What is it about?

Solar panels generate electricity from sunlight, but their performance depends on how much sunlight they receive and how hot they become. This experimental study investigates how a single-axis solar tracking system and air cooling can improve the energy performance of photovoltaic (PV) and photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) systems. Three configurations were compared: a fixed PV panel, a solar-tracking PV panel, and a solar-tracking PV/T collector cooled by air. The experiments were conducted at Karabuk University in Türkiye. The tracking system helped the PV panel and PV/T collector receive more solar radiation throughout the day. The air-cooled PV/T collector also recovered useful heat while maintaining a lower operating temperature. During the test, the fixed PV panel generated 41 Wh of electricity, whereas the tracking PV panel generated 56 Wh. The air-cooled PV/T collector produced 61 Wh of electricity and recovered an additional 201 Wh of thermal energy. Its overall energy efficiency reached 35.85%, compared with 6.32% for the fixed PV panel and 7.61% for the tracking PV panel. The findings show the potential of combining solar tracking with air cooling to obtain both electrical and thermal energy from solar systems. The study also evaluates the systems using energy and exergy analyses, providing a broader perspective on how effectively the available solar energy is utilized.

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Why is it important?

Improving the use of available solar energy is important for developing more effective and sustainable energy technologies. This study demonstrates experimentally that combining single-axis solar tracking with air cooling can increase the useful energy obtained from a photovoltaic system. Unlike configurations that rely on liquid cooling, the investigated PV/T system uses air to remove heat and recover it as useful thermal energy. This approach offers an alternative configuration for applications where both electricity and heat are valuable. By evaluating electrical and thermal outputs together with energy and exergy efficiencies, the study provides insight into the benefits of integrating solar tracking and cooling. Although the findings are based on a one-day experiment at a specific location, they provide an experimental basis for further investigations under different climatic and operating conditions.

Perspectives

From my perspective, the most valuable aspect of this study is the integration of solar tracking and air cooling within a relatively simple PV/T configuration. I believe that improving solar energy technologies should not focus solely on increasing electrical output; the thermal energy that can be recovered from photovoltaic systems should also be considered. This study reflects that approach by examining both energy and exergy performance. I also consider the use of air cooling an interesting alternative to liquid-based cooling configurations, particularly when system simplicity and practical implementation are important. In future work, I would like to investigate the long-term performance of this integrated approach under different climatic conditions and evaluate its potential for broader applications.

Assoc Prof Selcuk Selimli
Karabuk Universitesi

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Enhanced photovoltaic solar harvesting via simultaneous single-axis automated tracking, Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, July 2026, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s10973-026-15763-2.
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