Impact of Different Rooftop Coverings on Photovoltaic Panel Temperature

Photovoltaic(PV)panels are essential to the global transition towards sustainable energy,offering a clean,renewable source that reduces reliance on fossil fuels and mitigates climate change.High temperatures can significantly affect the performance of photovoltaic(PV)panels by reducing their efficiency and power output.This paper explores the consequential effect of various rooftop coverings on the thermal performance of photovoltaic(PV)panels.It investigates the relationship between the type of rooftop covering materials and the efficiency of PV panels,considering the thermal performance and its implications for enhancing their overall performance and sustainability.The study compares four rooftop covering materials:wooden flakes packs(both dry and wet),polystyrene,and woolen insulation.The measurements were implemented under Iraqi weather conditions.The comparison was based on the PV panels’thermal behavior and its impact on conversion efficiency.The results revealed that covering the roof beneath the installed PV panels reduces their temperature and increases efficiency.The best performance was observedwhen placingwetwooden flakes beneath the panels,with an efficiency increase of 5%.Moreover,thewoolen insulation offered an efficiency rise of 12%near sunset.Themain outcome of thiswork is that the wet–wooden–flakes showed the best performance improvement of the PV panels.

Waste Heat Recovery from a Drier Receiver of an A/C Unit Using Thermoelectric Generators

Thermoelectric generators(TEGs)are considered promising devices for waste heat recovery from various systems.The Seebeck effect can be utilized to generate power using the residual heat emitted by the filter dryer receiver(FDR)of an air conditioning(A/C)system,which would otherwise go to waste.The study aims to build a set of thermoelectric generators(TEG)to collect the waste heat of the FDR and generate low-power electricity.A novel electrical circuit with two transformers is designed and fabricated to produce a more stable voltage for operation and charging.The thermoelectric generator(TEGs)was installed on the FDR of the A/C unit.The test showed that climate conditions have a significant impact on the output power generated from the system.The results showed that the peak voltage recorded in the current study is 5.2 V per day(wet,cold,and wind weather)with an output power of 0.2 W.These values are acceptable for powering the load and charging a single battery with 3.5 V as the voltage increases battery 0.1 V/20 min charge.A case study of operating the emergency signs in a building was considered.The current heat recovery system is deemed to be easily installed and can be connected to a network of TEGs to produce more power.