Guo Xinying, Wang Liwen, Shi Chaosheng, Tao Xiao-Ming, Dai Yongqiang, Zeng Wei
Department of Flexible Sensing Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510665, China.
Research Centre for Smart Wearable Systems, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2025 Jan 8;17(1):1201-1208. doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c17358. Epub 2024 Dec 26.
The global solar market is booming with a rapid growth in installed integrated devices, while photovoltaic (PV) systems are suffering from waste heat, which causes the decline of the photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE). This study presents the seamless integration of the ionic thermoelectric generator (iTEG) layer with traditional PV modules, facilitating the exploitation of waste heat and augmenting the overall power output. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the iTEG, demonstrating substantial power generation and a consistent energy output. Specifically, a power output of 515 mW/m is achieved at a temperature difference of 20 K, while an energy density of 229.7 J/m is recorded at a temperature difference of 10 K with an external resistance of 1 kΩ. Notably, this system maintains continuous electricity generation over 100 cycles. Furthermore, the iTEG effectively reduces the operating temperature of the solar panel by 2 °C, which is beneficial in minimizing PCE losses attributed to the temperature coefficient. This research holds substantial practical implications, particularly for large-scale power generation leveraging iTEG technology in conjunction with solar cells.
