Maximizing Efficiency of Water-Cooled Solar Panels
Advisor: Teacher Jasica
Internship Location: Intelliscience Institute(1425 Koll Cir # 106, San Jose, CA 95112)
Onsite Mentor: Dr. Sohail Zaidi
Photovoltaic (PV) systems undergo energy losses as operating temperatures increase. However, the independent effects of ambient temperature are difficult to quantify because sunlight simultaneously heats and illuminates the panel. This limitation makes it difficult to model real-world PV performance and thermal behavior. This project investigates how ambient environmental temperature affects photovoltaic electrical performance when irradiance is held constant, and examines how humidity and thermal stress patterns influence this relationship.
I am conducting this research at the IntelliScience Institute and San Jose State University, an ideal environment due to the access to a temperature and humidity-controlled environmental chamber, infrared imaging equipment, and proper photovoltaic testing tools. Under the guidance of Dr. Sohail Zaidi, who has conducted advanced research on photovoltaic system performance and thermal behavior, I will test external artificial illumination at selected irradiance values, and for each setting, independently control ambient temperature and humidity inside the chamber. I will measure open-circuit voltage across a wide-temperature range and capture infrared thermal images to map surface temperature gradients and identify hotspots on the panel surface. I will then analyze the thermal data using MATLAB, applying a voltage-temperature regression and pixel-level thermal analysis to quantify non-uniform heating and thermal stress
By isolating environmental variables that are typically intertwined in conventional studies, this project aims to improve understanding of temperature-driven efficiency losses and support performance modeling and design of reliable solar-energy systems.
Project Blog
Post 1: Blog 0 - Beyond Sunlight: What Really Shapes Solar Performance
When people talk about solar panels, the explanation usually seems simple. More sunlight means more power. Once you start working with real panels however, that simplicity vanishes. Heat builds up, environmental conditions fluctuate, and performance doesn’t always follow predictions of ideal models.
Welcome to my Senior Project. Over the next several weeks, I’ll be investigating how ambient environmental conditions, specifically temperature, humidity, and irradiance, affect the electrical performance of photovoltaic (PV) panels. While solar energy is often framed as straightforward, the physics behind it is far more complex once panels operate under real-world conditions rather than controlled or idealized settings.
Many existing studies examine how temperature impacts solar panels, but ambient temperature is often coupled with irradiance-induced heating. As irradiance increases, panel temperature rises, making it difficult to determine whether performance changes are due to the surrounding environment or heat directly generated from incoming sunlight. This introduces uncertainty in reported temperature coefficients, limiting our ability to isolate the true effects of ambient conditions.
The central research question guiding my project is: How does ambient temperature affect photovoltaic performance when irradiance is constant, and how do humidity and thermal stress patterns factor into this relationship? Simply, if the amount of incoming light remains fixed, how does the surrounding environment alone influence voltage, current, efficiency, and thermal behavior. Additionally, I am interested in determining how short-term humidity changes and non-uniform thermal stress patterns across the panel surface introduce measurable performance effects.
To explore this, I will be conducting experiments inside a controlled environmental chamber where ambient temperature and relative humidity can be adjusted while irradiance is held constant or varied independently. This research is being carried under the guidance of Dr. Sohail Zaidi at his IntelliScience Institute. Working in this high-end lab allows me to engage directly with experimental design, proper instrumentation, and data analysis in a professional research setting.
By combining electrical measurements with thermal analysis, I aim to isolate the effects of each environmental variable and develop a clear understanding of photovoltaic behavior beyond simple assumptions. By the end of my project, I plan to produce a formal research paper documenting my findings, along with a clear and accessible presentation that connects lab-scale results to real-world renewable energy applications.
So why does this matter to me? As someone interested in physics and engineering, I believe in understanding the limitations of technology, something just as important as celebrating its accomplishments. If solar energy is to provide a meaningful role in future systems, we need to not just understand how it works in theory, but how it performs under the environmental conditions it is actually deployed in.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll provide updates on my experimental process, challenges, and insights as the project develops. I’ll also keep you updated on what goes on in my personal life. Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll follow my journey as I work to better understand the role ambient conditions play in shaping photovoltaic performance.
Week 1: Refining my Framework and Defining Experimental Ranges
Welcome back to my senior project blog! This week, I focused on strengthening the scientific foundation behind my project and finalizing specific environmental ranges that will be used in my experimental testing. Since my project investigates the effects of ambient temperature on photovoltaic (PV) performance when irradiance is held constant, along with the effects of humidity and thermal stress, it was important to make sure my research was grounded and accurate in regards to existing literature.
