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Studying the effect of non-uniform cooling can develop more efficient and durable solar panels, contributing to the widespread adoption of solar energy as a sustainable energy source. Also, ensuring the uniformity of temperature distribution is crucial for longer solar panel life. Non-uniform cooling can result in the formation of hot spots, which can ultimately cause thermal stress and uneven aging of solar cells. This phenomenon can arise from a variety of factors, such as improper cooling techniques, partial shading, fluctuating airflow, and irregular heat dissipation throughout the solar panel. In this work, different scenarios were proposed to study the effect of non-uniform thermal distribution on the performances of the solar cells. A mathematical model was developed to test the performances using computer simulations (Matlab 2012), taking into consideration temperature factors, solar radiation, the direction of the panel, cooling methods, and the electrical properties of the cells. The results showed a clear difference in the performance of solar panels under non-uniform cooling compared to uniform cooling and conventional panels without cooling at an ambient temperature of 45 degrees Celsius. Also, it provides important explanations for this discrepancy in the performances to address the problem of non-uniform cooling of the solar panel. The research results summarize the side effects of non-uniform cooling, emphasizing the importance of uniform cooling to enhance the performance of solar panels. It is shown that the performance of solar panels under non-uniform cooling conditions is about 5% less in produced power as compared to uniform cooling. Finally, this research contributes to developing solar energy technologies and energy sustainability to face the greatest challenges such as climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the peak of the solar radiation, the efficiency of the photovoltaic module and the energy output decrease due to the high temperature of the PV panel, which leads to the loss of energy produced by the photovoltaic panels. The present research includes a study to increase the efficiency of the photovoltaic unit by hybrid cooling using fins and water flow together. The PV module is cooled by naturally flowing air over the surface of the fins installed beneath the back surface of the photovoltaic panel, and water flows over the PV panel surface at 1, 2, 3, and 4 liters per minute. The experiments were conducted with three 50W solar panels installed on the roof of a steel structure one meter high to provide space for cooling air. The back of each of two panels was connected to the aluminum heat sink and the distribution is located in the PV1 staggered and PV2 in-line. These two panels were tested with hybrid cooling, while the third PV0 was installed without cooling. This article presents an experimental investigation according to the meteorological conditions of the city of Babylon, Iraq. The results indicate that the cooling of inline arrangement PV2 is better than that of staggered one PV1 in the two cases of presence and absence of water. The average temperature of the PV2 was reduced to 22°C, 18°C, 15.6°C, and 18.5°C with a flow rate of 1,2,3, and 4 l/m, respectively. Consequently, the electrical efficiency was improved from 11.5% to 12.3%, 13.3%, and 12%, at flow rates of 1, 2, 3, and 4 l/m, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]