Thermal characteristics evaluation of floating photovoltaic modules based on an improved dynamic coupled thermal-electrical model

In contrast to the prevailing emphasis on quantitative analyses and isolated numerical models in floating photovoltaic (FPV) thermal research, this study advances a dynamic thermal-electrical coupling model that integrates physical field interactions, filling the underdeveloped application of coupled field modeling in FPV thermal performance analysis. The model accounts for variations in heat dissipation performance across different FPV layout configurations on water surfaces, extending the thermal modeling framework and providing a comprehensive characterization of heat transfer mechanisms in waters environments. Validation against field data shows strong agreement, with module temperature root mean square error (RMSE) ranging from 0.637 °C to 2.256 °C and power RMSE between 3.810 W and 6.538 W, demonstrating high prediction accuracy with seasonal differences. Additionally, based on the model, this study systematically evaluates the differences in thermal-electrical characteristics across various layout configurations and quantifies the impact of waters environmental factors. The results indicate that FPV with water contact (FPV-W) exhibits the lowest external thermal resistance, leading to an 8.8 % efficiency increase compared to FPV without water contact (2°< θ <90°). Environmental sensitivity highlights that the thermal resistance of the FPV-W is dominated by wind speed convection enhancement and water temperature conductive gradient, while the module efficiency is mainly modulated by water temperature and irradiance.