Open Access

ARTICLE

Thermal Performance and Design Optimization of a High-Concentration Photovoltaic System for Arid Environments

Taher Maatallah^1,*, Nagmeldeen A. M. Hassanain¹, Gaydaa Al Zohbi², Farooq Saeed¹, Muhammad Saleem¹, Nassir Hariri¹, Mohamed Elsharawy³, Tapas Kumar Mallick^1,4, Fahad Gallab Al-Amri¹
1 Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, College of Engineering, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
3 Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, College of Engineering, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
4 Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, UK
* Corresponding Author: Taher Maatallah. Email:

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer https://doi.org/10.32604/fhmt.2026.075763

Received 07 November 2025; Accepted 26 December 2025; Published online 30 January 2026

Abstract

High-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) systems present significant thermal management challenges due to the intense heat fluxes generated under concentrated solar irradiation, especially in arid environments. Effective heat dissipation is critical to prevent performance degradation and structural failure. This study investigates the thermal performance and design optimization of an enhanced HCPV module, integrating numerical, analytical, and experimental methods. A coupled optical-thermal-electrical model was developed to simulate ray tracing, heat transfer, and temperature-dependent electrical behaviour, with predictions validated under real-world desert conditions. Compared to a baseline commercial module operating at 106°C, the optimized design achieved a peak temperature reduction of 16°C, lowering the cell temperature to 90∘C under a concentration ratio of 961× and direct normal irradiance (DNI) of 950 W/m². The total thermal resistance was reduced from 0.25 to 0.15 K/W (a 40% improvement), and the electrical efficiency increased from 37.5% to 38.6%, representing a relative gain of approximately 3.1%. The system consistently maintained a fill factor exceeding 78%, underscoring stable performance under high thermal load. These findings demonstrate that targeted thermal design, informed by integrated modeling, is essential for unlocking the reliability and efficiency of high-flux solar energy systems.

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Keywords

Arid climate applications; convective cooling; heat transfer enhancement; high-concentration photovoltaics (HCPV); heat sink optimization; numerical thermal analysis; thermal management; thermal resistance

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