Thermal modelling and simulation of crystalline silicon solar cells and modules

To develop efficient strategies for mitigating the elevated temperature-induced losses and improving the annual energy yield of solar cells and photovoltaic modules, thermal modelling is of utmost importance. In this contribution, we use rigorous Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations to investigate the steady-state spatial temperature distribution in commercial high-efficiency crystalline silicon PV modules, with particular focus aimed towards studying the impact of various influencing parameters. First, we investigate how heat conduction within an encapsulated solar cell operating at maximum power point is influenced by metallization and surface textures. Then, we study how the operating temperature is affected by the optical power density incident on the PV module and to what extent the natural convection, hence the cooling of the device, is influenced by changing the PV module inclination angle from 0° to 30°. Finally, the forced convection in form of wind is introduced. We demonstrate that forced convection has an even greater beneficial impact at higher wind speeds and larger PV module dimensions, since the transformation of laminar to turbulent wind flow that can occur above the surface of the module contributes to additional cooling.