HOWTO: Increase efficiency of solar panels

[Harvester]

Hey all,

Would like to start a thread, discussing how to increase the efficiency of solar panels.
I mean low cost mods that help, not huge engineering tasks with complicated structures and sun trackers.

What have YOU done to increase performance?

What I have tried on my 2.88KW grid connected system so far:

1. Using a hose to sprinkle water on the panels increases output by ~340W.
Wander, if it is because of the water layer on the panels, or the reduction
in panel temperature? I have been told that the panels produce more
power in winter than in summer.
Will be playing around with a system soon that will spray the
panels, collect the water down the bottom and feed it back via a
submersed pump.
2. Cleaning the panels
I cannot measure the gain, as it takes a while to clean panels and as
always, when I am done the light intensity has changed because of
clouds or whatever.
There is quiet a bit of muck on them though, such as bird droppings
and dust, so it should make a difference.

Have also been thinking about using products to reduce dirt being able to stick to the surface, like the stuff used on car wind screens.
But the question is, will the nano particles reduce power production?

Would be interested in your experiences

[Michelinho]

Clean solar panels is a must.

Hi Harvester,

What I did, not to increase the power output but I guess I get more because of it, is use Rain-X on all my panels. The panels get cleaned by rain or just a light hose spray every 2 to 3 days, the water just slips down and pull the grim without having to scrub.

Since no wiper rubs it off, I only do the application 2 or 3 times a year.
Rain-X® Original Glass Treatment - Rain-X

Take care,

Michel

[Harvester]

Hi Harvester,

What I did, not to increase the power output but I guess I get more because of it, is use Rain-X on all my panels. The panels get cleaned by rain or just a light hose spray every 2 to 3 days, the water just slips down and pull the grim without having to scrub.

Hi Michel,

Great that you have tried it.
Have you by any chance been able to measure power production before application of Rain-X and afterwards?
Wander if the layer of Rain-X reduces performance in power.

[Michelinho]

Hi Harvester,

Sorry but I did not measure the output before and after the application of Rain-X but my panels don't get dirty as much and when they are covered with a grey film of dust, just a lite spray of water washes them out clean (Bird sh..t is much easier to get rid of). I guess I could setup a small sprinkler system to wash the panel automatically with a daily morning spray like you plan and get a constant power output.

Take care,

Michel

[dutchdivco]

My 'Plan'

To which I will now 'add' Rain-X, thank you very much for that, and Thank you as well for starting this thread, excellent topic.

Reflective material, such as a thin, polished aluminum sheet, is less expensive than solar panel, and doesn't 'wear out'.The more sunlight that strikes the surface of a solar panel, the more electricity it produces. So, my plan involves placing my panels 'next to' a reflective panel, to double the amount of sunlight striking the panel.
'Problem' is, the more sunlight hitting the panel, the hotter it gets; hotter it gets, the less efficient it gets, and if it gets too hot, it stops working.Granted, SOME panels are less heat sensitive than others, and i'm still researching to figure out which type of panel to use, but. My plan is to use tubing, to make a 'heat exchanger' on the backside of the panel; I'll run water or an anti-freese solution thru it; the 'colling fluid' will then run to a radiator, with a fan that will blow air over it.The pump, to circulate the fluid, and the fan will be activated by a thermocouple on the back of the cell, set to 'kick on' at a low enough temp to keep the panel from 'cooking'. I am also seriously considering a peltier unit, attached to the tubing just before the fluid would 'enter' the back of the panel; perhhaps with its thermocouple switch set at a higher temp; this would be 'insurance policy' to insure the panel doesn't cook.
Their are 'aftermarket' electric fans, for putting on cars.They are sold with a thermocouple, to insert into the radiator and turn the fan on and off. But, the same company ALSO sells a Thermostat; so you can set the temp you want your fan to come on and turn off.So, the basic system is all pretty much off-the-shelf components, and shou;ldn't be too expensive.
YES, I'll be using SOME electricity, to run the fan, pump and peltier unit. BUT, if I'm doubling the output of my panel to begin with, I figure I can 'sacrifice' some of that 'extra' power, rather than sacrificing my panel.
Also want to try, in addition to putting the heat exchanger on the back of the panel, putting some aluminum fins, to dissipate the heat.

