An Applied Comparison Study: Solar Energy vs. Thermoelectric Energy

Thermoelectric generators (TEG) are devices that convert temperature differences into usable electricity. TEGs are made from thermoelectric modules which are solid-state integrated circuits that employ three established thermoelectric effects known as the Peltier, Seebeck and Thomson effects. TEGs require heat as an energy source and can generate power as long as there is a heat source such as gas or oil flame, stove, camp fire, industrial machinery, and furnace. Solar modules which convert light energy into usable electricity need direct sunlight to generate maximum rated power. Usually solar tracking systems are used to receive direct sun light to increase the efficiency of the modules. This type of setup increases the cost of the photovoltaic systems. A team of students with a renewable energy projects background compared solar panels with TEGs. The comparison study dealt with efficiency, power generation capability and capacity, cost, size, potential consumer applications, and system installation complexity to generate power. The balance of the system included the number of the components that go into the system. For both devices, two separate laboratory environments were created to measure the power outputs and efficiencies. Both devices were tested at different locations due to operating environments were not similar. A solar PV module was tested under sun light whereas TEG module was tested inside an air conditioner condenser unit on same days. This paper documents test results of the comparison of two energy generating systems and lists potential applications.