Researchers from the Laboratory for Sustainable Technologies in Buildings (LOTZ) at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, have developed a reliable and cost-effective cooling solution that significantly improves the performance and operational lifetime of high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) systems. The research addresses one of the key challenges of concentrated solar technologies—thermal overheating—and contributes to the development of more efficient and sustainable renewable energy systems.
High-concentration photovoltaic systems generate electricity by focusing sunlight onto small, highly efficient solar cells. While this approach substantially increases electrical power output, it also creates extremely high thermal loads. Localized overheating, commonly referred to as hotspot formation, reduces conversion efficiency, accelerates material degradation, and shortens the operational lifetime of photovoltaic modules.
Existing cooling solutions are often complex, energy-intensive, or only partially effective in preventing non-uniform temperature distribution across photovoltaic cell arrays. As a result, reliable and economically viable thermal management remains one of the major barriers to the wider deployment of concentrated photovoltaic technologies.
In the paper Reliable and Cost-Effective Microchannel Cooling for Hotspot Suppression in High-Concentration Photovoltaic Modules, published in Applied Thermal Engineering, researchers Abdallah Y. M. Ali, Primož Poredoš, and co-authors introduced a novel multi-compartment microchannel cooling architecture. Using advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, they demonstrated that the proposed cooling design significantly improves temperature uniformity, suppresses hotspot formation, enhances electrical efficiency, and extends module lifetime. The optimized four-compartment configuration reduced the average module temperature by nearly 18%, improved temperature uniformity by 76%, and demonstrated the potential to extend module lifetime by more than threefold compared with conventional microchannel cooling designs.
The published work supports the ongoing research activities of the EUTOPIA-SIF project PV-W2WFresh within the Laboratory for Sustainable Technologies in Buildings (LOTZ) at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. The project is conducted by postdoctoral researcher Abdallah Y. M. Ali under the supervision of Assistant Professor Primož Poredoš and focuses on advanced thermal management and lifetime extension of photovoltaic systems through the integration of desalination technologies and waste heat utilization.
“Effective thermal management is essential for unlocking the full potential of concentrated solar technologies. Our results demonstrate that improved cooling can simultaneously enhance efficiency, reliability, and economic viability,” explains Abdallah Y. M. Ali, the first author of the publication.
Assistant Professor Primož Poredoš adds: “The developed cooling concept represents an important step toward future integrated energy systems that combine electricity generation, thermal energy recovery, and sustainable freshwater production.”
The knowledge gained through this research will support the development of next-generation photovoltaic-thermal systems capable of simultaneously generating electricity, recovering waste heat, and contributing to sustainable freshwater production. Such integrated solutions could play an important role in addressing future energy and water challenges, particularly in regions characterized by high solar irradiance and increasing water scarcity.
The research was carried out at the Laboratory for Sustainable Technologies in Buildings (LOTZ), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, by Abdallah Y. M. Ali and Assistant Professor Primož Poredoš in collaboration with researchers from several international institutions.
