IDEA: solar panels with heat sink

[John Frum]

Probably many people have had this idea but here goes.

Solar panels are less efficient when they get hot.
Solar panels don't produce when they are covered with ice/snow.

How about combining PV with thermal.

Mode 0 - The panels use the liquid as a heat sink and can therefore produce electricity more efficiently.
Mode 1 - Warm liquid clears the ice and snow from the panels so they can continue/resume production.

Other benefits
Hot water as a byproduct potentially.
Less human intervention to clear the panels.

 

[SolarQueen]

SunDrum Solar has been doing this for years. https://www.sundrumsolar.com/

 

[nosys70]

mixing liquid with electricity is always ... problematic.
solar panel are heating , this is a fact, so cooling them is a good idea, getting then collected heat to use it , is even better.
so in that case we can imagine a tube passing on the back of solar panel transporting a fluid that collect heat and transport it elsewhere.
in case the solar panel need to be heated , you could eventaully reverse the process and bring heat to the panel trough the same way.
The people doing solar panels have probably already lots of problems to solve without adding the ones that liquids circulating in tubes coud bring.
1- panel will become heavyer.
2- they will cost more
3- you have to find a fluid that is not corrosive, do not freeze, a way to fix the pipe at the back of the solar panel during the industrial process.
4- installation will become a lot more difficult
5- this will be required only in region where snow is a probleme.

I already think about that idea (my plan is to install solar panel in an island where roof goes easily at crazy temperatures).
I am not sure a simple fan could not do the job for cheap and simple, if the problem is not simply to cool the panels
and for heating them , a simple resistor glued on the glass of the panel (like you get on rear windshield of car) should be enough.

on the other hand, it exist ultra vacuum solat tubes able to produce over 40 deg C even with a 10cm layer of snow on it.
you could easily couple a few of these tube to produce the heat needed to melt the snow on your solar panel.

 

[Deleted member 4428]

SunDrum Solar has been doing this for years. https://www.sundrumsolar.com/

And who said "there is nothing new under the sun"