Jute fabric for cooling solar panels: an emerging research avenue for photovoltaic energy

Jute is commonly associated with sacks, packaging, agriculture, construction, interior design and erosion control. However, its properties are also encouraging researchers to investigate far more technical applications.

One emerging concept involves placing water-wetted jute fabric on the rear of photovoltaic modules to help reduce their operating temperature through evaporation. The approach combines a relatively simple plant-based fibre with water distribution, sensing and electronic control technologies.

It is not yet a widely deployed commercial solution. Nevertheless, published results suggest that it could represent an interesting development pathway for photovoltaic installations operating in particularly hot and dry regions.

 

Solar panels need sunlight, but excessive heat reduces performance

It may appear contradictory, but more intense sunshine does not always lead to the best possible operating conditions for a photovoltaic module.

Solar cells need light to generate electricity. As their temperature rises, however, their voltage and available output decrease. The Scientific Reports paper cites a typical efficiency loss of approximately 0.4% to 0.5% for every degree Celsius above 25°C in crystalline-silicon modules.

In arid climates, module temperatures can rise far above ambient temperature and exceed 70°C during the hottest part of the day. Prolonged thermal stress may also contribute to the ageing of several module components. Thermal management has therefore become an active field of photovoltaic research.

 

How was the jute fabric used?

In 2026, a research team from Tunis University published a study comparing two identical 30 Wp monocrystalline photovoltaic modules. One was used as an uncooled reference, while the other was fitted with a cooling system on its rear surface.

The system consisted of three jute-fabric layers arranged with an orthogonal fibre orientation. A small network of perforated tubes supplied water between the layers. The fabric acted as a wick, absorbing the water and distributing it over a broad area through capillary action.

As part of the water evaporated, heat was removed from the rear of the module. The principle is similar to other evaporative cooling technologies, but the capillary network was created with a natural fibre.

The prototype incorporated temperature, irradiance, voltage and current sensors connected to an ESP32 microcontroller. The pump did not run continuously. It was activated for 72 seconds when the module temperature exceeded 55°C while power fell below 22 W, followed by a 1,800-second standby period.

The system is therefore more sophisticated than simply placing wet fabric behind a solar panel. Its performance depends on the textile structure, contact with the module backsheet, uniform water distribution and a control strategy designed to use water only when cooling is likely to be beneficial.

Conceptual representation of a possible use of jute fabric for the evaporative cooling of photovoltaic modules. The image does not reproduce the prototype used in the cited study.

 

 

What results did the researchers report?

Field tests were conducted over three clear-sky days, from 14 to 16 July 2025, under demanding environmental conditions. Ambient temperature reached 45.4°C, while irradiance peaked at 848 W/m².

At the point of maximum thermal difference, the uncooled reference module reached 75.5°C, compared with 54.1°C for the cooled module. This represents a maximum temperature reduction of 21.4°C.

At one peak operating point, the study also recorded 31.08 W from the cooled module and 22.13 W from the reference module. The difference corresponds to a maximum instantaneous relative power gain of 40.44%.

That figure requires careful interpretation. It does not mean that the module became 40 percentage points more efficient, nor does it demonstrate a 40.44% increase in annual energy production. It is an instantaneous comparison between two small modules under the specific conditions of the experiment.

Absolute electrical efficiency increased from 15.3% to 16.8%, equivalent to 1.5 percentage points. Reported water use was approximately 0.14 litres per hour per square metre, while 81.3% of the supplied water that had not evaporated was recovered by drainage.

 

This is not an entirely isolated experiment

The importance of this work does not depend on one headline figure alone. It adds to previous research into porous textiles and natural-fibre wicks for photovoltaic evaporative cooling.

The 2026 paper itself builds on earlier work involving burlap and capillary-driven water distribution. In 2024, researchers at Manipal Institute of Technology also tested a photovoltaic thermal cooling configuration incorporating jute cloth and water. The published abstract reported a maximum temperature reduction of 15.7% and a maximum power improvement of 16.3%.

The figures cannot be compared directly because the module size, climate, flow rate, textile arrangement, wetting method and performance calculations all differ. However, the fact that the same physical principle has been tested in several configurations supports further investigation of jute as a functional thermal-management material.

