Photovoltaic Systems

Application of Solar Electricity in

Architecture
JITHIN CYRIL
1OX12AT006
8TH SEM B.ARCH

PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM
Aphotovoltaic system,alsosolar PV power system,orPV
system,isapowersystemdesignedtosupplyusablesolar
powerbymeansofphotovoltaics.Itconsistsofanarrangementof
severalcomponents,includingsolarpanelstoabsorbandconvert
sunlightintoelectricity,asolarinvertertochangetheelectric
currentfromDCtoAC,aswellasmounting,cablingandother
electricalaccessoriestosetupaworkingsystem.

 Mechanism

of generation

SolarEnergy
+

- +
+

Photo Voltaic
cell

Electrode
Reflect-ProofFilm
N-TypeSemiconductor
P-TypeSemiconductor

Load

Electrode

ElectricCurrent

The solar cell is composed of a P-type semiconductor and an N-type

semiconductor. Solar light hitting the cell produces two types of electrons,
negatively and positively charged electrons in the semiconductors.
Negatively charged (-) electrons gather around the N-type semiconductor
while positively charged (+) electrons gather around the P-type
semiconductor. When you connect loads such as a light bulb, electric
current flows between the two electrodes.

Various type of PV cell

Types

and Conversion Efficiency of Solar Cell

Conversion Efficiency
of Module
Crystalline
Silicon
Semiconductor

Single crystal

10 - 17%

Poly crystalline

10 - 13%

Non-crystalline

Solar
Cell

Compound
Semiconductor

Organic
Semiconductor

Amorphous

Gallium Arsenide (GaAs)

7 - 10%
18 - 30%

Dye-sensitized Type

7 - 8%

Organic Thin Layer Type

2 - 3%

Electric Energy Output

x 100%
Conversion Efficiency =
Energy of Insolation on cell
4

Various type of PV cell

Crystal

cell (Single crystal and Poly crystalline Silicon)

Singlecrystal

Formed by melting high purity

silicon like as Integrated Circuit

Polycrystalline

For mass production, cell is sliced

from roughly crystallized ingot.
5

Various type of PV cell

PV

Module (Single crystal, Poly crystalline Silicon)

Single crystal

Poly crystalline

128W

120W

(26.5V,
4.8A)

(25.7V,
4.7A)
1200mm

1200mm

3.93ft

(3.93ft)

800mm 2.62ft

Efficiencyishigher

Same size

800mm (2.62ft)

Efficiencyislower
6

Various type of PV cell

Hierarchy

of PV

Array
10 - 50 kW

Module,Panel
100 - 200 W

Cell

23W

6x9=54 (cells)

100-300 (modules)
7

 Roughly

size of PV Power Station.

HowmuchPVcanweinstallinthisconferenceroom?

1kwPVneed10m22
1kwPVneed10m

Please
remember

20m(66feet)

(108 feet2)

Conference
Room
(We are now)

Thisroomhasabout200m2
(2,178 feet2)

Wecaninstallabout
20 kW PVinthisroom
10m(33feet)
8

Building Integrated Photovoltaics or BIPV

The design and integration of PV technology into
the building envelope, usually replacing
conventional building materials:
Solar modules come in
a variety of shapes,
colors, sizes and
can be integrated
into any type of
architecture.
Advantages

Aesthetics
Reduce the cost of
the system (e.g. roof,
awning, etc.)

vertical facades,
replacing view glass,
spandrel glass,
or other facade material;
into semitransparent skylight systems;
into roofing systems,
replacing traditional roofing materials;
into shading "eyebrows" over
windows;
or other building envelope systems.

Roof Retrofits
This

house on right is
modular construction
and includes 6 kW of
PV modules.
Below retrofits to
schools

Grid-Tied System
(With Batteries)

Complexity

High:Duetothe
additionof
batteries

GridInteraction

Gridstill
supplements
power
Whengridgoes
downbatteries
supplypowerto
loads(akabattery
backup)

Roofing Tiles and Shingles

The PV shingle shown here

won Popular Science
Magazine's grand award for
What's new in
Environmental Technology.
PV shingles can replace
common roofing shingles.
PV shingles look much like
ordinary roofing shingles,
but they generate
electricity.
They were laid out and
nailed to the roof using the
same methods as are used
to lay conventional
shingles.
Like their non-PV
counterparts, these
shingles overlap providing
for water shedding
capability.

