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Application of Thermal Energy Harvesting from Photovoltaic Panels

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  • Hasan Demir

    (Software Engineering Department, The Faculty of Engineering, Aksaray University, Aksaray 68100, Turkey)

Abstract

This paper describes a newly developed system for harvesting thermoelectric energy from photovoltaic panels. This system helps to power monitoring systems for photovoltaic panels (PVs) in locations where there is no energy source using waste thermal energy from PVs exposed to the sun’s rays. In the study described here, the thermal energy from a PV panel was captured and transferred to a thermoelectric generator (TEG). A temperature gradient was created by reducing the temperature using an aluminium heat sink in ambient weather conditions. This temperature gradient was used to generate electricity via two TEGs. In field tests carried out in April, in Aksaray province in central Turkey, the maximum temperature gradient due to solar radiation was measured as 21.08 °C. The harvested energy was increased to a usable level of 4.1 V using a DC-to-DC converter and stored in a li-ion rechargeable battery. The maximum charge current level of the battery was 147 µA. The maximum harvested energy was 458.64 mW, and a stable level of around 350 mW was achieved. The experimental operation of the prototype system was carried out in stable weather conditions; however, weather and climatic conditions greatly affect levels of energy harvested as a result of changing temperature gradients. The energy obtained with the prototype may reduce the battery maintenance costs of PV monitoring systems and lead to the development of new such systems which cannot presently be used due to a lack of energy.

Suggested Citation

  • Hasan Demir, 2022. "Application of Thermal Energy Harvesting from Photovoltaic Panels," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-12, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:21:p:8211-:d:962367
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Demir, Hasan, 2024. "Simulation and forecasting of power by energy harvesting method in photovoltaic panels using artificial neural network," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    2. Mohammad Hassan Shojaeefard & Noor Barzan Sakran & Mohammad Mazidi Sharfabadi & Omar A. Hussein & Hussein A. Mohammed, 2023. "Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Water Cooling on the Temperature Distribution of Photovoltaic Modules Using Copper Pipes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-21, May.

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