High performance microfluidics increase solar panel efficiency

March 2015

The global drive towards making solar energy more competitive against low cost fossil fuels has given rise to some amazing solar technologies. However one of the biggest, but least publicised challenges that all solar cell researchers face is the stability and scalability of their inventions.  For example, for every 10°C increase in operating temperature, most solar cells become around 5% less efficient in converting sunlight into electricity. Under the powerful Australian sun, this means a typical reduction of 10-15% of energy yield. It negates largely the efficiency improvement researchers have achieved over the last few decades for crystalline cells.

Since 2013, the CSIRO Microfluidics team led by Dr. Yonggang Zhu have been developing a novel thermal management system to address some of the fundamental challenges associated with solar photovoltaic- technologies. The project is part of a $4 million SIEF (Science and Industry Endowment Fund) project - ‘High performance solar cell technology with integrated nanoplasmonic thin film and thermal management systems.’ In this project, Swinburne University of Technology and CSIRO researchers are working jointly to overcome the efficiency losses that solar cells suffer when exposed to high temperatures.

In tackling this problem, the CSIRO team has developed a novel heatpipe plate system that can potentially be integrated with PV panels. The system utilises unique microscale thermal and fluids behaviors to remove heat with high efficiency. The devices were fabricated and tested in the Micro and Nanomanufacturing Laboratory, an ANFF Victoria Facility based in CSIRO Clayton site.

The heatpipe plate is fabricated of metallic materials and has a thickness of a few millimeters. It can be mass-produced to reduce costs. While there is internal microflow within the plate, the integrated device has no moving parts and can potentially last for over 10-20 years, making it ideal for integration with PV panels.

The technology developed from the project will generate benefits in energy sector by recovering the electricity loss due to heating effect by up to 10-15%. This will ultimately help reducing the green gas emission. In addition to energy, the technology can also be applied in a variety of other industries.The future work will focus on the integration of the system with PV panels and mass production techniques.