Renewable Energy Resources

SOLAR CELL ARRAY & SOLAR GEOMETRY

by
Mr. Vineet Kumar
Vashishtha
(M. Tech.)
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
KIET Group of Institutions
 Contents
 PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY CONVERSION

 PV CELL

 MODULE

 ARRAY

 TILT AND ANGLE ORIENTATION

 PV MODULE TECHNOLOGY

 SUN AS SOURCE OF ENERGY

 SOLAR ANGLES
Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
Photovoltaic energy conversion is the direct production of
electrical energy in the form of current and voltage from
electromagnetic (i.e., light, including infrared, visible, and
ultraviolet) energy.
The basic four steps needed for photovoltaic energy
conversion are:
1. A light absorption process which causes a transition in a
material (the absorber) from a ground state to an excited
state.
2. The conversion of the excited state into (at least) a free
negative and a free positive-charge carrier pair.
Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
3. A discriminating transport mechanism, which causes the
resulting free negative-charge carriers to move in one
direction (to a contact that we will call the cathode) and
the resulting free positive charge carriers to move in
another direction (to a contact that we will call the anode).
4. Combining with an arriving positive-charge carrier,
thereby returning the absorber to the ground state.
 PV cell
PVs generate electric power when illuminated by sunlight or artificial light. To
illustrate the operation of a PV cell the p-n homo junction cell is used. PV cells
contain a junction between two different materials across which there is a built in
electric field. The absorption of photons of energy greater than the band gap
energy of the semiconductor promotes electrons from the valence band to the
conduction band, creating hole-electron pairs throughout the illuminated part of
the semiconductor. These electron and hole pairs will flow in opposite directions
across the junction thereby creating DC power.
The most common material used in pv cell manufacture is mono-crystalline
or poly-crystalline silicon. Each cell is typically made of square or rectangular
wafers of dimensions measuring about 10cm 10cm 0.3mm. In the dark the
PV cell's behaviour is similar to that of a diode and the well known Shockley-
Read equation can be used to model its behaviour.
 qV 
i  I s  e kT  1
 
 
 Module
For the majority of applications multiple solar cells need to be connected in
series or in parallel to produce enough voltage and power. Individual cells are
usually connected into a series string of cells (typically 36 or 72) to achieve the
desired output voltage. The complete assembly is usually referred to as a module
and manufacturers basically sell modules to customers. The modules serves
another function of protecting individual cells from water, dust etc. as the solar
cells are placed into an encapsulation of single or double at glasses.
Within a module the different cells are connected electrically in
series or in parallel although most modules have a series
connection. In a series connection the same current flows through
all the cells and the voltage at the module terminals is the sum of
the individual voltages of each cell.
 ARRAY
An array is a structure that consists of a number of PV modules,
mounted on the same plane with electrical connections to provide
enough electrical power for a given application. Arrays range in
power capacity from a few hundred watts to hundreds of
kilowatts. The connection of modules in an array is similar to the
connection of cells in a single module. To increase the voltage,
modules are connected in series and to increase the current they
are connected in parallel. Matching is again very important for the
overall performance of the array. For an array to perform well all
the modules must not be shaded otherwise it will act as a load
resulting in heat that may cause damage.
 Tilt and Angle Orientation
To get the most from position-fixed (or seasonally adjusted) photovoltaic or
thermal solar panels, you need to point them in the direction that captures the
most sun. Solar panels should always face true south in the Northern
Hemisphere, North in the Southern Hemisphere, tilted from the hoizontal at a
degree equal to your latitude plus 15 degrees in winter, or minus 15 degrees in
summer. An additional 3 - 5%, though, can be gained by evaluating this more
carefully.
Winter
The winter season has the least sun, so you want to make the most
of it. The tilt should be designed so that the panel points directly at
the sun at noon. To calculate, multiply your latitude by 0.9, and add
30 degrees. For example: New York is at 40 degrees. 40 X .9 + 30 =
66 degrees tilt from horizontal.
PV Module Technology
• PV module mainly available in Mono-crystalline Silicon, Poly-
Crystalline Silicon and Thin film..
• PV module Power (Wp) ranges from ~ (1 – 310) Wp
• Characteristics:-
 Voc ~ Open Circuit Voltage
 Isc ~ Short Circuit Current
 Vm ~ Voltage at maximum power
 Im ~ Current at maximum power
 Pm ~ Maximum power
• Note ~ While you purchase PV Module must check :-

 Measured at Standard Test Conditions(STC): 1KW/m2/day, 25˚C & AM1.5

Current-Voltage & Power-Voltage
Characteristics
 The sun’s energy is created
in the core by fusing
hydrogen into helium. This
energy is irradiated through
the radiative layer, then
transmitted by convection
through the convective
layer, and finally radiated
through the photosphere
which is the part of the sun
that we see.
The sun generates energy in its core in a process
called nuclear fusion. During nuclear fusion, the sun's
extremely high pressure and hot temperature cause
hydrogen atoms to come apart and their nuclei (the
central cores of the atoms) to fuse or combine. Four
hydrogen nuclei fuse to become one helium atom.
 Solar energy reaching the earth
The radiative energy from the sun actually reaching the earth can be calculated:
 Solar radiation incident on the outer atmosphere of the earth is
the known as Extra-terrestrial Radiation.

 Solar radiation that reaches earth surface after passing through

the earth’s atmosphere is known as Terrestrial Radiation.
 (Winter solstice)

 The declination of the sun is the angle between the equator

and a line drawn from the centre of the Earth to the centre of
the sun.

 If the Earth were not tilted on its axis of rotation, the

declination would always be 0° at the spring and autumn
equinoxes. However, the Earth is tilted by 23.45° and the
declination angle varies plus or minus this amount.
 Light from the Sun is spread out over a larger area, so that
area isn't heated as much.

 The Sun’s rays strike the Earth’s surface more directly,

this causes the solar radiation to be concentrated over a
smaller area, causing more intense heat.
December
The tilt of Earth's axis points away from the Sun . Winter solstice for
the Northern Hemisphere happens on December 21 or 22, Light from
the Sun is spread out over a larger area, so that area isn't heated as
much. With fewer daylight hours in winter, there is also less time for
the Sun to warm the area. When it is winter in the Northern
Hemisphere, it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
Halfway between the two solstices, the Sun's rays shine most
directly at the Equator, called an equinox . The daylight and
night time hours are exactly equal on an equinox. Spring
equinox happens March 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere.
The North Pole is tilted towards the Sun and the Sun's rays
strike the Northern Hemisphere more directly at summer
solstice. At the summer solstice, June 21 or 22, the Sun's rays
hit the Earth most directly along the Tropic of Cancer. When
it is summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter
solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
Halfway between the two solstices, the Sun's rays shine most
directly at the Equator, called an equinox . The daylight and
night time hours are exactly equal on an equinox. The
autumnal equinox happens on September 22 in the Northern
Hemisphere.
Latitude is distance north or south of the equator. The Equator is the
line of 0° latitude, the starting point for measuring latitude. The
latitude of the North Pole is 90° N, and that of the South Pole is 90° S.
The latitude of every point in between must be some degree north or
south, from 0° to 90°.
 Longitude is distance east or west of the prime meridian.
Longitude is measured in degrees east or degree west of the
prime meridian. This means one half of the world is measured
in degrees of east longitude up to 180°, and the other half in
degrees of west longitude up to 180°.
Thank
You