Performance of solar cells using thermoelectric module in hot sites

The ambient temperature at Madinah site is between 40 degrees C and 50 degrees C during the summer months and sometimes is over 50 degrees C. The cell temperature reaches the value of 83 degrees C. This affects the behaviors of solar cells (SC) and decreases their efficiency. The performance of solar cells is presented in this work using thermoelectric module (TEM) as cooling system. In fact, we have found experimentally that the efficiency of solar cells decreases with increase in its temperature. The efficiency of solar cells drops by 0.5% per degrees C rise in temperature. So, it's necessary to operate them at lower temperature in order to increase their efficiency. Cooling the solar cells would enhance its performance. The hybrid PV/TEM system is proposed for PV applications in hot sites. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.