• Passive design achieves 13.71% electrical efficiency without active components. • Geometric optimization surpasses active systems in performance efficiency. • Thermal performance enhanced by PCM type and fin shape selection. • Simpler structures lead to cost-effective solar energy solutions. • Effective PCM configurations yield competitive efficiencies with fewer materials. This study investigates the electrical and thermal performance of a photovoltaic phase-change material (PV-PCM) system, focusing on the three different fin container geometries (honeycomb, rectangular, and triangular), combined with four types of PCMs: capric acid, palmitic acid, paraffin wax, and PEG-6000. The electrical efficiency assessment revealed that capric acid combined with the honeycomb geometry achieved the highest electrical efficiency of 13.71%, while palmitic acid with triangular fins recorded the lowest at 13.67%. Despite the minimal numerical difference, these variations have significant implications for the overall energy output of PV systems, especially over extended operational periods. Thermal efficiency results showed a marked difference based on the PCM used, with PEG-6000 in the triangular fin geometry achieving the highest thermal efficiency of 19.12%. Conversely, capric acid with honeycomb fins exhibited a thermal efficiency of only 12.82%. Notably, the highest thermal efficiency did not correlate with the highest electrical efficiency, highlighting a critical trade-off between these two performance metrics. Statistical analysis indicated that capric acid exhibited the highest variance in electrical efficiency, indicating fluctuating performance, while paraffin wax demonstrated the smallest variance (2.1×10 −11 ), signifying greater operational stability. Furthermore, ANOVA test results revealed significant differences in efficiency attributable to PCM type and fin geometry configurations, confirming the need for careful consideration when designing PV-PCM systems. This research provides novel insights into optimizing PV-PCM configurations, emphasizing a balanced approach between heat storage capacity and maintaining electrical efficiency. These findings underscore the critical role of PCM type and geometry in enhancing the operational performance and stability of PV systems.
Prasetyo et al. (Sun,) studied this question.