Performance and potential of a novel floating photovoltaic system in Egyptian winter climate on calm water surface

This article investigates the performance of a partially submerged floating photovoltaic system (PSFPV) as a proposal for harvesting solar energy as an electricity production novel system under Egyptian hot climate on calm water surfaces. The proposed system comprised of a floating photovoltaic system with a submerged portion in the surrounding water. The PSFPV system is constructed in addition to the water body and is then extensively examined under Egyptian outdoor conditions. The submerged portion of the PSFPV system keeps the system passively cool by being in direct contact with the surrounding water. A performance comparison between the novel PSFPV system and a similar land-based photovoltaic system (LPV) is also provided. The suggested PSFPV module's thermal and electrical performance was evaluated concerning its submerged length, which ranged from 4 to 24 cm. The results reveal that the PSFPV system achieves a reduction of about 15.10% in operating temperature relative to the LPV system. Also, the PSFPV system produces up to 20.76% more electricity than the LPV system. The PSFPV system is capable of alleviating the emission of CO2 by about 49.66 kg/summer season. The proposed PSFPV system reveals a reduction in the LCOE from 0.075 to 0.067 ($/kWh) by increasing the submerged length from 4 to 24 cm.