Experimental investigation on hybrid parabolic trough collector and thermoelectric generator system for energy, economic, and environmental aspects

This study experimentally investigates the thermal and electrical performance, economic feasibility, and environmental impacts of a hybrid energy system integrated with a parabolic trough collector (PTC) and thermoelectric generator (TEG). In the established system, solar energy is converted into electrical and thermal energy using a steam turbine and TEG. Experimental data indicate that the system operates with an average efficiency of 71.44%, which varies depending on the intensity of solar radiation. The overall energy efficiency of the system is calculated as 14.51%. In the economic analysis, the payback period of the designed system is approximately 5.4 years, while the levelised cost of energy production (LCOE) is calculated to be 0.075 USD kWh−1. The environmental assessment indicates that the system can prevent 356.18 kg of CO2 emissions annually and save approximately 1499.72 L of water. These findings demonstrate that hybrid systems offer an economically and environmentally sustainable and efficient alternative to energy production.