I began by revising prior studies on PV temperature coefficients and semiconductor behavior. Classic analyses revealed that open-circuit voltage and efficiency decrease as temperature increases due to increased carrier recombination. Review studies reported that PB modules typically lose around 0,4-0.5% efficiency per increase of 1 °C in operating temperature. However, most of these studies were conducted under sunlight or solar simulator conditions, thus inherently coupling irradiance and temperature. This makes it difficult to isolate the effect of ambient temperature alone, which is the main gap I am addressing.
I also reviewed literature on humidity and degradation mechanisms. Studies emphasize how long-term humidity exposure contributes to corrosion and module degradation, but short-term effects under controlled chamber testing remain less explored. Additionally, IR thermography research demonstrates how IR imaging can detect hotspots and non-uniform heating. However, this is rarely coupled with independently controlled ambient temperature and humidity. Approaching this gap, adds layers of nuance and novelty to my controlled chamber work.
After strengthening my literature base, I finalized the environmental ranges for testing. Ambient temperature will be varied from approximately -20 °C to 60 °C, capturing both extreme cold and high operating temperatures observed in real-world systems. Relative humidity will range from 5% to 50% RH during initial trials, with controlled expansion as needed. Irradiance will be independently adjusted between 400 W/m² and 1000 W/m² using externally positioned high-intensity LEDs to prevent direct radiative heating of the panel. This configuration allows accurate separation of ambient temperature effects from irradiance-induced heating, as shown in my proposal.
By the end of the week, I organized my research into structured layers. These include temperature-voltage relationships, humidity interactions, thermal stress behavior, and infrared gradient mapping using MATLAB. I also refined my stabilization procedures, measurement timing, and calibration strategy to ensure consistency once my actual experimentation process begins.
Overall, I spent my first week building precision for my research plan. I strengthened my theoretical foundations, defined experimental temperature ranges, and aligned my methodology with documented gaps in prior PV testing. Next week, I will move into deeper planning and begin calibration and validation to prepare for my trials.
Week 2: Preparing the Experimental System and Calibration Planning
Welcome back to my senior project blog, everyone! After spending my first week refining my research question and defining environmental ranges that will guide my experiments, I spent this week focusing on translating my plans into the physical setup required for my testing. Rather than continuing purely theoretical work, I began preparing the instrumentation and experimental framework that will allow me to start actual data collection.
A main part of my work this week was reviewing the technical requirements of the equipment I will use. My work requires a temperature-controlled environmental chamber, external LED lighting, thermocouples for temperature measurements, and infrared imaging for thermal mapping. Because these instruments need to work in sync precisely, I spent time outlining how each component will be used in the final setup. In particular, I focused on how the PV panel will be positioned within the chamber while the LED illumination remains positioned outside the chamber window. This setup is crucial because it prevents the light source from directly heating the panel, allowing ambient temperature inside the chamber to be varied independently.
Another main focus of my week was calibration. Accurate measurements are important for this experiment, especially due to the involvement of temperature-dependent electrical behavior. I started designing calibration procedures for the thermocouples, multimeter readings, and infrared camera. My thermocouples will be validated using known temperature references, such as ice and boiling water. The IR camera will be checked against known temperature surfaces to ensure that the thermal images will accurately represent the panel’s surface. Going through these steps in advance will greatly help in reducing uncertainty once my actual trials begin.
I also spent some time refining the structure of my experimental trials. This included going through stabilization times for each temperature condition, determining how long the panel should retain a given temperature before measurements are recorded, and deciding how many measurements should be taken to maximize reliability. In addition, I started planning my data logging process that will allow me to take voltage and temperature measurements simultaneously. This will be useful when analyzing the relationship between ambient temperature and electrical output.
While I spent Week 1 on defining my research problem more clearly and reviewing existing studies in depth, Week 2 focused on more engineering preparation. I am better understanding how the individual pieces of my experiment will work together, specifically the chamber, illumination system, sensors, and data acquisition tools. Although I haven’t started full testing, laying these procedures out will help with accurate and meaningful data collection.
Overall, this week was about shifting from theory to practical setup. I began organizing my setup, designing calibration procedures, and planning experimental structure. Next week, I hope to move into system setup and validate my equipment so the data collection can begin soon.
Week 3: Moving Toward Experimental Testing
Welcome back to my blog! After spending the past two weeks refining my research question, defining environmental ranges, and planning instrumentation, this week marked a shift towards the experimental side of my project. Instead of focusing on just planning and calibration procedure, I began preparing my experimental system itself and taking the first steps towards data collection.
