Experimental Investigation for Enhancing PV Module Energy Performance Using Phase Change Material

The aim of this study is to enhance the energy performance of PV modules in the Ghardaïa region of Algeria by using an additive PCM (CaCl2·6H2O). The experimental configuration is set up to provide efficient cooling by reducing the operating temperature of the PV module’s rear surface. The PV module operating temperature, output power, and electrical efficiency for both cases with PCM and without PCM have been plotted and analyzed. In the experiments, it was found that using phase change materials improves the energy performance and output power of PV modules by reducing their operating temperature. In comparison to the PV-PCM module without PCM, the average operating temperature is reduced by up to 20 °C. Besides, PV modules with PCM have an average power of 46.11