Performance Assessment of Thermoelectric Cooling Applied to Photovoltaic Panels

Electric energy plays a critical role in modern societies, supporting applications that range from residential use to

industrial operations and advanced technological systems [1]. Rising global energy demand and increasing

environmental concerns make the development of sustainable production technologies essential, and photovoltaic

(PV) systems have become one of the most prominent renewable energy solutions [2, 3]. The performance of PV

panels, which convert solar radiation directly into electricity, is highly sensitive to operating temperature [4, 5]. As

the cell temperature increases, the electrical resistance of semiconductor materials rises, leading to efficiency losses

and accelerated material degradation. This situation negatively affects the electrical output of the panel. To address

these thermal challenges, a wide variety of cooling strategies have been proposed in the literature. Passive techniques

such as heat sinks and phase change materials are commonly used, while active cooling methods that rely on forced

air or liquid flow have also been widely implemented [6]. Among the active methods, thermoelectric cooling (TEC)

attracts attention because it operates in a solid state, contains no moving components, has a compact structure, and is

capable of providing both cooling and electricity generation through the Seebeck effect. When an electrical current is

supplied, TEC modules create a temperature difference between their two sides, allowing heat on the PV panel surface

to be transferred to the surroundings [7]. Experimental studies have shown that integrating thermoelectric cooling

structures into PV panels can reduce operating temperature, thereby improving power output and the overall stability

of the system. Building on these findings, the present study examines the performance of a hybrid cooling approach

in which thermoelectric modules are combined with finned heat sinks and forced airflow applied at two different air

flow rates. The effects of this finned TEC structure and its airflow supported heat dissipation on power reduction in a

PV panel were evaluated through experimental tests conducted over an eighteen minute period.