 

Why could jute be an interesting material?

The fabric can perform several functions simultaneously:

• It can absorb and spread water through capillary action.
• Its porous surface provides a broad area for evaporation.
• It can be adapted to different dimensions and geometries.
• Untreated jute is a renewable, biodegradable plant-based fibre.
• Its material cost may be lower than that of certain metallic, electronic or phase-change cooling solutions.

The fabric tested in the 2026 study had a measured porosity of 75%, thermal conductivity of 0.045 W/mK and moisture-retention capacity of 62%. These values relate specifically to the tested construction and must not be assumed to apply to every jute fabric.

This distinction is central to future development. Different jute fabrics will not necessarily deliver the same results. Fabric weight, yarn count, weave, openness, thickness, finish, wet strength and layer orientation may all influence how quickly water is absorbed, distributed and evaporated.

The industrial question is therefore not simply whether jute can work. It is which textile construction provides the best balance between capillary performance, thermal contact, water consumption, durability and cost.

 

From a prototype to an industrial application: what remains unresolved?

The findings are promising, but the study also acknowledges major limitations.

Testing lasted only three days and involved 30 Wp modules. Seasonal testing, larger commercial modules and long-duration field validation are still required.

The researchers estimate an outdoor jute service life of approximately one to two years before replacement. Its performance under ultraviolet radiation, repeated wetting and drying, microorganisms, ambient humidity, dust and extreme temperatures must be studied in greater detail.

Clean tap water was used during the trial. Hard, brackish or reclaimed water could lead to mineral deposits, clogged outlets or changes in the fabric’s absorption properties. Uniformly supplying and recovering water across thousands of modules would also be much more complex than operating a small prototype.

Any commercial system would additionally need to validate electrical safety, fire behaviour, compatibility with module manufacturers’ warranties, attachment methods, cleaning, maintenance and the overall balance between water use, auxiliary energy consumption and additional electricity generation.

 

Deyute’s potential role as a material supplier

Deyute has worked with jute since 1989 and supplies fabrics in different weights, qualities and widths for a broad range of applications. We follow this research because it demonstrates how a traditional fibre may acquire new functions in renewable energy, engineering and sustainable construction.

Deyute is not currently presenting a commercial solar-panel cooling system, nor do we claim that our fabrics will reproduce the results obtained by the research teams. Our potential role is different: providing material knowledge, access to different textile constructions and a reliable supply base for testing and development.

We can work with companies, universities and technology centres on:

• Selecting existing fabrics for preliminary testing.
• Supplying samples and pilot-scale quantities.
• Comparing different weights, widths, densities and open structures.
• Assessing special format, fabrication or finishing requirements.
• Defining a repeatable supply specification once the engineering team has identified the most suitable construction.

Relevant properties must be measured and validated for each fabric and application. In technical development, identifying a material simply as “jute” is not enough: its exact construction and operating conditions must be specified.

 

An invitation to companies and research organisations

This research may be relevant to photovoltaic module manufacturers, thermal-management developers, solar-plant operators, engineering companies, universities, technology centres and businesses working on water delivery or recovery systems.

Organisations investigating similar concepts are invited to contact Deyute to discuss fabrics, samples and pilot-scale supply.

All performance results cited in this article belong exclusively to the respective research teams and tested configurations. Deyute has not independently validated those findings and does not guarantee that they can be reproduced with other fabrics, modules or environmental conditions.

 

A natural fibre facing a new opportunity

It is still too early to know whether jute fabric will become a common component of photovoltaic systems. Not every solar installation requires active cooling, and any proposed solution must demonstrate safety, durability, scalability and economic viability.

Research has nevertheless progressed from a theoretical idea to a series of field experiments. In extremely hot and dry environments, a natural-fibre capillary network could eventually become part of low-cost cooling systems with controlled water use.

The next stage will require cooperation between solar-energy specialists, water-management engineers, electronics developers, materials scientists and textile suppliers. Deyute aims to contribute to that process as a specialist jute-fabric supplier and as a partner for organisations exploring new applications for this natural fibre.