A major part of this week involved setting up the components that will form my experimental system. My solar panel will be placed inside the temperature-controlled environmental chamber, while high-intensity LED lights will be positioned outside the chamber window. This configuration is best for allowing the light to illuminate the panel without direct heating, ensuring that ambient temperature can be controlled independently. Maintaining this separation is essential for analyzing the relationships I am studying.
Once the general layout was finalized, I began working on installing and validating the sensors that will be used to monitor my panel. Thermocouples were placed on the panel to track temperature changes, and I tested the readings to make sure the sensors were functioning consistently. I also reviewed how voltage measurements will be taken using a digital multimeter, ensuring that electrical output can be recorded along with temperature.
Another important step this week was verifying that my calibration procedures would work correctly before full experimentation starts. I continued testing the thermocouples using known temperature references and reviewed the process for confirming accurate readings from the IR camera that will be used to capture thermal images of the panel surface. These images will later be processed using MATLAB to analyze temperature gradients and identify potential hotspots on the panel.
With the instrumentation finally coming together, I also started conducting early system validation checks. These initial runs were mainly used to confirm that the chamber could stabilize at set temperatures and that the sensors were logging data well. Although these tests were not part of the full experiment, they were helpful in confirming that the setup behaves as needed.
Overall, Week 3 felt like a good turning point. After two weeks of careful planning and management, I’m starting to see the actual setup take place. While there is still a little calibration and refinement to complete, the setup is beginning to function as a proper testing environment. Next week, I plan to finish refining my system and begin actual experimental trials so I can start collecting the necessary data to complete my project.
Week 4: Early Trials, Setbacks, and Adjustments
Welcome back to my senior project blog! This week marked my first real step toward conducting experimental trials, but it also reminded me that experimental research rarely goes as planned. While I was able to start actual data collection, I also encountered some unexpected challenges that required me to adjust my approach.
At the start of my week, I finalized the setup for my experimental system. The PV panel was positioned within the environmental chamber, with external LED illumination aligned through the chamber window. I began running baseline control trials at room temperature conditions to establish a reference point for voltage output and temperature behavior. These initial trials were crucial for confirming that my measurement system was functioning and that I could collect consistent data under stable conditions.
However, partway through the week, I ran into a setback when one of the LED light sources stopped working. Since consistent illumination is critical for my experimental setup, this limited my ability to continue full chamber-based trials. I am currently in the process of ordering a replacement so that I can resume controlled testing under my setup.
In the meantime, I shifted my focus to conducting control trials under natural daylight conditions. Although this does not allow for the same level of control as the chamber setup, it provided a useful way to continue collecting baseline data. I recorded voltage and temperature measurements outdoors under stable conditions and compared these values to my earlier indoor trials. This helped me verify that my measurement system was producing reasonable and consistent data.
I also used this time to troubleshoot different parts of my setup. I made adjustments to thermocouple placement to improve temperature accuracy and went back to calibration procedures to ensure that my sensors are functioning correctly. Additionally, I tested how long the chamber takes to stabilize at different temperatures, which will be important once full trials resume.
Overall, Week 4 was a mix of progress and unexpected challenges. While I was not able to carry out full experimental trials due to equipment issues, I was still able to gather important control data and improve the reliability of my work. This experience showed me that research is often a challenging process, requiring adjustments and flexibility along the way. Next week, I plan to install the replacement LED and begin running structured temperature-controlled experiments to start gathering more complete data. I have also attached a photo of my outdoor trials below.
Week 5: Beginning Structured Trials
Welcome back to my senior project blog, everyone! After spending last week troubleshooting my setup and fixing some issues with my LED system, this week marked the start of more complete experimental trials. With the replacement LED installed, I was able to return to my intended setup and begin running proper temperature-based tests inside the environmental chamber.
At the beginning of the week, I focused on reinstalling and properly aligning the new LED light. Since maintaining consistent irradiance is important for isolating ambient temperature effects, I spent time making sure that the illumination across the panel surface was uniform and stable. Once I was finished with this, I began running temperature-controlled trials, adjusting the chamber conditions and allowing the system to stabilize before taking any measurements.
A major part of my week was making a consistent system for data collection. This meant determining how long the panel should stay at each temperature before recording voltage, coordinating simultaneous temperature and electrical measurements, and ensuring that all data was being logged properly. Making this structure was important in ensuring that my trials are repeatable and reliable moving forward. Instead of proceeding with the Raspberry Pi system I had developed earlier, I switched to an automatic data logger to make life easier.
I did encounter a small hiccup when some of my early readings showed slight inconsistencies across repeated trials. After looking into the problem, I realized that my panel didn’t fully stabilize at the set temperature before measurements were taken. By adjusting the stabilization time and refining my measurement procedure, I was able to resolve this pretty quickly and continue testing with better conditions.
