A review of advanced cooling methodologies for solar photovoltaic and thermoelectric hybrid energy systems

Solar energy has several benefits compared to other renewable energy sources, including ease of accessibility and improved predictability. Heating, desalination, and electricity production are a few applications. The cooling of photovoltaic thermoelectric (PV-TE) hybrid solar energy systems is one method to improve the productive life of such systems with effective solar energy utilization. This review critically analyzes the current cooling technologies' various cooling methods and scope. The cooling methods are primarily air-cooling, liquid cooling, nanofluids, and phase change materials. The distinct factors governing the systems' performance were efficiency, coefficient of performance, exergy, and exergy efficiency. Combining active and passive cooling technologies results in a higher PV cell temperature reduction with enhanced PV efficiency. Forced cooling is more productive by about 30% than natural cooling but is not cost-effective. Experiments conducted with nanofluid increased the exergy generation to a great extent by up to 90%. In addition, related issues, such as overheating PV-TE generators, are discussed and recommendations for future research studies are provided. This review benefits all stakeholders of the solar community by designing effective heat exchangers for solar energy systems.