Comparative experimental assessment of water cooling, PCM , and porous media for Photovoltaic‐Trombe walls

Abstract This study investigates ways to enhance the performance of the PV/Trombe wall (PVTW) system using three thermal management strategies: phase change materials (PCM), porous media (PM), and water cooling. The results indicate that the use of a water‐cooling system combined with fans effectively reduced the photovoltaic (PV) panel temperature by 9.2°C to 11.6°C compared to the systems employing PCM and PM with fans under similar conditions. This temperature reduction was observed at 1:00 p.m. Furthermore, the average temperature difference inside the experimental chamber equipped with the water‐cooling system ranged between 6.7°C and 8.2°C for the systems utilizing PCM and PM, respectively, also recorded at 1:00 p.m. The results also showed that fan‐assisted water cooling significantly improved electrical efficiency (13.44%) and thermal efficiency (66.94%), outperforming phase change materials and porous media. PCM demonstrated moderate buffering capability, while porous media showed the weakest thermal regulation. The study concludes that water cooling, especially under forced convection, is the most effective strategy for maintaining low PV surface temperatures and improving energy output. The findings support integrating hybrid cooling methods in future PVTW designs for optimal performance.