Incorporation of thermoelectric effect with solar power into solar panel

• Main Author: Zhai, Xiangyu
• Other Authors: So Ping Lam
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/141626
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The worrying problems with the increase in usage of fossil fuels over the years and the exhaustion of non-renewable energy have led to the release of greenhouse gases that contributes to climate change. One of the solutions to these problems will be renewable energy. Recently, renewable energy such as wind energy, solar energy, wave energy to name a few, has become a popular alternative to replace fossil fuels. For countries like Singapore where solar irradiance is good due to its location, solar energy will be the focus. Additionally, Singapore intends to become a green country by 2035 and has a goal of reducing its carbon dioxide emission by increasing carbon taxes and the usage of solar energy. The usage of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are one of the most common ways to convert solar energy into electrical energy. However, high temperatures are one of the biggest factors that affect the PV panels and will cause efficiency to decrease drastically. Therefore, this project aims to convert the excess heat energy into useful electrical energy to power up small demand devices such as fans, USB lights, and chargers that can charge a smartphone. This energy conversion is done by the means of a solar and thermoelectric combination system that utilises the Seebeck effect. This phenomenon allows the thermoelectric generator to convert the thermal differences between the cooler and warmer sides of the thermoelectric devices to electrical energy. With the combination of systems, the efficiency of solar PV will be increased.