Chinese scientists have developed a hydrogel cooling coating for solar panels to boost power output by 13 per cent compared to conventional photovoltaic systems.

The transparent layer can reduce the temperature of “hotspots” – overheated areas on solar cells caused by defects, shading from leaves, bird droppings or dirt – by 16 degrees Celsius, or nearly 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Hotspots are a common cause of solar panel failure and fire risk.

“On a global scale, our developed cooling strategy can offset around 50 per cent of power generation loss caused by hotspots in [building-integrated photovoltaics], highlighting its significant potential for future applications,” the researchers from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Tianjin University and Hebei University of Technology wrote in a paper in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Energy Materials in September.

Xi pledges to cut China’s climate emissions by up to 10%

Xi pledges to cut China’s climate emissions by up to 10%

Since publishing their findings, the team said it had received positive feedback and interest from several companies keen on collaborating to commercialise the cooling hydrogel technology.

Lead author Jerry Yan Jinyue, PolyU’s chair professor of energy and buildings, said the team’s “next steps are to launch large-scale deployments and work with industry partners to bring this technology to mainland China and other countries around the world”.

“This coating is especially useful in hot, sunny regions near the equator, such as Southeast Asia and southern China, where solar panels are more likely to overheat.”

In the study, the hydrogel lowered the temperature of photovoltaic (PV) panels shaded by a tree from 55.7 degrees to 39.4 degrees, a reduction of 16.3 degrees.

Yan said that adding the hydrogel system increased the cost of a solar panel by around 10.7 per cent.