Techno-Economic Analysis of PV System with Heat Sink Cooling: A Case Study of PLTS Bali Timur
Keywords:
efficiency, heat sink, passive cooling, photovoltaics, power generation, thermal lossAbstract
Indonesia, as a tropical country, has significant solar energy potential, yet faces challenges in PV efficiency due to high ambient temperatures. The passive cooling system utilizing heat sink emerges as an option to reduce the operating temperature of PV panels through enhanced thermal dissipation, thus mitigating efficiency losses caused by excessive heat accumulation. This study investigates the feasibility of implementing heat sink cooling to improve the efficiency of 25 MWp PLTS Bali Timur. This case study employs a simulation-based approach utilizing PVsyst to assess both thermal and economic performance for conventional systems and heat sink cooling, with thermal loss coefficient (U) of 27.78 and 32.28, respectively. Energy analysis shows an increase in annual energy production of 47,240 MWh/year with heat sink cooling, compared to 46,879 MWh/year in the conventional system. Economic analysis stated an LCOE of IDR 793/kWh, which is higher than the IDR 625/kWh for conventional system. Thus, the feasibility of implementing heat sink cooling for PV system is heavily influenced by the possibility of mass production of heat sink for a large-scale power plant, lowering overall cost of investment
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