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Energies
Volume 19
Issue 12
10.3390/en19122817
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Article

Comparison of the Thermal Behavior of Photovoltaic Panels with and Without Passive Heat Dissipation Systems Under Different Environmental Conditions Associated with Altitude Using the Finite Element Method

by
José Cabrera-Escobar
1,
David Vera
2,
Lenin Orozco Cantos
3,
Francisco Jurado
2,
Carlos Mauricio Carrillo Rosero
1,
César Hernán Arroba Arroba
1,
Santiago Paúl Cabrera Anda
1 and
Raúl Cabrera-Escobar
2,*
1
Faculty of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Ambato 180206, Ecuador
2
Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
3
Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba 060103, Ecuador
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Energies 2026, 19(12), 2817; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19122817 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 15 May 2026 / Revised: 8 June 2026 / Accepted: 10 June 2026 / Published: 12 June 2026
Versions Notes

Abstract

The present research, using finite element method simulation, studies the heat dissipation of a fin-type passive cooling system installed on monocrystalline photovoltaic panels under different environmental conditions associated with altitude. For this purpose, three scenarios at different altitudes were analyzed: Manta (14 m.a.s.l.), Puyo (926 m.a.s.l.), and Ambato (2724 m.a.s.l.). A model simulated using the finite element method, validated in a previous investigation, was used to simulate these three cases. The model was meshed, and the boundary conditions used were obtained from meteorological data averaged over one year. The variables used in this stage were irradiance, ambient temperature, and wind speed in the time range from 08:00 to 17:00. The numerical model used in the simulation considered the mechanisms of conduction in the panel layers, mixed convection toward the surrounding air, and thermal radiation from the exposed surfaces. The results show that, in the city of Ambato, the heat sink presents its best thermal performance. Under conditions of minimum ambient temperature and solar irradiance, a maximum percentage reduction of 3.11% in the photovoltaic panel temperature was obtained, while under conditions of maximum ambient temperature and solar irradiance, the reduction reached 11.11%. This reveals that, when higher panel temperatures occur, the heat sink exhibits better performance. In general, the results showed a reduction in temperature when this heat dissipation mechanism was used. It is evident that the effectiveness of these systems depends not only on geometry or materials, but also on the atmospheric conditions associated with altitude. It is concluded that the heat dissipation capacity of passive cooling mechanisms is influenced by the meteorological conditions of the area, such as ambient temperature, solar irradiance, and wind speed, which may vary according to the altitude at which the system is located.
Keywords: altitude; dissipation; FEM; fins; heat; photovoltaic; solar altitude; dissipation; FEM; fins; heat; photovoltaic; solar

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MDPI and ACS Style

Cabrera-Escobar, J.; Vera, D.; Cantos, L.O.; Jurado, F.; Carrillo Rosero, C.M.; Arroba Arroba, C.H.; Cabrera Anda, S.P.; Cabrera-Escobar, R. Comparison of the Thermal Behavior of Photovoltaic Panels with and Without Passive Heat Dissipation Systems Under Different Environmental Conditions Associated with Altitude Using the Finite Element Method. Energies 2026, 19, 2817. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19122817

AMA Style

Cabrera-Escobar J, Vera D, Cantos LO, Jurado F, Carrillo Rosero CM, Arroba Arroba CH, Cabrera Anda SP, Cabrera-Escobar R. Comparison of the Thermal Behavior of Photovoltaic Panels with and Without Passive Heat Dissipation Systems Under Different Environmental Conditions Associated with Altitude Using the Finite Element Method. Energies. 2026; 19(12):2817. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19122817

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cabrera-Escobar, José, David Vera, Lenin Orozco Cantos, Francisco Jurado, Carlos Mauricio Carrillo Rosero, César Hernán Arroba Arroba, Santiago Paúl Cabrera Anda, and Raúl Cabrera-Escobar. 2026. "Comparison of the Thermal Behavior of Photovoltaic Panels with and Without Passive Heat Dissipation Systems Under Different Environmental Conditions Associated with Altitude Using the Finite Element Method" Energies 19, no. 12: 2817. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19122817

APA Style

Cabrera-Escobar, J., Vera, D., Cantos, L. O., Jurado, F., Carrillo Rosero, C. M., Arroba Arroba, C. H., Cabrera Anda, S. P., & Cabrera-Escobar, R. (2026). Comparison of the Thermal Behavior of Photovoltaic Panels with and Without Passive Heat Dissipation Systems Under Different Environmental Conditions Associated with Altitude Using the Finite Element Method. Energies, 19(12), 2817. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19122817

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