A Review of Solar Energy Harvesting Utilising a Photovoltaic–Thermoelectric Integrated Hybrid System

Abstract

Abstract Solar energy has the potential to be converted from light to electricity; however, solar cells can only utilise the short-wavelength portion of the solar spectrum to do this directly. In contrast, long-wavelength portions of the spectrum can be converted to heat inside solar cells, and such heat can be harvested and converted into electricity by means of a thermoelectric generator (TEG). The integration of photovoltaic and thermoelectric hybrid systems has thus attracted a great deal of attention due to these offering the ability to utilise solar energy across the full spectrum, including light and heat. This paper reviews the possibility of integrating photovoltaic (PV) and thermoelectric generators (TEG) in a PV-TEG hybrid system based on examining recent efforts in the field of PV-TEG creation. It also examines the efficiency improvement in PV-TEGs and their applications in recent years, offering a valuable guide for researchers and designers.