SOLAR ENERGY

Content
What is solar energy? Solar Irradiance Types of Solar Equipment PV Systems Principle of operation

Components
Types of Solar Panel Design stages Wiring diagram Data For solar power system Solar water heating systems Conclusion

What is solar energy?

Solar energy is the energy emitted directly by the sun. The Sun produces energy by the nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium in its core.

This process creates heat and electromagnetic radiation. The electromagnetic radiation streams out into space in all directions.
Electromagnetic radiation transmits energy at a speed of light from the sun to the earth. A single unit of electromagnetic radiation is called a photon. Solar radiation is electromagnetic radiation in the 0.28-3.0 m wavelength range.

The sun generates an enormous amount of energy - approximately 1.1 x 10 20 KWH kilowatt-hours every second. The world required energy can be supplied directly by solar power

Why solar energy?

Due to shortage of fossil fuels Electricity produced on rooftops be cheaper than conventional electricity supply Sun will continue to shine for another 4 billion years A solar power system allows you to become self-sufficient and not be exposed to every increasing energy costs

How much solar energy reaches earth surface?

The surface receives about 47% of the total solar energy that reaches the Earth. Only this amount is usable. Due to environmental concern the use of nonrenewable and polluting fossil fuel are being reduced. Alternative sources such as solar and wind power are preferred to these traditional sources of energy.

SOLAR IRRADIANCE
Irradiance is the power of electromagnetic radiation per unit area incident on a surface. The SI units for all of these quantities are watts per square meter W/m2.

Eastern Africa Direct Normal Solar Radiation

Average Solar Insolation kWh/m2/day

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Solar insolation
Solar insolation is a measure of solar irradiance over of period of time. In the case of photovoltaic it is commonly measured as kWh/m2/day. The table below shows the average solar insulation figures per day in Port Louis on a solar panel set at 70.

Average Solar Insolation kWh/m2/day

TYPES OF SOLAR EQUIPMENT

Photovoltaic(PV) equipment which produces electricity Thermal equipment which produce heat

PV systems
Photovoltaic (PV) is a method of producing electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that display the photovoltaic effect. The greater the intensity of light the greater the flow of electricity. Even if the sky is overcast, PV still produces electricity. This is because PV cells not only use direct sunlight, but also diffuse solar radiation, which is light that has been scattered by dust and water particles in the atmosphere.

Benefits of PV systems
Cut your electricity bills: sunlight is free, so once you've paid for the initial installation your electricity costs will be reduced. Long term investment and payback period: younger generation could benefit from this investment as lifetime of PV are about 20-30yr and its payback period is up to 10-20yr Sell electricity back to the grid: if your system is producing more electricity than you need, you can sell the extra back to the grid(on grid system only). Cut your carbon footprint: solar electricity is a renewable energy and does not release any harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) or other pollutants. A typical home solar PV system could save over a tone of CO2 per year.

Principle Of operation
When light photons of sufficient energy strike a solar cell, they knock electrons free from the silicon atoms in the crystal structure of the cell. When the module is connected to a closed external circuit, electrical current is the result.

The moving electrons provide power to the circuit and load, then return to the other side of the solar cell to start the process over again

Evaluation Of Site For Solar Energy Systems

Design Stage Of Solar Power Systems

Types of solar panel

On Grid without battery
On Grid with battery Off Grid

On grid without battery system

Grid-connected photovoltaic power systems are power systems energized by photovoltaic panels which are connected to the utility grid.

On grid with battery

The on grid types with battery is similar to the battery less systems except they can provide electricity for critical load when there is a power failure.

Off grid solar panel

OFF GRID refers to a power system that generates electricity such and the energy produced is stored in batteries and the energy system is not connected to the utility power grid.

Components of solar power systems

Panels- capture sunlight for the flow of electron

Charge Controllerprevents overcharging/ov ervoltage/deep discharging

Battery Systemsenergy storage

Inverterconverts dc voltage to ac voltage

Wiring diagram

Approximate data for a solar power system (230W Panel)

System Size in kilo watt 1.15 2.07 5.06 10.12 50.37 103 Approximate Area (square meters) 10 19 46 92 438 886 No Of 230W Panels 5 9 22 44 219 448 Number Of 5KW Inverter 1(1.5kw) 1 (2.0kw) 1 2 8-10 By design

SOLAR WATER HEATING

Consist of two main components Collectors Storage tank

Solar Water Heating

Energy from the sun can be captured to heat water One collector can heat about 50Litre/hour in a sunny day Solar thermal systems are a simple and well-proven technology producing low-carbon energy. It offers a quicker payback (7-15 years for an average household) than photovoltaic (20-30 years)

Main component of solar water heater

Solar Collector

Insulated Tank

Supporting stands

Connected Pipes

Benefits of solar water heating

Save in energy By using the suns free energy you can reduce your hot water energy consumption by 50%. Have a short payback period Initial cost recovery can be recovered from 3-8year Save on water heating cost Energy cost is increasing whereas sun energy is free of charge. Save the environment Less fossil fuels will be burnt so less CO2 release in the atmosphere.

Two Types Of Systems

Active System
Direct System Water moves through the solar collectors and into a storage tank with the help of electrical pumps and controls. Indirect System For this system a heating fluid is used instead of water, thereafter the water takes heat from the antifreeze even though it never mixes with water Drain back System Uses distilled water as the heat-transfer liquid, and it has a separate "drain back" tank for the distilled water

Passive System
Batch It is one or more water tanks inside a solar collector. The water warms up right inside the tank, and with convection, it circulate water from the tank to pipes. Thermosiphon The water tank is apart from the solar collector. Cold water moves through the tubes of a solar collector, and through natural convection pumps the hot water into a storage tank and then to pipes.

Conclusion
Solar energy is ultra clean, natural and a sustainable source of energy Lifelong Investment in solar energy

It is very economic compare to other sources of energy