Investigating the Effects of Solar Tracking Systems on Thermal Profile of Photovoltaic Modules

The world tends to rely more on solar photovoltaic energy as a reliable and affordable source of clean energy. The temperature of solar cells is one of the main factors affecting the efficiency of PV modules. The experimental study investigated the effects of solar tracking systems (STS) on their thermal profile under real-world harsh environmental conditions in Dammam city, Saudi Arabia, on a sunny day for different configurations of STS such as fixed-tilt PV module (FTPV), single-axis solar tracking system (SAST), and dual-axis solar tracking system (DAST), simultaneously. The experimental results proved that various STS have a noticeable effect on the temperature of PV modules. Differences in back-surfaces temperature between SAST and DAST compared to FTPV were recorded as 3.77% and 4.57%, respectively, while peak temperature differences of about 4.13 °C and 4.5 °C, respectively. In addition, differences in front-surfaces temperature of 2.59 °C and 5.1 °C were recorded between SAST and DAST compared to FTPV, respectively. Although the temperature profiles of the front-surfaces and back-surfaces of PV modules differed, both systems depicted similar thermal profiles. It was observed that during the solar noontime, the temperature differences were not significant, while differences in temperature profiles raised again toward the end of the day. The effect of wind speed on the temperature profiles of PV modules based on the STS was also investigated. The presented work contributes to the body of knowledge by providing insight into the effects of STS under real environmental conditions on the thermal performance of PV modules.