Integrasi Panel Surya dengan Modul Termoelektrik sebagai Pemasok Tenaga Sistem Pendingin pada Kotak Pendingin

Abstract

This research is the integration of solar panels with thermoelectric modules as a power supply for the cooling system in a cooler. The background of the research is based on the need for an environmentally friendly cooling system that does not depend on fossil energy and conventional refrigerants. The purpose of this research is to obtain the lowest temperature in the cooler and to obtain the coefficient of performance (CoP) of the overall system. The methodology used is an experimental method, starting from the design and manufacture of a cooler prototype, installation of 100 Wp polycrystalline solar panels, and installation of four TEC-12706 thermoelectric modules in series and parallel. Testing is carried out by measuring input variables such as sunlight intensity, wind speed, air humidity, ambient temperature, voltage, and electric current from the solar panels. Meanwhile, the output variables measured include the hot side temperature, cold side temperature, and the temperature of the cooler. The results show that the series TEC produces the lowest temperature of 23.40°C with a CoP of 0.11. The parallel TEC produces the lowest temperature of 23.20°C with a CoP of 0.06. This is because series circuits use less input power, resulting in a higher CoP and higher temperatures. Meanwhile, parallel circuits use very high input power, resulting in a lower CoP and lower temperatures.