Yearly energy performance of a photovoltaic-phase change material (PV-PCM) system in hot climate

•A phase change material based passive cooling system for photovoltaics (PV-PCM) is evaluated for one year in hot climate.•The PV-PCM system dropped PV temperature at peak by 10.5°C on the average yearly basis.•The PV-PCM increased PV electrical yield by 5.9% on yearly average basis.•The PV-PCM systems are found economically feasible for such climates given the right selection of the PCM. A photovoltaic-phase change material (PV-PCM) system is employed in extremely hot environment of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to evaluate its energy saving performance throughout the year. A paraffin based PCM with melting range of 38–43°C is integrated at the back of the PV panel and its cooling effect is monitored. The increased PV power output due to cooling produced by PCM is quantified. A Conjugate heat transfer model employing enthalpy based formulation is developed and validated with the experimental data. The model is employed to predict melting and solidification fractions in each month of the year. The PV-PCM is found to exhibit consistent performance for most of the year. The PCM produced less cooling in peak cool and peak hot months attributed to its incomplete melting and solidification, respectively. The PV-PCM system enhanced the PV annual electrical energy yield by 5.9% in the hot climatic conditions.