Abstract: Various solar energy technologies exist and they have
different application techniques in the generation of electrical power.
The widespread use of photovoltaic (PV) modules in such
technologies has been limited by relatively high costs and low
efficiencies. The efficiency of PV panels decreases as the operating
temperatures increase. This is due to the affect of solar intensity and
ambient temperature. In this work, Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) was used to model the heat transfer from a standard PV panel
and thus determine the rate of dissipation of heat. To accurately
model the specific climatic conditions of the United Arab Emirates
(UAE), a case study of a new build green building in Dubai was
used. A finned heat pipe arrangement is proposed and analyzed to
determine the improved heat dissipation and thus improved
performance efficiency of the PV panel. A prototype of the
arrangement is built for experimental testing to validate the CFD
modeling and proof of concept.