Saudi tech cools panels by 49°F, boosts power 13%, triples lifespan
Scientists in Saudi Arabia have come up with a groundbreaking cooling technology that passively regulates the temperature in solar panels, while significantly boosting their power output and doubling their lifespan.
Led by an international research team at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, the project introduced a novel composite material made of lithium chloride (LiCl) and sodium polyacrylate (C3H3NaO2)n.
This hydroscopic layer absorbs moisture from the air during the night and releases it during the day, providing efficient, electricity-free cooling for solar panels.
When tested in the extreme heat of the Saudi desert, solar panels coated with the material stayed 48.9 degrees Fahrenheit (9.4 degrees Celsius) cooler than untreated ones. What’s more, their power output increased by 12.9 percent, while their lifespan extended by more than 200 percent.
Reshaping solar energy
Solar energy remains a top priority for countries expanding their green economies, with solar cells accounting for three-quarters of all new renewable power installations.
Moreover, in 2024, the world added 451.9 gigawatts of new solar capacity, making up nearly 75 percent of all renewable power installations that year, further highlighting the sector’s rapid growth and global momentum.
However, delivering reliable, long-lasting solar energy remains a challenge, as commercial solar panels convert only about 20 percent of sunlight into electricity, with the rest either absorbed as heat or reflected.
Heat also reduces the performance and shortens the lifespan of solar cells, leading to more frequent replacements. While traditional cooling systems like fans and pumps can help, they consume additional electricity. In turn, passive cooling offers an alternative that requires no power to operate.
“We specialize in materials that enable passive cooling,” Qiaoqiang Gan, PhD, a materials science and engineering professor at KAUST and lead author of the study, said. “These materials are thin and can be placed on different systems that require cooling to operate, like greenhouses and solar cells, without affecting performance.
Testing the cooling tech
As part of the project, the team developed a composite made of lithium chloride and sodium polyacrylate at KAUST’s center of excellence for renewable energy and storage technologies.
The scientists explained that they chose polyacrylate because it’s a cheap polymer, and its fabrication process does not require harsh chemicals or specialized reagents, unlike other hydroscopic composites used for cooling, making it a more cost-effective solution.
Upon reviewing the results, the team was surprised to discover that solar cells coated with the new material were 48.9 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than those without it.
The treated panels also delivered over 12 percent more power, extended their lifespan by more than 200 percent, and cut electricity generation costs by nearly 20 percent.
Apart from Saudi Arabia, the team also tested the technology in some of the coolest and wettest parts of the mainland U.S. to demonstrate that the passive cooling system performs effectively in a range of environmental conditions.
“This work is an excellent example of combining different expertise at KAUST,” Stefaan De Wolf, PhD, a materials science and engineering professor at KAUST and study co-author who provided the solar cells, concluded in a press release.
“We tested the new cooling technology on top-performing solar cells in multiple environments and saw excellent results in every case.”
The study has been published in the journal Materials Science and Engineering.