Module II

APPLICATIONS OF
SOLAR ENERGY

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Some of the major application of solar energy are as follows:
1. Solar water heating
2. Solar heating of buildings
3. Solar distillation
4. Solar pumping
5. Solar drying of agricultural and animal products
6. Solar furnaces
7. Solar cooking
8. Solar electric power generation
9. Solar thermal power production
10. Solar green houses.
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 Solar water heating

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1. Solar Water Heating:

 A solar water heating unit comprises a blackened flat plate metal collector
with an associated metal tubing facing the general direction of the sun.
 The plate collector has a transparent glass cover above and a layer of thermal
insulation beneath it.
 The metal tubing of the collector is connected by a pipe to an insulated tank
that stores hot water during cloudy days.
 The collector absorbs solar radiations and transfers the heat to the water
circulating through the tubing either by gravity or by a pump.
 This hot water is supplied to the storage tank via the associated metal tubing.
 This system of water heating is commonly used in hotels, guest houses,
tourist bungalows, hospitals, canteens as well as domestic and industrial units.

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 2. Solar
heating of
buildings

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3. Solar distillation/desalination

• Solar water distillation is the process of using

energy from the sunlight to separate freshwater
from salts or other contaminants.
• The untreated water absorbs heat, slowly
reaching high temperatures.
• The heat causes the water to evaporate, cool, and
condense into vapour, leaving the contaminants
behind.
• Solar stills can be used for low capacity and self-
reliant water supplying systems.
A solar still works on two scientific principles: evaporation and
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4. Solar pumping

• A solar water pump system is essentially an electrical pump system in

which the electricity is provided by one or several PhotoVoltaic (PV)
panels.
• A typical solar powered pumping system consists of a solar panel
array that powers an electric motor, which in turn powers a bore or
surface pump.

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 5. Solar drying of agricultural and animal products

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6. Solar furnaces
 A solar furnace is a structure that uses concentrated solar power to produce
high temperatures, usually for industry. Parabolic mirrors or heliostats
concentrate light onto a focal point.
 The temperature at the focal point may reach 3,500 °C (6,330 °F), and this
heat can be used to generate electricity, melt steel, make hydrogen fuel or
nanomaterials.

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The solar furnace at Odeillo in the Pyrénées-Orientales in France can reach temperatures
of 3,500 °C (6,330 °F).
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 7. Solar
cooking

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Box-type solar cooker
 This is the simplest type of solar cooker that
consists of a box with a transparent glass
top, in which food items are kept for
heating.
 A single reflecting mirror reflects the Sun’s
rays onto the food.
 The glass prevents light rays (or heat) from
escaping the apparatus and allows the food
to be cooked.
 It is appropriate for making small meals, the
size of which is limited by the size of the
box.
 However, to cook food in a box-type solar
cooker, you need to keep the apparatus
outside, under direct sunlight.
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 8. Solar electric power generation

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 9. Solar thermal power production

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10. Solar green houses.

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11. Solar car

• A solar car is a solar vehicle for use on public roads or race tracks.
• Solar vehicles are electric vehicles that use self contained solar
cells to power themselves from sunlight.
• Solar vehicles typically contain a rechargeable battery to help regulate
and store the energy from the solar cells and capture kinetic energy
from the vehicle during braking.
• Some solar cars can be plugged into external power sources to
supplement the power of sunlight used to charge their battery.

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 Advantages of Solar Energy
1. Solar Energy is free.
2. It does not cause pollution
3. Renewable Energy Source

Solar energy will be accessible as long as we have the sun, therefore sunlight
will be available to us for at least 5 billion years when according to scientists
the sun is going to die.

4. Reduces Electricity Bills

5. Diverse Applications
6. Low Maintenance Costs
7. Solar energy is infinite

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Disadvantages of Solar Energy
1. Cost
The initial cost of purchasing a solar system is fairly high. This includes
paying for solar panels, inverter, batteries, wiring, and the installation.
2. Weather-Dependent
3. Solar Energy Storage Is Expensive
Solar energy has to be used right away, or it can be stored in large batteries.
4. Uses a Lot of Space
5. Associated with Pollution
There are also some toxic materials and hazardous products used during the
manufacturing process of solar photovoltaic systems, which can indirectly
affect the environment. Solar energy pollutes far less than other alternative
e energy sources.

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CIAL(COCHIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
LIMITED)
• The CIAL Solar Power Project is a 40 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power
station built at Kerala, by the company CIAL.
• Cochin International Airport became the first fully solar powered airport in
the world with the commissioning the plant.
• The plant comprises 92,150 solar panels laid across 94 acres near the
international cargo complex.
• It is capable of generating 100,000 units of electricity daily, and is equipped
with a supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA), through
which remote monitoring is carried out and the project valued around Rs.
260 Crores(2016).
• First Megawatt scale installation of Solar PV system in the State of Kerala
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 FLOATING SOLAR PLANT
• State-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has
commissioned India's largest floating solar plant.
• The 25 MW project, occupying a water surface area of 100 acres, is
located at NTPC's Simhadri thermal power station in Andhra
Pradesh.

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10 MAJOR SOLAR POWER PARKS IN
INDIA
Sl.No Solar Power Park in India
1 Bhadla Solar Park, Rajasthan
2 Pavagada Solar Park, Karnataka
3 Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park, Andhra
Pradesh
4 NP Kunta, Andhra Pradesh
5 Rewa Ultra Mega Solar, Madhya Pradesh
6 Charanka Solar Park, Gujarat
7 Kamuthi Solar Power Project, Tamil Nadu
8 Ananthapuramu – II, Andhra Pradesh
9 Galiveedu solar park, Andhra Pradesh
10 Mandsaur Solar Farm, Madhya Pradesh

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