Performance of the Hybrid Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric Generator (PV-TEG) System under Malaysian Weather Conditions

This paper presents an evaluation of system performance in real atmospheric conditions for a hybrid photovoltaic-thermoelectric generator. The systems comprise a 2-unit of 100W PV panel, 196TEG modules and 92 heatsink as cooling unit for the TEG. The configuration is used to minimize the PV module temperature and improve system performance. The TEGs were mounted on a heat sink at the back side of the shingle. The hybrid system has demonstrated its potential to generate sufficient energy. The power output of the TEG was entirely dependent on the series connection and the temperature difference across the hot and cold sides of the TEG, while the PV power output is dependent on the solar radiation and effective cooling of the PV cell. This findings suggests that the hybrid system can produce better results than a PV stand-alone system in a sunny weather condition. In the sunny days of March 2021, the maximum generation capacity and efficiency were achieved with 23.65W for the system with air-based natural flow cooling than the PV alone. The findings also indicates a 13.69% increase in efficiency in sunny days, 1.75% in rainy days and 1.26% in cloudy days