Dynamic thermal analysis of floating PV systems for renewable electricity, hydrogen production, and water conservation in Morocco’s diverse climates

¹ Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Engineering Sciences Laboratory, Taza, Morocco
² University of Pau and Pays de l'Adour, Laboratory of Engineering Sciences Applied to Mechanics and Electrical Engineering

^* Corresponding author: khalid.ezzaza@usmba.ac.ma

Abstract

Floating PV systems for Morocco address simultaneously the issues of renewable energy supply and evaporation of water stored in reservoirs. This paper presents elaborated thermodynamic modeling by accounting for varying solar irradiance intensity and water ambient temperatures, wind-induced convective heat transfer, radiation effects, as well as properties of a semiconductor layer. Numerical analysis carried out for arid, semi-arid, and temperate climates supports that the physical principal of wind and thermal capacitance induces fluctuation of semiconductor temperatures, hence being a strong argument for modeling semiconductor layers dynamically. Combining FPV power output with alkaline electrolysis can serve as a valid means of storing energy in the form of hydrogen gas.