mathematical modeling including thermal and electrical models are presented. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of PV-PCM system and its future overview are discussed. The results discover that the PV panel temperature up to 20 °C and electrical efficiency up to 5% can be reduced by PCM.The results discover that the PV panel temperature up to 20 °C and electrical efficiency up to 5% can be reduced by PCM.