Performance enhancement of PV solar system by diffused reflection

Various methods are being adopted to enhance the performance of a solar panel. The most common method is to track the sun for performance enhancement. Such method needs complicated control and drive circuits for implementation. Also, the power required for the tracking motor has to be provided by the solar panel and the battery system. Although better performance is achievable by the sun tracker, higher cost and frequent maintenance are required. In this paper, performance enhancement of solar panels has been experimented utilizing diffused reflectors. Application of diffused reflectors is cheap, simple and does not require any additional equipments or devices. Simple white reflectors can be used to optimize the performance of the solar panel. Experimental results indicate appreciable enhancement in the overall output of the solar panel. For comparative study, experimental readings were simultaneously taken with i) sun tracking, ii) the panel aligned at 23.5° with the horizontal using diffused reflectors and iii) the panel aligned at 23.5° with the horizontal without diffused reflectors. Comparative results depicted for different conditions show encouraging enhancement of the performance of the solar panel.