Hybrid solar and solar thermal device with embedded flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module

A method of a solar device comprising:

• forming a flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module of less than or equal to 100 μm in dimensional thickness on a flexible substrate based on choices of fabrication processes and materials with respect to layers of the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module, the flexible substrate being one of:
• an Al foil, a sheet of paper, teflon, plastic, polyimide, a single-sided metal clad laminate, and a double-sided metal clad laminate;
• directly coupling the flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module to one of:
• a layer of heat absorber material and a layer of photovoltaic material configured to receive sunlight such that the flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module is in contact therewith to form the solar device;
• and
• leveraging, through the directly coupled flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module, a temperature difference across a first surface of the flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module directly in contact with the one of:
• the layer of heat absorber material and the layer of photovoltaic material and a second surface away therefrom to generate at least one of:
• increased solar thermal power and electrical power output through the solar device compared to an otherwise equivalent solar device without the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module.

A method of a solar device comprising:

• forming a flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module of less than or equal to 100 μm in dimensional thickness on a flexible substrate based on choices of fabrication processes and materials with respect to layers of the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module, the flexible substrate being one of:
• an Al foil, a sheet of paper, teflon, plastic, polyimide, a single-sided metal clad laminate, and a double-sided metal clad laminate;
• directly coupling the flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module to one of:
• a layer of heat absorber material and a layer of photovoltaic material configured to receive sunlight such that the flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module is in contact therewith to form the solar device;
• and
• leveraging, through the directly coupled flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module, a temperature difference across a first surface of the flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module directly in contact with the one of:
• the layer of heat absorber material and the layer of photovoltaic material and a second surface away therefrom to generate at least one of:
• increased solar thermal power and electrical power output through the solar device compared to an otherwise equivalent solar device without the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module while enabling retention of an outward physical appearance of the otherwise equivalent solar device.