Photovoltaic efficiency enhancement via responsive forced convection driven by radiative-cooling-intensified thermoelectricity

Photovoltaic (PV) efficiency can be improved to some extent by using thermoelectric (TE) conversion cooling. However, PV performance has not reached its full potential due to excessive residual heat accumulation that is not dissipated in a timely manner during prolonged operation. In this work, we proposed a passive cooling system via a cooler with thermoelectric-driven convection and radiative cooling (CTCRC) attached to the PV backsheet, which efficiently and responsively harnessed thermoelectricity further to enhance PV efficiency. In this cooler, a radiative cooling (RC) film adhered to the thermoelectric generator was optimized to increase the TE voltage, thereby initiating thermoelectric-driven forced convection at a lower temperature threshold for the PV panel. At 1 kW m −2 solar irradiation, the TE/RC composite cooler achieves 331 W·m −2 cooling power under steady-state heat transfer conditions, reducing commercial PV panel temperature by 7.8 °C and improving PV efficiency by 11 %. Activating thermoelectric-driven forced convection further increases cooling power to 529 W·m −2 , lowering PV panel temperature by 11.3 °C and enhancing PV efficiency by 15.6 %. Simulations of temperature distribution confirm the energy transfer and conversion processes in the coolers. The CTCRC intensifies thermoelectricity with RC to facilitate responsive thermoelectric-driven forced convection at lower PV temperatures, offering a novel approach to improve PV efficiency further.