Investigation of the Parameters of Various Types of Photovoltaic Modules Integrated with Main Water Canals

Abstract

Relevance: the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) modules in converting solar energy into electrical energy in hot climate conditions strongly depends on their surface operating temperature: heating up to 80–95 °C reduces the efficiency by 30–35%. Scientific research has proposed several temperature stabilization methods for PV modules, such as cooling by water, antifreeze, propylene glycol, or air, as well as through thermosiphon or micro-channel heat exchangers. However, such solutions increase the overall cost of the systems. Furthermore, the installation of ground-mounted photovoltaic power plants requires substantial investment for land leasing. Therefore, in hot climate regions, the effective use of existing water surfaces—cheaper than land areas—and the utilization of natural evaporative cooling from water flows are of significant practical and scientific importance.

Aim: to determine and analyze the electrophysical and thermal parameters of various types of photovoltaic modules installed above the Oqsuv–Yakkabog main water canal and on land.

Methods: to identify the electrophysical parameters of different types of photovoltaic modules, the following methods were applied: measurement of operating parameters and current–voltage (I–V) and voltage–power (V–P) characteristics; infrared imaging and thermographic analysis of hot spots on the optical surfaces of modules; and statistical processing of multiple experimental datasets.

Results: the study revealed that installing photovoltaic modules above the water surface reduces their operating temperature due to natural cooling, which decreases temperature-related power losses and enhances performance efficiency. It was found that the output power of monocrystalline and polycrystalline modules placed above the canal exceeds that of similar ground-mounted modules by an average of 5–6%. At the same time, bifacial modules demonstrate higher energy generation on land due to the greater ground albedo compared to water surfaces. The obtained results confirm the high potential of integrating photovoltaic systems with water canals and can be applied in the design and large-scale implementation of such systems within the regional power grid.