- Saadu G. *, Lawal O. A. & Bello B. A.
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Institute of Technology, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin
- DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21443577
The
performance of photovoltaic (PV) systems is significantly affected by operating
temperature, particularly in tropical climates, where elevated module
temperatures reduce conversion efficiency and power output. This study
evaluates the effectiveness of passive thermal regulation using heat sinks on the
performance of an 8 kWp photovoltaic system installed at the Diagnostic Centre
of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Nigeria. Experimental measurements were
carried out under representative operating conditions between 08:00 and 16:00 h
for two distinct scenarios, viz before and after heat sink implementation.
Solar irradiance, ambient temperature, module temperature, output voltage, and
current were monitored. Results showed that the maximum module temperature
decreased from 70°C to 56°C after the introduction of heat sinks, representing
a 14°C reduction. Peak output power increased from 6.32kW to 6.96kW,
corresponding to a power enhancement of 10.02 %. The module efficiency improved
from 15.82% to 17.40%, while the performance ratio increased from 79.05% to
86.98%. Daily energy yield increased from 37.94kWh/day to 41.75kWh/day and
capacity factor improved from 19.8% to 21.7%. The results demonstrate that
passive heat sink cooling offers a simple and cost-effective approach for
mitigating temperature-induced losses in photovoltaic systems operating under
tropical environments. The findings further establish the suitability of
thermal regulation techniques for enhancing energy reliability and operational
efficiency of standalone solar installations used for critical healthcare
applications.
