Guarantee

Solar Energy: The Ultimate Renewable Resource

Sun and its Radiations
Journey from Solar Cells to Photovoltaic Modules: Working Principles to
Manufacturing Technologies
Concentrated Photovoltaics and other Emerging Technologies
Photovoltaic Modules Testing and Standards
PV System Components: Types and Characteristics
PV applications: Stand-alone, Hybrid, Grid Connected
Solar thermal applications:
Low temperature applications; Concentrated collectors, Solar ponds, Space
heating, Water desalination, Refrigeration.
Solar thermal power generation: solar tower, parabolic trough, sterling
engine, solar chimney.
2
Applied Solar Energy by NS
Originates with the
thermonuclear fusion
reactions occurring in the
sun.
Represents the entire
electromagnetic radiation
(x-rays, ultraviolet,visible
light, infrared, and radio
waves).
Radiant energy from the sun
has powered life on Earth for
many millions of years.

3
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 Sunlight
provides
the energy
for almost
all life on
Earth.

By Glynn Gorick

4
Applied Solar Energy by NS
Disadvantages
 Sun does not shine consistently.
 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.
Which has been addressed by approaching the
problem through:
1) collection, 2) conversion, 3) storage.
Advantages
 All chemical and radioactive polluting byproducts of the
thermonuclear reactions remain behind on the sun,
while only pure radiant energy reaches the Earth.
 Energy reaching the earth is incredible. By one
calculation, 30 days of sunshine striking the Earth have
the energy equivalent of the total of all the planet’s fossil
fuels, both used and unused!
5
Applied Solar Energy by NS
The world’s current energy system is built around fossil
fuels
Fossil fuel reserves are ultimately finite
Pollution from burning fossil fuels leads to an increase in
greenhouse gases, acid rain, and the degradation of public
health

6
Applied Solar Energy by NS
Source: International Energy Agency, 2019
7
Applied Solar Energy by NS
17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 targets

8
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 Sustainable Development Goal 7 calls for “affordable, reliable,
sustainable and modern energy for all.” (SDG 7.1)
 Achieving SDG 7.1 would require
bringing electricity to the remaining
1.1 billion people without electricity
and reaching the 2.8 billion without
access to clean cooking facilities

 Access to clean energy is essential for better

education, better health, and better lives! 9
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 10
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 11
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 12
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 13
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 14
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 15
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 More solar PV capacity was added in 2018 than the
net additions of coal, gas and nuclear combined

Source: REN 21, Renewables 2019 Global Status Report 16

Applied Solar Energy by NS
 Year wise grid connected solar power
capacity in Pakistan

*Muhammad Irfan, Zhen-Yu Zhao, Munir Ahmad and Marie Claire Mukeshimana, 2019, Solar Energy Development in
Pakistan: Barriers and Policy Recommendations, Sustainability 11, 1206. 17
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 18
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 Not new but its history spans from 7th Century
B.C. to TODAY. Here are some milestones in the
historical development:

7th Century B.C.

Magnifying glass used to concentrate sun’s rays to make fire
and to burn ants.
3rd Century B.C.
Greeks and Romans use burning mirrors to light torches for
religious purposes.
2nd Century B.C.
Greek scientist, Archimedes, used the reflective properties of
bronze shields to focus sunlight and to set fire to wooden ships
from the Roman Empire (probably).
19
Applied Solar Energy by NS
1767
Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure was credited for building the
world’s first solar collector, later used for cooking.
1839
French scientist Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic
effect while experimenting with an electrolytic cell made up of two
metal electrodes placed in an electricity-conducting solution. He
found that electricity-generation increased when exposed to light.
1860s
The first documented use of concentrated solar power technology
was in 1866 where Auguste Mouchout used parabolic troughs to
heat water and produce steam to run the first solar steam engine.
1876
An English electrical engineer, Willoughby Smith, found that
selenium shows photoconductivity.
1883
Charles Fritts, an American inventor, described the first solar cells
made from selenium wafers. 20
Applied Solar Energy by NS
Early 1900s
Albert Einstein published his paper on the photoelectric effect in
1905 and he won the Nobel Prize 1921 for his theories of relativity
and photoelectric effect.

