The Performance of a Hybrid Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric Generator (PV-TEG) Compared to a Solar PV Panel

Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells are inherently inefficient, unable to utilize the majority of the solar radiation spectrum, resulting in excess waste heat generated at and within the panel’s surface. When silicon is heated, additional electron-hole recombination occurs within the band structure, reducing the density of electrons reaching the conduction band, resulting in an additional voltage drop, which leads to a decline in power generation and efficiency. This paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel thermoelectric generator (TEG) cooling solution to mitigate solar panel thermal degradation. A hybrid PV-TEG system consisting of a series of TEGs mounted on the panel’s back with heat sinks was designed and developed. The hybrid system and a standalone PV panel were positioned and oriented identically for maximum solar exposure. A series of measurements showed that the TEGs mitigate temperature effects on PV panel performance in hybrid systems. The PV-TEG system reduced temperature by 3.7%, increased power generation by 0.452 W, and improved efficiency by 2.4% compared to the standalone PV panel. The study shows the effectiveness of the hybrid PV-TEG system on improvement of the electrical efficiency and life span of PV solar cells. Further experiments on a larger scale are recommended to provide more data where the input solar irradiance is high.