SOLAR ENERGY

Inciong, Kristel Marie M. Jara, Marious Rowel F. Maligaya, Jan Abril D. Mangabang, Olyssa Ellaine Z.
ChE 191 CD

SOLAR ENERGY
oldest energy used radiant energy produced through nuclear fusion reactions transmitted by electromagnetic radiation in quanta of energy called photons which interact with the Earths atmosphere and surface

SOLAR ENERGY: HISTORY

first application was drying for preserving food most famous large-scale application of solar energy was when Archimedes burned the Roman fleet in the bay of Syracuse using mirrors
according to the book Optics by Vitelio, Archimedes used a burning glass composed of 24 mirrors which conveyed the rays of the sun to a common focus and produced an extra amount of heat that burned the Roman fleet many scientists criticized it since they believed that there is not enough technology that time to produce mirrors

SOLAR ENERGY: HISTORY

it was only in 19th century when attempts were made to convert the solar energy into other forms.
August Mouchot - pioneer in the field of construction and operation of several solar-powered steam engines between 1864 to 1878 in Europe and North Africa many scientists followed Mouchot in constructing different kinds of solar-powered devices many designs were designed and constructed using focusing collectors as a means of heating the transfer of working fluid that powered mechanical equipment for the last 50 years

SOLAR ENERGY: ADVANTAGES

Environment-friendly Low or no maintenance Independent Practical

GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY
Solar Photovoltaic cells (PVCs) Technology
uses photovoltaic cells to convert sunlights energy directly to electricity solar energy excites the electrons trap in the solar cell which then produces electricity in the form of Direct Current (DC) it is transformed to Alternating Current (AC) at 120 volt since Direct Current (DC) is not useable can either be stand alone or grid connected system

GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY
Solar Thermal Technology
uses collectors to concentrate the suns light or energy to create both high temperature steam and low temperature heat steam produced is used to turn the turbines for electricity production can be classified to parabolic trough collector system, linear Fresnel collector system, power tower system and dish system

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS (PVCs)

operates on the principle of photovoltaic effect

Figure 1. Photovoltaic effect (Patel, 1999).

PVC SYSTEM DESIGN

determine the total energy requirement for a facility to be powered and number of solar panel units required basic PVC system comprises of the following:
Photovoltaic cells/solar panels Batteries (rechargeable) Charge Controller Power Inverter
others may require wires and cables, and peak power tracker

PVC SYSTEM DESIGN

Figure 2. Typical PV system.

PVC SYSTEM DESIGN

Photovoltaic Cells/Solar Panels
collect visible light from Sun and converts it to electricity (direct current, DC)

Figure 3. Basic Construction of a Photovoltaic Cell (Patel, 1999).

PVC SYSTEM DESIGN

Photovoltaic Cells/Solar Panels
basic building block of the PV power system numerous such cells are connected in series or parallel circuits for obtaining high power

Figure 4. Solar cells in series or parallel connection (Patel, 1999).

PVC SYSTEM DESIGN

Photovoltaic Cells/Solar Panels
types of PV technology are as follows:
Monocrystalline silicon cells Multicrystalline silicon cells Amorphous silicon

PVC SYSTEM DESIGN

Photovoltaic Cells/Solar Panels
Monocrystalline silicon cells
made from pure monocrystalline silicon silicon has a single crystal lattice structure with almost no defects or impurities main advantage is their high efficiency typically around 15% disadvantage is the complicated manufacturing process required to produce monocrystalline silicon resulting in slightly higher costs than those of other technologies

PVC SYSTEM DESIGN

Photovoltaic Cells/Solar Panels
Multicrystalline silicon cells
produced using numerous grains of monocrystalline silicon molten polycrystalline silicon is cast into ingots, which are subsequently cut into very thin wafers and assembled into complete cells cheaper to produce than monocrystalline because of the simpler manufacturing process required however, slightly less efficient, with average efficiencies around 12%

PVC SYSTEM DESIGN

Photovoltaic Cells/Solar Panels
Amorphous silicon
composed of silicon atoms in a thin homogenous layer absorbs light more effectively than crystalline silicon, which leads to thinner cells (thin film PV technology) advantage is that amorphous silicon can be deposited on a wide range of substrates, both rigid and flexible disadvantage is the low efficiency, which is on the order of 6%

PVC SYSTEM DESIGN

Batteries (rechargeable)
Store solar energy up to provide electricity for sun-down periods(nights and cloudy days) requirement is to accept repeated deep charging and discharging without damage types include lead-acid, nickel cadmium, nickel hybride and lithium

