Another goal of this project will soon be put through beta testing and monitoring verification. Upon completion of this testing phase, an unnamed 3rd party that has a three-megawatt solar array has agreed for us to do real-time comparative testing on their PV sub-arrays. The goal will be to increase their PV production while simultaneously removing the heat stress, which will, in turn, prolong the life of their PV panels, a common problem associated with running solar arrays in hot, arid regions.
As with most electronic equipment, excess heat can be a killer and solar panel arrays are no different. The performance of solar panels declines as they heat up, and decreased power output is the result. The industry manufacturers rate their products’ susceptibility to increasing panel temperature, where It is standard practice to test solar panels for power output at 77 °F. So, if a panel is rated to have a temperature coefficient of -0.50% per 1.8°F above 77 °F, that panel’s output power will decrease by half of a percent for every 1.8F degrees the temperature rises above (77 °F). With it being common for PV panels to reach temperatures of 137F, a solar array being 60F into the heat stress zone would equal a decrease of 15% or more on the solar array output. We filed our 3rd provisional patent on August 16th 2021 for being able to make water by cooling the solar panels.