Anyway, thats the 'essence' of my plan, as it stands now. Haven't actually started to do anything, yet, I just recently aquired the 'structure' i'm going to build this system on.Jim

[Stealth]

All good ideas. I haven't started building mine yet, but I have designed what I think will be a huge improvement over the conventional method of installing solar panels. I plan on building an octagonal upright structure and stand the solar panels verticle on this structure. Using 8 solar panels, one on each of the surfaces. Put a inverted funnel top on it to reduce snow buildup. At a distance, also in an octagonal pattern around the panels, I will install reflective material, angled to reflect light directly onto the panels. This will eliminate any solar tracking. Being in an upright position, they should stay cleaner and cooler, as wind can circulate around them. This should increase their output substantially. Good Luck. stealth

[Harvester]

Being in an upright position, they should stay cleaner and cooler, as wind can circulate around them. This should increase their output substantially.

From what I have heard, air circulation is very important as it cools panels.
The installers, at least in my case, fit the panels the easiest way possible, mounting the brackets on the highest point of my corrugated iron roof.
This gives me an air gap of about, 100mm (4").
Was told that 200-250mm (8-9") would be a lot better.

[DilJalaay]

Hello,
Thank you for starting the thread.

Here i found a link "Solar Panel Mirror Booster 30% increase in power output with mirrors"
Solar Panel Mirror Booster 30% increase in power output with mirrors - YouTube

Kind Regards,
D.J

[DilJalaay]

Hello All,
I have a problem with charging.
My home made S/P produces 2.5A and 22v when i check it directly.
when i put clamps on battery (amp meter in series) it hardly shows a 1A to charge battery.

Also same is with my charge controller.

Any suggestions?


Kind regards,
D.J

[dutchdivco]

Forgot to mention

Since reflective material is much less expensive than panel, can make it bigger than the panel, and reduce the need for tracking.
In my plan, going to have an upside down box made from mylar coated lexan. I say upside down, meaning it will have 4 sides, about 1' high by 4' wide, open on the bottom, 9because its filled with bubble wrap, to act as insulation, and at under that has a 'skylite' lens, with shutter, so that i can also harvest the light, as well as the electricity and heat, from the sunlight.
Anyway, it will then have a hinged panel, 4'x4', that can be hinged to any one of the 4 sides; this is because the structure is a travel trailer, and may be parked at different configurations, in relation to the compass points.
Anyway, the solar panel will be smaller than 4'x4'; like, say,...1'x3'. That way, when its 'up' it will be getting 'direct' sunlight thruout almost the whole day, and 'reflected' sunlight, because even as the sun moves 'up' and 'down' in the sky, and from horizon to horizon, the reflected light will be 'bigger' than the panel. So, for instance, in the a.m. the 'reflected' light may be right at one edge of the solar panel, but be over a foot beyond the other end of the panel, at noon there may be about the same amount of 'extra' reflected light on each end, at the end of the day it may be the opposite of the way it was in the a.m. Granted, I am 'wasting' some of this 'reflected' light, but again, since the reflective surface is 'cheap', and doesn't wear out, in comparison to the solar panel, I'm thinking it will be 'worth' it. Does this make sense? Hard to use words to describe what I'm visualising, but I'm not able to make drawings and post. Oh, and I know you don't get fully twice as much electricity from a panel, by using reflected light, but its definetly quite a bit more, and if you keep the panel cool, as i plan to do, so its most efficient, you get quite a bit more than without reflecting!Jim

[SilverToGold]

John Bedini said that if you place a dark infrared transparent plastic over the solar cell, it greatly boost the power output.

Here is what he was talking about. But these are very pricy.

Optical Cast Infrared (IR) Longpass Filters | Edmund Optics

The infrared energy passes through the cell and provides power.

The remaining visible light does little to provide energy since it is not as well converted by solar cells, but it does heat up the plastic which then emits infrared energy that does convert well by the solar cell.

So overall, the more infrared energy - the better it is converted to electricity by the cell from my understanding.

I've not experimented with this, only repeating what I heard.