Research Article
Experimental Study of a TEG-Based Passive Cooling and Energy Harvesting System for Enhancing Photovoltaic (PV) Performance
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.16-9-2025.2361113, author={Denny Haryanto Sinaga and Arwadi Sinuraya and Muhammad Aulia Rahman Sembiring and Dian Putra Saragi and Dito Yudisthira Nugroho and Yusuf Sihombing}, title={Experimental Study of a TEG-Based Passive Cooling and Energy Harvesting System for Enhancing Photovoltaic (PV) Performance}, proceedings={Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Innovation in Education, Science, and Culture, ICIESC 2025, 16 September 2025, Medan, Indonesia}, publisher={EAI}, proceedings_a={ICIESC}, year={2026}, month={3}, keywords={photovoltaic thermoelectric generator (teg) pv--teg hybrid system thermal management energy harvesting}, doi={10.4108/eai.16-9-2025.2361113} }- Denny Haryanto Sinaga
Arwadi Sinuraya
Muhammad Aulia Rahman Sembiring
Dian Putra Saragi
Dito Yudisthira Nugroho
Yusuf Sihombing
Year: 2026
Experimental Study of a TEG-Based Passive Cooling and Energy Harvesting System for Enhancing Photovoltaic (PV) Performance
ICIESC
EAI
DOI: 10.4108/eai.16-9-2025.2361113
Abstract
This research investigates the integration of thermoelectric generator (TEG) modules into photovoltaic (PV) panels as a passive cooling strategy to improve thermal management and electrical performance. A total of 42 TEG modules were mounted on the back surface of a 100 Wp monocrystalline photovoltaic panel using thermal adhesive and a passive aluminum heatsink. Outdoor experimental tests showed that TEG integration reduced the PV surface temperature from 61.44°C to 56.18°C, representing a reduction of 8.06%. This temperature reduction contributed to stabilizing the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and reducing thermal losses. Peak solar irradiation was recorded at 1:30 p.m., generating 118.98 W for the PV–TEG system and 111.53 W for the conventional PV system. The peak power of the PV–TEG system increased by approximately 6.68%, a difference of 7.45 W compared to the conventional PV system. The TEG array generated a peak power of 2.398 W by utilizing the waste heat from the PV surface. These findings demonstrate that TEG-assisted cooling offers a practical and sustainable approach to improving PV module performance under real-world operating conditions.
