EBB 4043

ELECTRICAL AND ENERGY SYSTEM

LECTURE 2
SOLAR ENERGY
 Objectives
 To describe how the solar system works
 To explain how the solar photovoltaic system
works.

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 Introduction
 An alternative energy source that involves
harnessing the radiant light energy emitted
by the sun and converting it into electrical
current
 Today less than 0.1% of our heating,
transportation and power energy comes from
direct sunlight although it is now possible to
meet all our energy needs with this simple,
renewable resource.
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 Introduction
 Various technologies capture this solar
energy, concentrate it, store it, and convert it
into other useful forms of energy:
• Low-grade thermal energy for heating homes and
businesses;
• Medium-grade thermal energy for running some
industrial processes;
• High-grade thermal energy for driving turbines to
generate electricity;

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 Introduction
• Electrical energy, converted directly from
sunlight, to provide electricity for all of its myriad
applications; and
• Chemical energy in hydrogen (via water splitting
using photovoltaic or thermo chemical processes
to split water), for use in fuel cells and a broad
range of electrical, heating, and transportation
applications.

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 How much solar energy?

 The surface receives about 47% of the total

solar energy that reaches the Earth. Only this
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amount is usable.
 Characteristic of Isolations
 Isolation is the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth, also called incident
solar radiation.
 Components of solar radiation are:
• Direct radiation
• Diffuse radiation
• Reflect radiation

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 Characteristic of Isolations

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 Solar Energy Technologies
 Can be categorized as:
• Active i.e Photovolataic, Solar thermal, solar chemical
• Passive i.e solarium on the equator-side of a building

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 Solar Photovoltaic (Active)
 A technology that uses unique properties of
semiconductors to directly convert solar radiation
into electricity.
 Uses wafers which are sensitive to sunlight
 Produce a small direct current when exposed to light.
 When PV cells are combined into larger systems
called modules, they produce an appreciably amount
of electrical power with no moving parts, noise or
emissions.

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 Solar Photovoltaic – Photoelectric effect
 The photoelectric effect relies on the principle that
whenever light strikes the surface of certain metals
electrons are released.
 In the p-n junction the n-type wafer treated with
phosphorus has extra electrons which flow into the
holes in the p-type layer that has been treated with
boron.
 Connected by an external circuit electrons flow from
the n-side to create electricity and end up in the p-
side.

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 Solar Photovoltaic (Active)

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 Solar Photovoltaic – Photoelectric effect
 Sunlight is the catalyst of the reaction. The output
current of this reaction is DC (direct) and the
amount of energy produced is directly proportional
to the amount of sunlight put in.
 Cells only have an average efficiency of 30%.

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 How Does a Cell become a Module?
 A solar cell is the basic building block of a PV
system.
 A typical cell produces 0.5 to 1V of electricity.
 Solar cells are combined together to become
modules or if large enough, known as an array.
 A structure to point the modules towards the sun is
necessary, as well as electricity converters, which
convert DC power to AC.
 All of these components allow the system to power
a water pump, appliances, commercial sites, or
even a whole community.
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 How Does a Cell become a Module?

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 Types of Cells

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 Monocrstalline Silicon

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 Polycrystalline Silicon

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 Thin Film

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 Amorphous Silicon

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 Dye-sysnthesized Solar Cell (DSSC)

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 Efficiency
Cell Type Typical efficiency (%)

Monocrystalline Silicone 12-15

Polycrystalline Silicone 11-14

Thin film 7-10

Amorphous Silicon 6-8

Dye-synthesized Solar cell (DSSC) 5-8

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 Grid Connected or Utility Connected
 Grid-connected or utility-interactive PV systems are designed
to operate in parallel with and interconnected with the
electric utility grid.
 These systems contain an inverter, called a power
conditioning unit (PCU) which converts the DC power
produced by the PV array into AC power consistent with the
voltage and power quality requirements of the utility grid.
 A bi-directional interface allows the AC power produced by
the PV system to either supply personal electrical loads, or
return power back to the grid when the PV system output is
greater than the personal demand.

