Using the nano-composite coating technology to improve PV solar cell performance : A review

The photovoltaic (PV) performance decreases as the surface temperature goes up, especially in hot weather conditions. Therefore, researchers resorted to using passive and active cooling systems, but this technology adds more cost to their manufacture and application. In addition to increasing the size of the solar panel system, other technologies are using nano-composite coatings, such as TiO2, ZnO, and CNT, to apply to the surface of PV solar cells. This technology seeks to create and distribute a nano-composite coating that is projected to lower solar energy system maintenance costs and increase solar panel efficiency. The authors found that the coating acts as a heat dissipator, lowering the temperature of a solar cell. Some results have achieved a temperature reduction of 5.7 °C by using multilayers of Al2O3/SiN/TiO2/SiN/SiO2, and others have recorded a temperature reduction of 9.7 °C and (+2.3%) efficiency improvement by using TiO2 NPs, compensating for the drop in power output caused by the solar cell's surface temperature increase and protecting it from ageing and thermal damage. In addition, by increasing the rate of transmission (anti-reflection technology), such as using anti-reflection nanocomposite materials such as Carbon Nano Tube (CNT), improved solar cell efficiency by 31.25%. The surface coating minimizes light reflection and increases light absorption, allowing for increased power generation. Research in this field is continuing, as researchers are working on experimenting with more nanomaterials with different polymers matrixes to find the best combination of thin-film coating to achieve the best results in the field of ultraviolet radiation absorbency and less reflection of visible radiation, which leads to an efficiency improvement for solar cells.