SOLAR ENERGY

The Ultimate Renewable

Energy
 What Is Solar Energy?
• Electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun.

• Represents the entire electromagnetic radiation

(visible light, infrared, ultraviolet, x-rays, and radio
waves).

• Has two types, direct and diffuse radiation

 DIRECT AND DIFFUSE
RADIATION
• Direct radiation
– the part of the sunlight that reaches the surface of the earth
straight through the atmosphere.
– also called as direct beam solar radiation.

• Diffuse radiation
– absorbed, scattered, transmitted and reflected of some part
of the sun
Figure of Solar Radiation
 How Much Solar Energy?

The surface receives about 47% of the total solar energy

that reaches the Earth. Only this amount is usable.
Factors That Affect Solar Radiation

• Atmospheric conditions

• Latitude and Climate

• Position of Sun
 MEASUREMENT
• Tools to measure Direct and Diffuse Radiation
– Pyranometer ( W/m²)

Glass dome
Thermopile
Sensor
 Photovoltaic
Power Generation
 What is photovoltaic ?
• Photovoltaics (PV) - method of generating
electrical power by converting solar radiation
into direct current electricity, DC, using
semiconductors
• Photovoltaic power generation uses solar panels
made up of solar cells containing a photovoltaic
material
• Materials presently used for photovoltaics are
basically silicon.
 Sunlight is composed of photons, or particles of solar energy.

When photons strike a PV cell, they may be reflected or absorbed, or they may pass right
through. Only the absorbed photons generate electricity.

When this happens, the energy of the photon is transferred to an electron in an atom of
the cell (which is actually a semiconductor).

The electron is able to escape from its normal position associated with that atom to
become part of the current in an electrical circuit.

By leaving this position, the electron causes a "hole" to form. Special electrical properties
of the PV cell—a built-in electric field—provide the voltage needed to drive the current
through an external load (such as a light bulb).
Solar Thermal Energy Plant
 Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)
• System that uses
lenses/mirrors to concentrate
sunlight into a small area.
• The concentrated light is
converted to heat, and drives
a heat engine (steam
turbine).
• Steam turbine is connected
to electrical power
generator.
 Application
• Parabolic Trough

• Solar Power Tower

 Parabolic Trough
• Uses a curved, mirrored trough to reflect solar
radiation onto the glass tube (receiver).
• Receiver is enclosed in a glass vacuum chamber.
• A fluid flows through the receiver which collects the
heat and transports it to a heat engine.
• The trough moves from east to west as it follows the
sun’s movement.
 Solar Power Tower
• It captures and focuses the sun’s thermal energy using
thousands of tracking mirrors (heliostats).
• A tower stands at the centre of the heliostats field,
with a receiver at the top.
• The sunlight heats the molten salt within the receiver
and flows into a thermal storage tank (98% thermal
efficiency) and pumped to a steam generator.
 Advantages and Disadvantages
• Advantages
– High temperature
– Less need to flatten ground area
• Disadvantage
– Dual-axis control for each mirror
Passive Solar Power and Active
Solar Power
 Passive Solar Power
• No mechanical device involves to capture the
sunlight
• Just involve windows, floors, and walls
• Basic examples of passive solar power:
– Greenhouse - Sunroom/Solarium

• The building itself will act as solar collector and

solar storage device
 Passive Solar Power Design
• Windows will facing south. But anything
orientated 30o due south is also
acceptable

• designed to let heat move into the

building during the winter months and
block out the sun during hot summer days
 Passive Solar Power
• How does it works?
– Works in two ways:
• Direct Gain System
• Indirect Gain System
 Direct Gain
• sunlight directly heats up the
building
• Heat stored in thermal mass
(masonry wall, concrete, stone,
brick, adobe wall, floor)
• Heat passes trough the windows and
heat is trapped in the thermal mass
• In winter, thermal mass absorb heat
in daytime while radiates it in night
time
• In summer, thermal mass prevented
from receiving heat in daytime and
adsorb heat in night time
 Indirect Gain
• Positions the thermal mass(eg: Tromble wall) between the sun and
the space to be heated
• heat is collected and trapped in a narrow space between the window
and the thick masonry wall
• In winter, heat in the air space will travel through the upper vent
while cooled air travel out from lower vent
• At night, thermal mass continues to absorb and store heat to radiate
back into the room.
• In summer, process is reversed.
Thermal mass is prevented from
receiving direct sunlight while
absorbing the heat in the room,
helping to reduce the temperature
 Active Solar Power
• consist of a solar collecting device that is designed to
capture more sun’s energy
• Also used to store or transfer heat energy in water or air
• Called “active” because usually consist pump or fan
device
• Solar collectors are securely attached to some convenient
part of the house so that they face south, towards the sun
and are tilted from the horizontal between 10° and 60°
• There are two types of usual solar collectors:
– Flat-plate solar collectors
– Evacuated tube solar collectors
 Flat-plate Solar Collectors
• Consist of a black absorber contained in a weatherproof box
(housing), insulated at the back and glazed at the front (transparent
cover), with a series of pipes, containing the heat transfer medium,
running through the box to the hot water tank
• Both the insulation below the absorber and the glazing at the front
reduce heat losses that occur due to convection.
 Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors
• A series of transparent outer glass
tubes that allow light rays to pass
through with minimal reflection.

• Each tube contains an inner water

pipe coated with a layer that
absorbs the sun’s rays, generating
heat. Water runs through this
inner tube and is heated.

• A vacuum (hence ‘evacuated’)

exists between the outer tube and
the water pipe, which acts as
insulation, reducing heat loss.
 Active Solar Power
• Solar panels are installed on the
roof and the storage tank is
located on the ground or another
convenient location

• Water (or another fluid as long

as it is antifreeze) is pumped
through the solar collectors
using a small electric pump.
Differences Between Passive Solar
Power & Active Solar Power
Passive Solar Power Active Solar Power
• No mechanical device • Use solar collecting device
involves • Use solar radiation
• Use solar heat • Need solar panel to trap &
• No solar panel store the heat energy
• No fluid involves • Fluid involves(antifreeze)
• Affected by the
architectural design of the
building
 Advantages and disadvantages of
solar energy
Advantages Disadvantages

• Renewable energy sources • Sun does not shine

consistently(weather dependent)

• Low maintenance cost Cost of purchasing is very high

• Reduce electricity bill • Solar energy is a diffuse source.
To harness it, we must
concentrate it into an amount and
form that we can use, such as
heat and electricity.