Along with running trials, I also spent some time organizing my data and reviewing my experimental setup to make sure everything is functioning as intended. As I go further on with my data collection, maintaining organization and consistency will be key steps in ensuring accurate analysis down the line.
One additional challenge I will need to plan around is that my external advisor will not be available next week. Because of this, I will need to focus more on my own planning and preparation to continue making good progress. I plan to focus on running additional trials and forming a steady plan so that I can stay on track even without direct guidance.
Overall, Week 5 felt like a strong step forward. After several weeks of preparation, troubleshooting, and adjustments, I am now fully in the experimental phase of my project. While there are still small adjustments to be made here and there, my system is now functioning in a way that allows me to consistently run trials and continue progressing toward my final product.
Week 6: Continuing Trials and Working Independently
Welcome back to my senior project blog! This week, I continued with experimental trials and building consistency in my data collection. With my system now fully set up, my main focus was on maintaining a steady collection process and making sure that my trials were being conducted under controlled and repeatable conditions.
Since my external advisor was not available this week, I had to focus more on my own skills and judgment to move forward. At first, this felt a bit challenging, especially when making decisions about how to structure my trials and adjust certain parts of the setup (I didn’t want to break anything). However, as the week progressed, I became more confident in my ability to manage the process independently and troubleshoot any issues that came up.
A large part of my time was spent running temperature-controlled trials inside the environmental chamber. I worked on carefully stepping through different temperature conditions, allowing enough time for the system to stabilize before recording any new measurements. I paid close attention to consistency between trials, making sure that my procedures remained the same each time to reduce variability in the data.
During this process, I encountered another small issue related to data logging. At certain points, I noticed that some of my recorded values were not being saved properly, which interrupted a few of my trial runs. After checking the system, I realized this was due to a minor configuration issue with the data logger. I had to redo these trials, so that took almost a full day, but I was able to fix this relatively quickly and continued my trials without further problems.
In addition to running trials, I also spent time organizing the data I have collected so far and reviewing my workflow to identify areas for improvement. As I continue collecting more data, maintaining organization will be important to make sure that my analysis phase is efficient and accurate.
Overall, Week 6 was focused on consistency and independence. Without direct guidance from my advisor, I was able to continue making steady progress and build confidence in managing my experimental process on my own. Moving forward, I plan to continue running additional trials and refining my setup so that I can gather a complete and reliable dataset for analysis. I hope to start on humidity trials soon, and get more IR camera readings by Week 8.
Week 7: Expanding my Setup and Improving Data Collection
Welcome back to my senior project blog! This week, I continued running experimental trials while also expanding on my setup to include additional variables and more precise measurement methods. With my system now working fully, I focused on improving various aspects of my data collection process and adding new elements to my experiment.
A major part of this week was adding a more structured measurement system into my setup. I began building a circuit system for recording voltage along with current, which allowed for more consistent and reliable electrical measurements during each trial. By refining my data collection process, I was able to reduce inconsistencies and make my overall process more streamlined.
In addition to improving my measurement system, I also started introducing humidity as a variable in my experiments. Using an addition to my environmental chamber, I conducted trials under different humidity conditions while continuing to change ambient temperature. This added another layer to my testing, allowing me to explore how multiple environmental factors interact and influence PV performance.
Throughout the week, I continued to run temperature-controlled trials and focused on maintaining consistency throughout my conditions. This included ensuring proper stabilization time before measurements, recording temperature and voltage simultaneously, and carefully monitoring how the system acted during each run. As my trials became more repetitive, I found it easier to identify small areas for improvement and optimize my workflow overall.
I also spent time organizing the data I collected and reviewing my setup to make sure that all parts, including sensors and measurement circuits, were functioning properly. As my dataset continues to expand, keeping everything organized will be important for when I begin analyzing my results.
Overall, Week 7 was about expanding my experiment and improving precision. By incorporating a circuit measurement system and introducing humidity into my trials, I am beginning to get a more complete picture of how environmental conditions affect PV performance. Moving forward, I plan to continue running trials under these expanded conditions and further refine my process to ensure consistent and reliable data collection.
Week 8: Transitioning from Experiments to Writing
Welcome back to my senior project blog! This week, I finished running my trials while also beginning the process of turning my work into an actual formal research paper. As my data collection comes to an end, I’m starting to shift some of my focus toward organizing my findings and structuring my final product.
