Performance Improvement of Solar Photovoltaic Modules through Advanced Passive Thermal Management Strategies

Dwiana Hendrawati; Brainvendra Widi Dionova; Heru Supriyono; Hamzah Eteruddin; Kurnianingsih; Hasyim Asy Ari

doi:10.48084/etasr.16630

Authors

Dwiana Hendrawati Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politeknik Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
Brainvendra Widi Dionova Department of Electrical Engineering, Universitas Global Jakarta, Depok, Indonesia
Heru Supriyono Department of Electrical Engineering, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Indonesia
Hamzah Eteruddin Department of Electrical Engineering, Universitas Global Jakarta, Depok, Indonesia
Kurnianingsih Department of Electrical Engineering, Politeknik Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
Hasyim Asy Ari Department of Electrical Engineering, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Indonesia

Volume: 16 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 35709-35715 | June 2026 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.16630

Received: 1 December 2025 | Revised: 13 January 2026 | Accepted: 23 January 2026 | Online: 6 June 2026

Corresponding author: Brainvendra Widi Dionova

Abstract

Reducing reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating climate change requires enhancing the efficiency of Photovoltaic (PV) systems. One great challenge is thermal limitation, where increased operating temperatures reduce electrical output and conversion efficiency. This study investigates passive cooling techniques using water, vegetation, and coconut fiber layers to mitigate the thermal effects on PV modules. The system performance was investigated through module surface temperature measurements, electrical power output, and efficiency metrics. The results demonstrate that floating water and hybrid floating-vegetation configurations substantially improved PV performance, with power output gains of up to 55.5% and efficiency increases of approximately 63.5%. Vegetation-only cooling yielded modest improvements (~7.34%), while coconut fiber layers showed inconsistent results, sometimes decreasing performance. These passive cooling approaches, especially the floating water system, offer sustainable, energy-free solutions for optimizing PV operation, with the potential for widespread application in sustainable energy infrastructure.

Keywords:

passive cooling, temperature, renewable energy, photovoltaic, floating

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