Shirin ahadi - M. Sc. student, Electronics Department, Arak branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
HamidReza Hoseini - Faculty member, Electronics Department, Arak branch, Islamic Azad University ,Arak, Iran
Rahim Faez - Associate Proffesor , Electronics Department, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

Outdoor performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules suffers from elevated temperatures. Conversion efficiency losses of up to about ٢٥٪ canresult, depending on the type of integration of the modules in the roof. Cooling of modules would therefore enhance global PV performance. Instead ofmodule cooling we propose to use the thermal waste by attaching thermoelectric (TE) converters to the back of PV modules, to form a PV–TE hybrid module. A new approach to thermoelectric power generation using large area pn-junctions is presented. Thermally generated electron-hole pairs are separated by the builtin potential gradient of the pn-junction. A temperature gradient applied along this pn-junction causes a flux of both carrier types from the hot to the cold region, which has higher efficiency and lower cost than convention methods of thermoelectric power generation. The use of thermoelectric devices based on silicon material results in increasing efficiency of PV cell from ٦.٨٪ up to ١٠.٩٢٪ at ٨٣oC.

Thermoelectric conversion; Efficiency;Solar cells; large area pn-junction; temperature increasing