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 Grid Connected or Utility Connected

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 PV Configurations
Stand-Alone System
 Operates autonomously and supplies power to electrical loads
independently of the electric utility
 Most popular for meeting small-intermediate size electrical loads
 Extensively used in remote, off-grid areas
 Uses battery storage

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 PV Configurations
Utility Attractive System
 Operates in parallel with and is connected to the electric utility grid
 Sometimes called “grid –connected” or simply “interactive” system
 Simplest and least expensive PV systems that produce AC power

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 PV Configurations
Hybrid System
 Have few single systems being constructed as hybrid model
 Auxiliary fuels could be diesel oil, wind turbine , etc
 Will operates simultaneously to ensure the supply power is regular.

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 Pros and Cons
 Advantages
• All chemical and radioactive polluting byproducts of the
thermonuclear reactions remain behind on the sun, while only pure
radiant energy reaches the Earth.
• Energy reaching the earth is incredible. By one calculation, 30 days of
sunshine striking the Earth have the energy equivalent of the total of
all the planet’s fossil fuels, both used and unused!
 Disadvantages
• Sun does not shine consistently.
• Solar energy is a diffuse source. To harness it, we must concentrate it
into an amount and form that we can use, such as heat and electricity.
• Addressed by approaching the problem through:
1) collection, 2) conversion, 3) storage.

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 Example
You need to design an environmental hotel with the following
information are taking as a consideration
Peak power required = 10 kW
Total electricity consumption per day = 20 kAh
Expected maximum number of continuous cloudy days = 1.0 day
Average sun hours per day = 4.5 hours
Rated current of solar module = 7 A
Inverter DC input voltage = 12 V
Number of modules in each series string to provide DC Battery = 1

With the above information, calculate

a)the total number of modules required
b)total area required for solar system if the area of each solar module is
around 1.0 m2,
c)the total peak power output of battery bank if the charge amp-hours is
about 250 Ah.
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 SOLAR HEATING
 Used mostly for heating pools and domestic hot water (DHW)
 Two types of solar heating systems:
• Active Solar Heating System
• Passive Solar Heating System
ACTIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEM
 A system that uses water or air that the sun has
heated and is then circulated by a fan or pump.
 Three Types:
 Flat Plate Collectors
 Batch Water Heaters
 Thermosiphon
FLAT PLATE COLLECTORS
• A thin flat metal plate is
used to absorb the sun’s
radiation.
• Tubes carry water into the
absorber plate where it is
heated by the sun and sent
to a pump or fan into
storage and distributed
from there to the living
space.
 BATCH WATER HEATERS
 Pre-heats water using the sun by having a black tank inside an isolated box with
a glass cover.
 Solar energy is absorbed within the box to heat the water.
 The water outflow is sent into a conventional water heater for further heating.
 They are also called “Bread-Box” heaters.
THERMOSIPHEN
• This method places the
storage tank above the solar
collector.
• Cold water is put into the
bottom of the storage tank
where it is circulated
through a flat plate collector
and pumped back into the
top of the storage tank. The
heated water can then be
taken from the top and
used.
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
 The house itself acts as the solar collector and
storage facility.
 No pumps or fans are used.
 This system makes use of the materials of the house
to store and absorb heat.
 Three Types:
 Direct-Gain
 Indirect-Gain
 Attached Greenhouse
DIRECT-GAIN

• Large south facing

windows that let in the
sunlight.
• Thermal mass is used to
absorb the radiation.
• At night the absorbed
heat is radiated back
into the living space.
 INDIRECT-GAIN
 Collects and stores the solar energy in one part of the house
and use natural heat transfer to distribute heat to the rest of
the house.
 Popular method is to use a Trombe Wall which is a massive
black masonry that acts as a solar collector and a heat
storage medium.
ATTACHED GREENHOUSE
• Uses a combination of
Direct and Indirect-Gain
systems that use water
drums and a masonry floor
as heat storage in the
attached greenhouse.
• Thermosiphoning can use
direct-gain from the flow of
air created by the difference
in pressure between the
less dense warmer air of the
room and the cooler air
near the ground.
 THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE
 Solar energy heating systems must be able to store
energy for night time use and for cloudy days.
Different materials absorb different amounts of
heat.
 Depending on the weather and the amount of
thermal energy stored will determine how long a
house can continue to be heated by the stored solar
energy.
 Phase-change material can be used to add
additional heat to the living space.
This House Uses an Active Air System
 Questions
Can we use solar energy to give an electrical supply for our
house? Justify my friends

What is the differences between solar collector and solar

panel?

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