Recent Progress in Solar PV Panel Cooling : A Comprehensive Review of Hybrid, Active and Passive Technologies with Energy Recovery Integration

Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems play a pivotal role in sustainable energy generation, yet their efficiency declines with elevated operating temperatures caused by solar irradiance and environmental factors. To address this, hybrid, active, and passive cooling technologies have emerged as effective solutions, offering the dual benefit of temperature regulation and waste heat recovery for secondary applications. This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent advancements in PV cooling methods, analyzing their working principles, thermal performance, advantages, and limitations. Special emphasis is placed on hybrid cooling systems, which integrate multiple techniques to maximize efficiency, alongside active and passive approaches. Furthermore, the study explores the integration of heat recovery systems , such as heat pumps and thermal storage tanks , to repurpose waste heat for domestic, industrial, or space-heating applications, thereby enhancing overall energy utilization. The review concludes by identifying critical research gaps and future directions for optimizing PV cooling and heat recovery systems.