Maximizing energy generation: A study of radiative cooling-based thermoelectric power devices

In the present study, a continuous thermoelectric power generation device (CTEGRC) has been fabricated by combining the recently proposed radiative cooling paint with a commercially available thermoelectric generator (TEG) to achieve continuous power generation throughout the day. The CTEGRC has been modeled and the results have been verified through experiments, and then the effects of structural and environmental parameters on the performance of the CTEGRC have been discussed in detail. The annual performance of the CTEGRC has been evaluated for five different weather conditions (five cities in China) based on the established model. It has been shown that an annual power generation of 241.46 Wh/m2-423.86 Wh/m2 can be achieved for the applications of the CTEGRC in the five climate zones of China based on an optimal area ratio of 11 for the radiative cooling module to the TEG.