The abundance of solar energy is a blessing in the Arabian Peninsula, where more than 2000 kWh/m 2 density has been recorded annually. This has resulted in sincere consideration of PV harvesting in the energy matrix and smart grid. However, artefacts such as degradation of PV efficiency due to the high temperature effect have to be addressed. This paper presents a novel design of a PV cooling system using water to mitigate the effect of high temperature. Several experiments have been conducted, and the results have been analyzed. It has been found that the collected water from the panel after 40 min of cooling gained a temperature of 10 • C approximately, during December 2016. Eventually, the efficiency was improved by 10.35% (without using MPPT) using water at ambient temperature (24 • C) compared to the non-cooled panel. Moreover, the temperature of the panel during solar peak hours dropped from 64.3 • C to 32 • C and from 59 • C to 27 • C in 3 min for the back and front surface, respectively. These results, which are the first of their kind in Qatar, constitute good incentives and pave the way for further investigation to enhance PV efficiency in harsh environments. This would be of paramount significance, especially for scaling up PV deployment, as is planned in Qatar and GCC countries in their 2030 vision.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) can be used to generate power by using semiconductor materials to convert solar energy into electricity. In Malaysia, solar PV technology plays a significant role in increasing renewable energy generation capacity target at 20% by 2025. Malaysia’s strategic location at the equator makes it possible to achieve this target. However, several challenges need to be mitigated when implementing this technology, among others is the effect of temperature on solar PV system performance. Solar PV panel is currently rated at a range of efficiency between 13% to 20%. The efficiency of the PV panel is affected by temperature where the PV power and efficiency decrease at the rate of -0.5%/°C and -0.05%/°C respectively as the ambient temperature increases. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of PV cooling systems in reducing the solar PV panel temperature. In this study, the PV systems were retrofitted by two types of cooling system which are passive cooling and active cooling systems. The results of panel temperatures were measured against the control system without the cooling mechanism. The research was conducted in real operating condition with direct sunlight. Active cooling system reduced the temperature of the PV system and improved the electrical output by 4.9% while the best passive cooling system improved the output by 3%. Factors contributing to the results are also discussed in this paper.