The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a Hong Kong-based public research university, has developed a hydrogel coating designed to improve heat dissipation in PV panels by reducing hot-spot formation. The research has been led by Prof. YAN Jinyue Jerry and Dr LIU Junwei from the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering. According to the university, applying the coating has reduced hot-spot temperatures by up to 16°C and has increased power output by up to 13% during testing. The hydrogel formulation has limited volumetric shrinkage to 34%, compared with up to 46% in conventional hydrogels. When applied to rooftop and BIPV systems, the coating is expected to mitigate nearly half of the power losses caused by hot spots. Case studies referencing Hong Kong and Singapore have indicated potential annual power generation increases of 6.5% and 7.0%, with estimated payback periods of 4.5 years and 3.2 years respectively. The release has also cited research showing that 36.5% of 3.3 million PV panels studied exhibited thermal defects, with defective modules recording average temperature increases exceeding 21°C.

PolyU