Peal and Stick Solar Cells

Thin film amorphous silicon solar

cells which can be deposited on
plastic or steel (right) are
extremely versatile

The panels on the right can be stuck

directly to standard standing seam
metal roofs

Semi-Transparent Solar PV
These panels have amorphous silicon
deposited on glass and are semi-transparent
they can be used both as tinted glass but also
as a project screen backdrop.

Commercial Rooftops
Large rooftops are ideal
locations for PV

PowerGuard sloped
tiles, 150 Wp per
tile, shown on
customer's roof

Solar Powered Hotels

Hawaiis Mauna Lani
Bay Hotel
This sprawling hotel
had acres of roof
space, making it the
perfect host for a
photovoltaic system.
They installed a
PowerGuard (R)
system of insulating
PV roofing tiles that
covers 10,000 ft2 and
generates 75kWs.
The hotel will be
spared hundreds and
thousands of dollars in
utility bills.

Times Square - BIPV

The buildings most
advanced feature is
the photovoltaic skin,
a system that uses
thin-film PV panels to
replace traditional
glass cladding
material.
The PV curtain wall
extends from the 35th
to the 48th floor on
the south and east
walls of the building,
making it a highly
visible part of the
midtown New York
skyline.

Solar Skylights and Cladding

PV Facades
It is also built into the sides of the
buildings

Scheidegger

Building with
photovoltaic
facade near Bern
in Switzerland.
Courtesy of
Atlantis Solar
Systeme AG
Austria
Swtizerland

Building Facades
73

kW system and generates ~ 55 000 kW-hrs of

electricity per year in Sunderland, UK.
This 3500 m2 solar office building at the Doxford
International Business Park near Sunderland in
the UK incorporates 646 m2 of photovoltaic
modules.

Facades
Solar cells can be made in
different colors
Glass faades on office
buildings, winter gardens or
sunroofs on automobiles will
become energy suppliers with
the transparent solar cell.
The use of the transparent,
dark blue solar cells allows a
beautiful play of light and
shadow.
The standard product lets a
tenth of the light pass through
and has a 10 % efficiency rate.

Solar PV as Shading

Solar PV can also be used for

shading. This is an innovating way of
using the sun in two ways. It can
actively be used to heat the building
in the winter and the overhang can
be used to prevent the sun from
overheating the rooms in the
summer. Not only are you receiving
electricity from the solar cells, you
are using the sun to provide a
significant fraction of space heating
as long as the building is oriented in
the correct direction (facing south).

Centralized
PV
Prescott Airport
Location: AZ
Operator: Arizona Public
Service
Configuration: 1,450 kWp
SGS Solar
Location: AZ
Operator: Tucson Electric
Power Co
Configuration: 3,200 kWp

Pros and Cons of Centralized PV

Advantages

Economy of scale

Single location for maintenance

You can put a fence around it

Disadvantages

All eggs in one basket natural/terrorist disaster

Transmission losses

Land cost

DESIGN

In order to get the most from solar panels, they must point in the
direction that captures most sunshine. In India, as anywhere in the
northern hemisphere, solar panels should face southwards. However,
in the southern hemisphere, for example, in Australia panels should
point towards north. Here North means the true north not the
magnetic north as pointed by the compass needle.

Panel Orientation
Forfixedtiltanglethroughouttheyear,theangleof
thelatitudeispreferred.Thisisonefixedorientation
wherethepanelalmostalwaysinterceptsthegreatest
amountofsolarradiationduringtheyear.

DESIGN

However, in general the horizontal tilt of the panels may be adjusted 4

times a year: at the latitude angle in spring and autumn, (Latitude 15) in
summer, and (Latitude + 15) in winter. Alternatively, one can choose the
angle depending upon when the power requirement is greatest. If power
shortages are high in summer and the requirement goes high due to the
need of running fans, then latitude 15 should be the right choice.
Another good way is to adjust angles twice a year for summer and winter
seasons. The best time to adjust for summer angle is mid March and mid
September for the winter angle. Following the 15 plus/minus rule, for
Mumbai and Delhi you can set the panel angles as follows:

For Mumbai (latitude: 18 55N) summer angle 3 and the winter angle
33.
For Delhi (Latitude: 28 38N) the summer angle will be 13 and the winter
angle 43.