DOI: https://doi.org/10.61435/ijred.2025.61734

Experimental investigation to evaluate photovoltaic–thermoelectric hybrid systems enhanced by heatsink and radiation reflector

1Department of Industrial Education, Faculty of Education, Srinakharinwirot11, Thailand

2University, 114, Sukhumvit 23, Wattana, Bangkok, 10110, Thailand, Thailand

3Department of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, Faculty of Railway Systems and Transportation, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Nakhon Ratchasima, 30000, Thailand, Thailand

Received: 8 Sep 2025; Published: 1 Mar 2026.
Editor(s): H Hadiyanto
Open Access Copyright (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Centre of Biomass and Renewable Energy (CBIORE)
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Abstract
This study aims to design and evaluate the performance of a hybrid photovoltaic–thermoelectric (PV–TEG) power generation system by integrating a heat sink and radiation reflector under various thermal management conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the combined effect of these two methods on the power output and system efficiency without expanding the PV installation area. The experimental setup encompassed five configurations (A–E) comparing natural convection, thermoelectric modules, addition of reflective panels, and active cooling using either air suction or forced air ventilation. The experimental findings indicate that all PV–TEG configurations yielded higher power output and greater efficiency than the standalone PV systems. Notably, Configuration E, which combined radiation reflection with forced-air cooling, achieved the highest performance, increasing the electrical output by approximately 1.27 watts and reaching a peak efficiency of approximately 28.6%. The integration of the TEG modules contributed an additional maximum of 2.2% to the total energy output by harvesting excess thermal energy. Further analysis revealed significant correlations between solar irradiance, temperature and electrical efficiency. These results highlight the potential of PV–TEG hybrid systems to effectively harness both solar and thermal energy, particularly in high-temperature and high-irradiance environments.
Keywords: electrical efficiency, reflector, photovoltaic power, experimental data, solar radiation
Funding: This study was Faculty of Education, Fiscal year 2024 (No. 581/2567) and the financial research article publication support of Strategic Wisdom and Research Institute, Srinakharinwirot University

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Section: Original Research Article
Language : EN
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