I don’t fully get it, thermoelectric is relying on a surface temperature differential compared to the radiation temperature differential for solar panels. Wouldn’t the carnot efficiency of these panels significantly pale solar panels?
I don’t fully get it, thermoelectric is relying on a surface temperature differential compared to the radiation temperature differential for solar panels. Wouldn’t the carnot efficiency of these panels significantly pale solar panels?
Well yes, but this is not a competing technology but a complementary one.
You can use this to improve the efficiency of a regular solar panel and as a way to still produce electricity when there is less direct light but enough temperature difference.
It's hard to come close to solar cells' Carnot... I don't think they improved "efficiency" by much. That's why by performance they actually mean something like raw power output. TEG is notorious for having like microwatts per sq cm of output near room temp. Now they are a 100th to a 10th of PV "performance".. mildly disingenuous titling imho.