Research Information System
Next Energy, vol.12, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
Operational overheating in photovoltaic (PV) systems constitutes a critical bottleneck, associated with a well-documented power loss of 0.4–0.5% per °C. This review argues that cooling solutions must be evaluated primarily by net energy gain and life-cycle economics, rather than temperature reduction alone, with particular emphasis on the intrinsic thermal conflicts in hybrid photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) and photovoltaic-thermoelectric (PV–TEG) systems. Based on a systematic assessment of peer-reviewed literature from 2022–2026 (Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect; N = 163), this work compares passive, active, and hybrid cooling strategies in terms of net energy gain, parasitic load, levelized cost of energy, and thermal decoupling potential. Active methods such as nanofluids can achieve temperature reductions exceeding 30 °C; however, pumping losses may reduce the net gain by 8–12%. Passive approaches, including radiative sky cooling (RSC) and phase change materials (PCMs), operate with zero parasitic load, yet low thermal conductivity (0.1–0.6 W/m·K) in PCMs and climate-dependent performance variability in RSC emerge as key limitations. The primary challenge in hybrid systems lies in the “efficiency dilemma” of PV–TEG configurations (the cooling requirement of PV vs. the high ΔT demand of TEG) and temperature mismatch in PV/T collectors. This review identifies spectral splitting and RSC-assisted TEG cooling as essential thermal decoupling strategies to mitigate these intrinsic conflicts. Quantitative comparisons demonstrate that PV–TEG–RSC triple hybrid systems can deliver 5.3% higher net electrical output compared to conventional PV–TEG systems. Looking forward, the field must transition from static cooling approaches toward climate-responsive, adaptive systems that optimize performance, durability, and economic feasibility—particularly in arid regions with high solar irradiance.