SOLAR ROOF

Contents
 Need for a solar roof
 What is a solar roof ?
 How energy is extracted from it ?
 Monthly residential savings (Benefits)
 Advantages & Disadvantages
Statistics
 World Oil and Natural Gas
reserves are estimated at just 45
years and 65 years respectively.

 Coal is likely to last a little over

200 years
 What is a solar cell?
 Solid state device that converts incident solar
energy directly into electrical energy
 Efficiencies from a few percent up to 20-30%
 No moving parts
 No noise
 Lifetimes of 20-30 years or more
Cross Section of Solar Cell
 How Does It Work?
 The junction of dissimilar materials (n and p type
silicon) creates a voltage
 Energy from sunlight knocks out electrons, creating a
electron and a hole in the junction
 Connecting both sides to an external circuit causes
current to flow
 In essence, sunlight on a solar cell creates a small
battery with voltages typically 0.5 v. DC
 Combining Solar Cells
 Solar cells can be electrically connected in
series (voltages add) or in parallel (currents
add) to give any desired voltage and current (or
power) output since P = I x V
 Photovoltaic cells are typically sold in modules
(or panels) of 12 volts with power outputs of 50
to 100+ watts. These are then combined into
arrays to give the desired power or watts.
 Solar roof tile
 The solar roof tile consists of a unit of six
individual tiles, which covers an area of
107cm X 30 cm.
Solar Power Setup

 The inverter – DC to
AC electricity
 DC and AC safety
switches
 Batteries (optional
depending on
design)
 Monitor – (optional
but a good idea)
 Ordinary electrical
meters work as net
meters
 ENERGY EXTRACTION
 The sun´s light produces energy that is collected by
SolarBlend roofing tiles.
 The energy collected is channeled to the inverter.
 The inverter changes the DC electricity to AC electricity
for household use.
 AC electricity not used by the house is fed into the grid.
 Monitor system performance over the internet.
 NET METERING
In net metering, when the PV system produces excess
electricity, it is sent to the grid system, turning the
meter backwards. If you are using more power than is
being produced, or it is at night, the electricity is
received from the grid system and the meter turns
forwards. Depending on PV size and electrical
consumption, you may produce more or less than you
actually use. Individual houses may become power
producers.
 Monthly Energy Savings, a California
Residential Example
Monthly electric bill $238.14
Monthly electricity use 956 kWh AC
Solar system size required to 5.3 kW DC
remove top most expensive tiers

Monthly electricity production 662 kWh AC

from solar system

Monthly electricity consumption 294 kWh AC

from utility

New monthly electric bill $34.71

Monthly savings $203.43 (85%)
 Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
 Inexhaustible fuel source

 No pollution

 Often an excellent supplement to other renewable sources

 Versatile--is used for powering items as diverse as solar cars and satellites

Disadvantages
 Very diffuse source means low energy production--large numbers of solar
panels (and thus large land areas) are required to produce useful amounts of
heat or electricity
 Only areas of the world with lots of sunlight are suitable for solar power
generation
 Conclusion

It is also believed that the value of a solar powered home can

be increased by 15% compared to the value of a house that is
not solar powered. Adding to this, solar power is a clean
source of energy that helps in making our environment much
healthier.
The sun is the primary energy source for almost all energy
flows on the planet. It’s time we start using it.
THANK YOU