Load-resilient shingled photovoltaic module for field-scale thermoelectric coupling

Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells generate waste heat during field operations, which reduces their overall power output. One potential solution for future solar power technology is to integrate solar cells with thermoelectric generators (TEGs) to enable waste heat reclamation, thereby enhancing power output. However, the high TEG resistance (R_TEG) increases the series resistance of these devices, leading to significant power loss. Here, we demonstrated that PV operation at low current and high voltage sufficiently reduces the impact of R_TEG, facilitating field-scale PV-TEG coupling. Furthermore, to achieve low-current, high-voltage operation, a shingled PV module configuration proved effective. This module comprises narrow strip-shaped solar cells connected in series; hence, the current is divided, and the voltage output across the strips is increased. Consequently, lower current and higher voltage than those of an uncut cell of the same size are achieved. Particularly, for a 14-strip shingled module, a load-resilient shingled PV module was realized for a field-scale PV-TEG (170 cm²) that delivers 3.27 W with a P_loss of only 0.043%. This shingled configuration is versatile and can be applied to any solar cell type, including organic, perovskite, and state-of-the-art tandem solar cells. Our study provides potential solutions to the problem of high R_TEG and new directions for achieving load-resilient PV modules for reliable field-scale PV-TEG coupling.