Conversion efficiency gain for concentrated triple-junction solar cell system through thermal management

The application of the thermoelectric (TE) modules can provide extra power in PV cell systems, but the increased thermal resistance leads to an increase in the temperature of the PV cells. In this paper, the phase change materials (PCMs) attached to the back side of the PV cell is used to control the temperature of the PV cells. The PCMs transfers the heat absorbed from the PV cell to the TE modules. A comprehensive experimental study is carried out to investigate the performance of the photovoltaic-thermoelectric hybrid system with PCMs. The outdoor tests are performed to reveal the influence of the cooling methods, the sunlight intensity, and the uniformity of the concentrated light spot on the conversion efficiency of the system. The results indicate that the conversion efficiency of the PV-TE hybrid system with PCMs is 0.56% more than solo PV cell system due to a decrease of the PV cell temperature and the efficiency contribution of the TE modules. This work investigates the factors that affect the full spectrum utilization of solar energy in PV cell systems.