1932
Audobert and Stora discover the photovoltaic effect in cadmium
sulfide (CdS) thin films.

1954
PV technology is born in the USA when Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller,
and Gerald Pearson develop the silicon PV cell at Bell Labs—the first
solar cell capable of converting enough of the sun’s energy into
power to run everyday equipment. Bell Telephone Labs produced a
silicon solar cell with 4% efficiency and later improved to 11%.

1957
Hoffman Electronics (Philippines) achieved 8% efficient
photovoltaic cells which was further improved to 14% in 1960.
21
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 1973
Greek scientist Dr. Loannis Sakkas proved the 2nd century BC myth
in 1973 by lining up 60 Greek sailors, holding oblong bronzed coated
mirrors tipped to catch the sun's rays and directing them at a ship.
Professor 1968
Giovanni
Francia The first operational concentrated solar power plant was built in
Sant'llario, Italy in 1968 by Professor Giovanni Francia.
1982
ARCO Solar (a US PV Industry) became the first company to produce
more than 1 megawatt of PV modules. ARCO also releases the G-
4000—the world’s first commercial thin-film power module.in 1986.
1992
20% efficient silicon cells are created by the Centre for Photovoltaic
Engineering at the University of New South Wales, Austrailia.
1992
University of South Florida develops a 15.9% efficient thin-film
photovoltaic cell made of cadmium telluride, breaking the 15%
barrier for the first time for this technology. 22
Applied Solar Energy by NS
1999
Construction of the tallest skyscraper built on Times Square in New
York City. It incorporates more energy-efficient building techniques
than any other commercial skyscraper and also includes building-
integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) panels.

2008
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have set a world record in
solar cell efficiency with a Triple-junction photovoltaic device that
converts 40.8 percent of the light that hits it into electricity.

2010
Reinstallation of solar panels on White House by President Barack
Obama (President Jimmy Carter 1st Installed White House Solar
Panels in 1979, but President Ronald Reagan removed them in
1981 and George Bush reintroduced PV to the White house again
in 2003, but it was not recognized at larger scale).
23
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 2016
University of New South Wales engineers established a new
world record for unfocused sunlight conversion to electricity with
PV Cell in Prism an efficiency increase to 34.5%. The record was set by UNSW’s
Dr Mark Keevers Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) using a 28
cm2 four-junction mini-module – embedded in a prism – that
extracts the maximum energy from sunlight. It does this by
splitting the incoming rays into four bands, using a four-junction
receiver to squeeze even more electricity from each beam of
sunlight.

Red Solar Panels

Soliculture’s latest development uses red solar panels to
generate higher rates of energy production and increase the
yield of greenhouses.

2017
Hot Solar Cells
Converting heat into focused beams of light, a new solar
device could create cheap and continuous power..
24
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 2018
Solar skin design

Advances in solar panel efficiency

(23.5 % by SunPower)
Solar skin design
Solar powered roads Solar powered roads
Wearable solar

France 2016

2019

China 2018

25
Applied Solar Energy by NS
 26
PV Devices by NS
Book Title Editors/ Authors Publisher
Applied Photovoltaics S.R. Wenham, M.A. Earthscan, London.
Green, M.E. Watt, R.
Corkish
Solar Energy Conversion A. E. Dixon and J. D. Pergamon Press.
Leslie
Principles of Solar D. Yogi Goswami CRC Press
Engineering
Solar Cells Martin A. Green. Prentice-Hall Inc.
Solar Engineering of J.A. Duffie, and W.A. John Wiley and Sons,
Thermal Processes Beckman, Inc.
Planning and Installing Deutsche CRC Press
Photovoltaic Systems Gesellschaftfur
Sonnenenergie
Solar Energy R.K. McMordie CRC Press
Fundamentals
27
Applied Solar Energy by NS