Comparative Analysis of Solar Panel Output Power Using Water Coolant and Super Coolant in an Immersion Method

Abstract

Indonesia has significant potential for New and Renewable Energy (NRE), including 450 MW of micro-hydro, 50 GW of biomass, 4.8 kWh/m²/day of solar energy, 3–6 m/s of wind energy, and 3 GW of nuclear energy. One form of NRE widely used by the public is solar energy harnessed through solar panel technology. A solar panel, or solar cell, is a device consisting of a collection of solar cells that absorb sunlight and convert it into electrical energy. Solar panels operate optimally at a normal ambient temperature of around 25℃. If the temperature of the solar panel rises above 25℃, its power output will decrease. For every 1°C increase, the efficiency of the solar panel decreases by 0.44%. This issue is addressed through a cooling method known as immersion. Immersion utilizes two cooling media: water coolant and super coolant. In this study, four experiments were conducted, in which the solar panels were immersed in each coolant using volumes of 3 and 6 liters. The results show that the maximum temperature reached with both types of coolant was essentially the same at 43°C. The voltage generated by both immersion methods was also the same at 17.2 volts. Super coolant immersion produced a current 0.14 A greater than water coolant immersion, with a maximum current of 1.15 A.