Thermoelectric Cooling for Enhanced PV Efficiency: A Matlab/Simulink Approach

Solar Photovoltaic technology is widely used for generating electricity because of free available, ecofriendly and noiseless. The performance of the photovoltaic (PV) system is affected by numbers of parameters such as solar radiation, dust accumulation, humidity, tilt angle and panel temperature. Panel temperature is a crucial parameter, which significantly affects the power generation of PV systems. As the use of PV technology grows, efficient heat management is necessary to maintain optimal power output. Cooling techniques are crucial for better performance because high temperatures lower PV efficiency. This study examines the application of thermoelectric cooling (TEC) technology in PV panel temperature control by analyzing the irradiance levels and TEC cold-side temperature. A 1-D lookup table that systematically correlates temperature change to irradiance levels was used to implement an input control in order to model the PV array. The results indicate the possibility of utilizing active cooling to minimize thermal losses, as evidenced by the observed nonlinear relationship between irradiance and TEC cold-side temperature. This study shows that PV efficiency in high irradiance regions can be significantly improved with TEC-based modulation. The results show that the reduction in temperature of the solar panel with thermoelectric cooling is <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$7^{\circ} \mathrm{C}, 8^{\circ} \mathrm{C}, 8^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$</tex> compared to the PV panel without thermoelectric cooling under <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$800 ~\mathrm{W} / \mathrm{m}^{2}, 1000 \mathrm{W} / \mathrm{m}^{2}$</tex>, and <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$12000 ~\mathrm{W} / \mathrm{m}^{2}$</tex> solar radiation respectively. These findings can be used in further studies on active adaptive cooling strategies that optimize PV system efficiency while ensuring the sustainable use of solar energy.