PVC SYSTEM DESIGN

Charge Controller
feeds electricity from the solar panel to the batteries in a manner that prevents the solar panel from overcharging the batteries can be shunt type or series type acts as a low battery voltage disconnect to prevent the battery from over-discharge any power system includes a controller and control strategy main modes are normal operating and overcharge/over-discharge

PVC SYSTEM DESIGN

Power Inverter
used to convert DC into AC output can be single or three phase rated by the total power capacity ranging from hundreds of watts to megawatts some have good surge while others have limited surge

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS: BASIC TYPES

Stand alone power system
used in areas that are not easily accessible or have no access to main electricity grid independent of the electricity grid, with the energy produced normally being stored in batteries a typical stand alone system consists of a solar array and battery connection

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS: BASIC TYPES

Stand alone power system

Figure 5. Schematic diagram of a stand-alone PV power system (Kalogirou, 2009).

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS: BASIC TYPES

Grid Connected System
connected to the local electricity network the electricity generated by the PV system can be utilized immediately during the day when solar power is unable to provide the electricity required, power can be bought back from the network in the evening grid acts as energy storage system, which means PV system does not require a battery storage

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS: BASIC TYPES

Grid Connected System

Figure 6. Schematic diagram of a grid connected PV power system (Kalogirou, 2009).

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS: APPLICATIONS

Remote site electrification
photovoltaic systems can provide long term power at sites far from utility grids usually, PV systems are preferred to fuel generators

Communication
photovoltaics can provide reliable power for communication systems especially in remote locations

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS: APPLICATIONS

Remote monitoring
photovoltaic modules are preferred in providing power at remote sites to sensors, data loggers and associated meteorological monitoring transmitters, irrigation control, and monitoring highway traffic

Building-integrated photovoltaics
a special application in which PVs are installed either in the faade or roof of a building and are an integral part of the building structure

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

among the very first applications of solar energy solar furnaces capable of melting iron, copper, and other materials were constructed of polished iron, glass lenses and mirrors notable examples are the solar furnace built by the well-known French chemist Lavoisier, various concentrators built by the French naturalist Bouffon and a steam-powered printing press exhibited at Paris Exposition by Mouchot last application utilized a concentrating collector to supply steam to a heat engine

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Figure 7. Solar thermal power plant schematic for generating electricity (Patel, 1999).

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Energy Collection Systems
special kinds of heat exchangers that transform solar radiation energy to internal energy of the transport medium major component of any solar system absorbs the incoming solar radiation, coverts it into heat, and transfers the heat to a fluid flowing through the collector concentrating solar-type collectors are utilized since concentrating collectors are suitable for high-temperature applications for solar thermal systems four main energy collection systems are as follow: a) parabolic trough, b) linear Fresnel collector, c) solar tower and d) parabolic dish

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Figure 8. Four Main Energy Collection Mechanisms.

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Parabolic Troughs
most commercially matured of the energy collection systems focuses the sunlight on a glass-encapsulated tube running along the focal line of the collector tube carries heat absorbing liquid usually oil, which in turn heats water to generate steam consist of parallel rows of mirrors (reflectors) curved in one dimension to focus the suns rays stainless steel pipes with a selective coating serve as the heat collectors

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Figure 9. Parabolic Trough Solar Power System.

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Parabolic Troughs
all parabolic trough plants currently in commercial operation rely on synthetic oil as the fluid that transfers heat from collector pipes to heat exchangers, where water is preheated, evaporated and then superheated parabolic troughs are the most mature of the CSP technologies and form the bulk of current commercial plants some newer plants have significant thermal storage capacities

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Linear Fresnel Reflectors
approximate the parabolic shape of trough systems but by using long rows of flat or slightly curved mirrors to reflect the suns rays onto a downward-facing linear, fixed receiver more recent design, known as compact linear Fresnel reflectors (CLFRs), uses two parallel receivers for each row of mirrors main advantage is their simple design of flexibly bent mirrors and fixed receivers requires lower investment costs and facilitates direct steam generation (DSG)

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Figure 10. Linear Fresnel Reflector.

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Solar Towers
known as central receiver systems (CRS) use hundreds or thousands of small reflectors (called heliostats) to concentrate the suns rays on a central receiver placed atop a fixed tower concentrating power achieves very high temperatures, thereby increasing the efficiency at which heat is converted into electricity and reducing the cost of thermal storage also, the concept is highly flexible

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Figure 11. Solar thermal power plants using solar tower.

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Solar Towers
central receivers have several advantages:
they collect solar energy optically and transfer it to a single receiver, thus minimizing thermal energy transport requirements. they typically achieve concentration ratios of 300 to 1500 and so are highly efficient, both in collecting energy and in converting it to electricity they can conveniently store thermal energy they are quite large (generally more than 10MW) and thus benefit from economies of scale

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Parabolic dishes
concentrate the suns rays at a focal point propped above the centre of the dish entire apparatus tracks the sun with the dish and receiver moving in tandem this design eliminates the need for a heat transfer fluid and for cooling water dishes offer the highest solar-to-electric conversion performance of any CSP system mass production will allow dishes to compete with larger solar thermal systems

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Figure 12. Parabolic Dish System.

SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY

Parabolic dishes
receiver in the parabolic dish solar system absorbs the radiant solar energy, converting it into thermal energy in a circulating fluid have several important advantages:
the most efficient of all collector systems typically have concentration ratios in the range of 600 to 2000 and thus are highly efficient at thermal-energy absorption and power conversion systems modular collector and receiver units that can function either independently or as part of a larger system

SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS: ECONOMICS & CURRENT STATUS

Economics
High capital Cost no fuel costs little maintenance costs

Feed in Tariff System

renewable energy bill

net metering, value-added tax exemptions tax credits

Calculating the Financial Viability of Solar Panels through payback period

Power the panel can generate
160Wp

hours of peak solar radiation per day

5.5 hrs

amount of electricity generated per day

0.88KWhr

electricity generated per year (assuming 300 clear days)

264 KWhr

electricity tariff rate $.05 per unit (KWhr)

Savings per year $13

retail cost of the payback period panel $260 20 years

SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS: ECONOMICS & CURRENT STATUS

there was an advanced computerized mapping system conducted by the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the 1990s to identify the potential areas for wind resources as well as those areas for solar energy potential today, the Philippines Is Southeast Asias largest solar manufacturing hub with current annual capacity of 400 megawatts of solar cells

Figure 14. Potential Areas for Solar Energy Production.

Cagayan Electric Power & Light Co., Inc. (CEPALCO)

located at Brgy. Indahag, Cagayan de Oro City the largest grid-connected PV installation in the developing world the 1MWp polycrystalline silicon-based PV plant has exported a total of 4, 169,100 kWh or an average of 1,389,700 annually installed costs close to $ 5.3 Million and uses 6,500 solar panels on 2 hectares of land designed to be operated in conjunction with the 7MW run-of-the-river hydro plant owned by CEPALCO subsidiary company

Figure 13. CEPALCOs 1MW PV power plant.

Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy Program (Amore)

aims to electrify rural communities in Western and Central Mindanao using clean renewable energy systems. electric power for homes with solar panels and minihydro power rural telecommunications services

Pangan-An Island (Cebu, Philippines) Solar PV project

24-hour electricity service from a centralized solar photovoltaic (PV) system donated by the Kingdom of Belgium. consists of 504 PV panels, a battery bank with 118 storage batteries, a charge controller, and 2 inverters supplies 230 Volt (V) Alternating Current (AC) electricity to around 200 households

Batanes Alternative Energy and Enhancement Project

900Wp capacity community solar battery recharging station in Raele, Batanes in 1995 battery recharging station serves approximately 50 households reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions

PNOCs Solar Home Systems (SHS) Distribution Project (the Environmental Improvement for Economic Sustainability Project)
aims to install 15,100 solar PV systems in remote areas in Regions I to VII, CAR and Mindanao solar panel, deep cycle battery, wiring, lights and other fixtures 8,944 SHS has been installed in the target areas as of December 2005

Renewable Energy-based Village Power System

New Ibajay, El Nido, Palawan centralized PV system with a diesel back-up PV system could deliver Forty kilowatt hour (40kWh) of electric power without backup

SOLAR POWER TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT (SPOTS) Project

improve the socio-economic conditions of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in the unenergized and off-grid Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) in Mindanao involves the installation of solar-powered facilities such as water pumps for irrigation, incubators and hatcheries for agri-business activities, community lighting in schools and barangay halls, and vaccine refrigerators for rural health clinics.

160 million investment of Korea in 2 solar power plants in Philippines

Youil Ensys The plan is to construct a 30- megawatt solar power facility in a 70-hectare land in Negros with a project cost of about $120 million 10 MW is also being eyed by the company in Bohol with an estimated cost of $40 million

Projected Renewable Energy Consumption by 2030.

REFERENCES
KALOGIROU, S. 2009. Solar Energy Engineering Processes and Systems. Elsevier Inc. PATEL, M.R. 1999. Engineering Alternative Energy Wind and Solar Power Systems. Florida, USA: CRC Press LLC.

PEREZ, V.S. 2009. Status of Renewable Energy Policy in the Philippines.

www.iea.org/books. Date Retrieved: December 15, 2010. http://www.cepalco.com.ph/solar.php. Date Retrieved: January 01, 2011. http://www.napocor.gov.ph/PEP2006/Regional%20(PDF%20files)/Solar .pdf. Date Retrieved: December 15, 2010.