A large part of my week was still dedicated to running trials in the environmental chamber. I continued testing over different temperature and humidity ranges, making sure to follow a consistent procedure for each run. By this point, my workflow has become a lot more routine, and I’ve been able to focus more on maintaining consistency rather than troubleshooting major issues. I made sure to allow sufficient stabilization time before recording measurements and carefully monitored my voltage, current (new addition), temperature, and humidity data throughout each trial.
Along with my experimental work, I began organizing my data in a more structured way. As the amount of data I’ve collected continues to grow, keeping everything clearly labeled and easy to access will be helpful for analysis. I also reviewed my measurement process to make sure that my circuit setup and sensors are functioning properly, making that the data I am collecting is reliable.
In addition to experimentation, I started working on my research paper. I began outlining the overall structure, including sections including the introduction, background, and methodology. I also started drafting parts of the literature review, using some of the sources I explored earlier in the project. Writing these sections helped me better connect my experimental work back to the broader context of photovoltaic research.
Balancing both experimentation and writing was a new challenge this week, but it also made me realize how the different parts of the project are starting to come together. My data that I’ve collected is going past the experimental phase, becoming the foundation for my final analysis and conclusions.
Overall, Week 8 was an important transition in my project. While I still might try to run a few more extra trials, I am also beginning to turn my work into a complete research paper. Moving forward, I plan to continue analyzing data while expanding my writing so that I can fully integrate my results and analysis into my final product.
Week 9: Analysis and Writing the Paper
Welcome back to my senior project blog! This week was a major transition in my project, since I officially finished up my experimental trials and shifted my focus toward organizing and analyzing the data I’ve collected over the past several weeks. After spending so much time running trials and improving my setup throughout, it felt great to finally move into the stage where I can start understanding my results and what they entail.
Since my data collection is now finished, I spent most of this week organizing my dataset in a clear way. This involved sorting trials based on temperature and humidity conditions, labeling everything clearly, and checking my data for any inconsistencies or outliers. Taking the time to clean and organize my data is important because it will make the analysis process much easier and more accurate.
In addition to organizing my data, I began looking for general trends in my results. While I am still in the early stages of analysis, I started noticing patterns in how voltage changes across different environmental conditions. This step helped me better understand how I will present my findings and what parts of the data are most important to highlight in my final paper.
I also spent a significant portion of this week working on my research paper. With most of my experimental work completed, I was able to focus more on writing and expanding different sections of the paper. I continued refining my introduction and methodology, and I began drafting sections related to my results and overall analysis. Writing alongside reviewing my data helped me better connect my experimental process with the conclusions I will eventually present. I think I will have to rewrite some of it next week when I finish my analysis though.
Overall, Week 9 felt like a turning point in my project. After weeks of experimentation and troubleshooting, I am now moving into the final stages of analysis and writing. Moving forward, I plan to finish my data analysis and my paper so that I can clearly present my findings and complete my project.
Week 10: Finishing My Project and Preparing to Present
Welcome back to my senior project blog! I spent this week wrapping up the final parts of my project and preparing everything for my presentation. After spending the past several weeks conducting experiments, organizing data, and writing my paper, I shifted my focus towards final edits, poster creation, and practicing my presentation.
A good part of my week was spent finishing my research paper. I continued reviewing and refining several sections to make sure everything was organized properly and flowed together well. I also spent time going back to my graphs, tables, and figures to make sure they accurately represented my data and fit properly in the paper. Since this is the final version of my project, I wanted to ensure that my explanations, methodology, and analysis were as clear as they could be.
Along with my paper, I also worked on finishing my final poster. I focused on organizing the main sections of my project in a way that was both visually clear and easy to follow. Since there is limited space on the poster, I had to decide which graphs, images, and explanations were the most important to include. This process helped me summarize the main points of my project and think about how to communicate my work more efficiently. I think this will also be useful when presenting my slideshow at the symposium.
Another important part of this week was preparing for my final presentation. I spent time practicing how I would explain my project, describe my setup, and discuss my results in a clear and easily understandable way. Practicing with my friends, Josh and Shreyas, helped me become more comfortable explaining the reasoning behind my experiment and answering possible questions about my work.
Looking back on the project as a whole, it’s interesting to see how much the process evolved over time. What started as an initial idea gradually turned into a full research project involving planning, troubleshooting, experimentation, data analysis, and writing. I had to change so many aspects of my original project, and I think each change was a good learning opportunity. Throughout the process, I learned not only more about photovoltaic systems and environmental testing, but also about the challenges that come with conducting independent research.
Overall, Week 10 felt like a satisfying conclusion to my senior project. Finishing my paper and poster and preparing for my presentation made everything finally feel complete, and I’m excited to present the work that I’ve spent the past several months developing.