For photovoltaic devices to optimally operate in high-temperature conditions, a solution must be found that addresses the device’s efficiency dependence on temperature. During operation, photovoltaic devices heat up and emit low-grade waste heat, in turn, reducing performance. By affixing a thermoelectric generator to a photovoltaic device, the waste heat is utilized to generate additional electricity and partially offset photovoltaic performance loss. Through experimental design of a conjoined photovoltaic-thermoelectric generator and physics-driven simulation, we examine the performance and energy yield improvements of the generator under varying operating conditions.

Conjoining a thermoelectric generator to a photovoltaic module to harvest waste heat during photovoltaic operation improves relative performance from 5 % to 50 %. The conjoined photovoltaic and thermoelectric generator system improves photovoltaic power generation during times of performance loss in high operating temperatures; passive cooling technology marginally offsets high-temperature performance loss while active cooling technology significantly offsets high-temperature performance loss. Operating the thermoelectric module in an actively cooling mode results in higher relative performance at the expense of higher operating costs. Considering these improvements in performance and energy yield, the adoption of conjoined photovoltaic and thermoelectric generator devices to recycle waste heat may be a feasible option to maximize solar generation capabilities, especially for high-temperature operating conditions.