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Updated: Sep 19, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Energy Solutions Using Nanocomposites as Processed Thermoelectric Materials
Published on: May 17, 2024
Advances in integrated photo-thermal-electric energy conversion
Zhanxiang Yin1,2, Liqing Xu3, Yu Xiao1
1School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China. 202411210529@std.uestc.edu.cn.
None:
Photo-thermal-electric energy conversion enables the transformation of solar energy and thermal energy into electricity through photovoltaic, photothermal and thermoelectric effects. According to disparate components and device structures, diverse photo-thermal-electric energy conversion systems can be divided into solar thermoelectric generators (STEG), phase change material thermoelectric energy harvesting (PCM-TEG) systems, photovoltaic cell-thermoelectric generator (PVC-TEG) systems, photovoltaic-thermoelectric systems with phase change materials (PVC-PCM-TEG), and thermo-phototronic semiconductors (TPS). Specifically, STEGs consist of a solar absorber and thermoelectric generator, which convert solar energy into electricity by utilizing the photothermal and thermoelectric effect; PCM-TEG systems can offer a stable and significant temperature difference for TEG, benefiting from the heat storage capability of PCMs; PVC-TEG systems boost solar utilization efficiency through direct PVC photovoltaic electricity generation synergized with TEG thermoelectric conversion via solar photothermal energy; PVC-PCM-TEG systems mitigate solar thermal fluctuations via PCM integration; TPS systems enable spontaneous photo-thermal-electric interconversion via the thermo-phototronic effect. This review provides a comprehensive overview of advanced photo-thermal-electric energy conversion systems and outlines future directions.
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