While the development of photovoltaic (PV) panels has led to increased efficiency, this efficiency is still a function of their temperature. The PV panel must be attached to a suitable cooling system to keep its temperature at levels that allow it to convert photovoltaic energy into electrical energy at near-peak efficiency. The thermal absorber is the vital bridge to the cooling system through which excess heat is transferred to the coolant. The present study compared three different types of thermal absorbers used in this field based on simulations using ANSYS software. The thermal absorbers studied in this research differed in terms of the number of thermal resistive layers between the PV panel and the coolant: plate and tube type thermal absorbers, flat tube, and open channel. The simulation results showed that all thermal absorbers are able to manage the excess heat generated inside the cells at different but converging ratios within the laminar flow range. The flat-tube type thermal absorber achieved the best results in terms of reducing the surface temperature of the panel, while the plate-and-tube type thermal absorber achieved the best temperature distribution over the surface of the PV panel. The results also showed that the open channel type thermal absorber has a promising future if some appropriate improvements are implemented to it.