Temperature behaviors of transparent solar PV panels under various operating modes: an experimental and numerical study

Temperature is the key factor in determining the practical performance and energy production prediction of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. Transparent solar PV panels, in contrast to traditional opaque solar PV panels, have grown rapidly. However, the temperature behaviors of transparent PV panels and the effects of operating modes (i.e., operating and non-operating) on their temperature behaviors remain unidentified. Therefore, this study investigated the temperature behaviors of transparent PV panels (i.e., hollow and non-hollow) and the effect of different operating modes on their thermal performance. The hollow layer is the primary component influencing the temperature behaviors of hollow and non-hollow PV panels. At a solar irradiance of 1000 W/m2, the hollow layer resulted in the steady-state temperature and the mean temperature rise rate on the exposed surface of hollow PV panels being 12.0 % and 5.6 % lower, respectively, compared to non-hollow PV panels. Hollow PV panels have better heat resistance under high solar irradiance conditions. Experimental results showed that the effects of the operating mode on the rate of change of the PV panel surface temperature can be ignored. A theoretical model was also developed for the first time, and its predictions obeyed well with the experimental data. These findings and the developed theoretical model offer a foundation for forecasting the temperature and energy generation rate of transparent solar PV panels, helping with future policymaking.