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Volume 13 | Issue 6 | Year 2026 | Article Id. IJME-V13I6P106 | DOI : https://doi.org/10.14445/23488360/IJME-V13I6P106

Comparative Analysis and Performance of Solar PV Panel with V-Trough and Front Surface Water Cooling versus without V-Trough and without cooling for Powering RO Desalination Unit

Pavit B. Shah, Alkesh M. Mavani

Received Revised Accepted Published
10 Mar 2026 11 Apr 2026 15 May 2026 27 Jun 2026

Citation :

Pavit B. Shah, Alkesh M. Mavani, "Comparative Analysis and Performance of Solar PV Panel with V-Trough and Front Surface Water Cooling versus without V-Trough and without cooling for Powering RO Desalination Unit," International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 67-69, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488360/IJME-V13I6P106

Abstract

Water scarcity is one of the world's problems belongs to high population, climate changes, water pollution, and groundwater extraction. Solar PV-based RO systems provide a sustainable solution to compensate this challenge, especially in high solar energy sources-oriented regions. In this study, a V-Trough PV with front surface water cooling is proposed to increase the performance of the PV system used for the 50 LPH RO unit. Both standalone PV and V-Trough PV with front surface water cooling were experimentally compared under atmospheric conditions. The aim of this exercise was to improve the power produced, whilst at the same time, attempt to bring PV operating temperature into the realms of standard test conditions to help with efficiency losses. The results show that front surface water cooling reduced the operating temperature of the PV panel, enhancing a temperature reduction of 29.2°C and a mean reduction of 24.6°C as compared to the reference panel. The V-through PV system showed significant electrical performance. The V-Trough PV with Cooling enhances the power output on average by 35.3%, with a 61.7% maximum increase during peak time. Statistical analysis showed the reliability and consistency of the results. The results showed that the V-Trough concentration with front surface water cooling for PV would be beneficial for improvement in performance under the hot climate conditions, especially where water purification is required.

Keywords

Renewable Energy, Desalination, V-Trough, Front Cooling, PV-RO.

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