Effect of a radiative cooling emitter with indium tin oxide near-infrared heat mirror on the performance of photovoltaic module

Recent research on cooling photovoltaic (PV) modules through radiative cooling methods has attracted significant interest, due to the temperature reduction that enhances the power generation of PV modules. This study uses a transparent-radiative heat mirror (TRHM) for cooling silicon PV modules, utilizing a combination of an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to enable visible light transmission while reflecting unnecessary heating photons. Fabricated by a low-cost method, the novelty honeycomb-like surface microstructure of PDMS enhances the material's emissivity. Combined ITO layer with honeycomb-like PDMS, the film results in a reflectivity of 0.65 in the near-infrared range (1.1–2.5 μm, NIR) and an emissivity of 0.93 in the mid-far infrared range (8–13 μm, MIR). PV modules covered with TRHM (PV-TRHM) demonstrated a significant emissivity of 0.90 in MIR, leading to a temperature of 44.2°C, which has a 7.2°C reduction compared to the 53.6°C bare PV. Additionally, a 0.81% increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) was achieved. These approaches hold promise for efficient PV heat management in engineering projects.