The Effect of Adding a Heatsink as a Coolant to Increasing Output Power at Solar Panels

The utilization of solar energy stands out as one of the cleanest and most readily available energy alternatives among various sources. The performance of solar panels, in general, is influenced by several factors, such as solar irradiation, solar modules, temperature, and sunlight spectrum. The temperature of the solar modules directly impacts both voltage and current. This challenge can be addressed by integrating passive cooling techniques. In this study, a passive cooling system was implemented by installing a trapezoidal heatsink equipped with four layered fins onto the surface of the solar module. The passive cooling advantages offered by the trapezoidal, four-layered fin heatsink distinguish it from other cooling methods. Optimal passive cooling is achieved with a higher number of fins and layers. Each trapezoidal heatsink utilized in this setup contains 8 fins, totaling 3 heatsinks, all composed of factory-made aluminum heatsinks. Direct measurements taken at the research site revealed that the 8-fin layered trapezoidal heatsink effectively reduced the average temperature from 45.8°C to 42.2°C. Consequently, this resulted in an average output voltage $V_{mp}$ of 19.27V and a power output reaching 97.03W.