A combined process of photovoltaics and
membrane distillation was tested in a controlled
environment to investigate cooling
effect on open circuit voltage of a small solarpanel,
a parameter directly correlated
to power output in normal temperature
ranges. It was consistently shown that
the combined system successfully utilized
waste heat energy to power the membrane
distillation, but power output was reduced
in some experiments. Furthermore, the
lack of a mechanism of heat transfer from
the combined module, lead to a further
build-up of heat, lowering flux compared
to expectation. A flow cooling system was
also tested, wherein salted water would
pass behind the panel and slowly drip to a
beaker at different flow rates. It was found
that high flow rate had a positive impact
on temperature.