Solar PV Module Design

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The Solar PV Module Design project aims to design a solar PV module that lowers operating temperatures, increases power output and improves a system’s lifespan to further increase solar’s competitiveness.Key resultsThe project brought together the established expertise in cell and module design at UNSW, with the materials scene and manufacturing expertise of partner 3M Ltd and innovators at Australian company 5B Pty Ltd. Models were developed that assessed several proposed technologies for module cooling including the addition of mechanical fins (Vortex Generators) on the backs of the modules, attachment of thermally conductive tape, and the texturing of glass surfaces. The leading approaches were the Vortex Generators and glass texturing. Vortex Generator technology could reduce the levelised cost of energy by 5 to 8% if implemented as an add-on during module manufacturing with a 2 to 3 degree celsius cooling benefit. Glass texturing technology could reduce the levelised cost of electricity by 3 to 15%. This technology can only be implemented when manufacturing PV modules. This project has led to the submission of patent applications on the module cooing technology.

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