Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

Electricity from Solar Energy

 Solar power is described as the conversion of sunlight into electricity. Sunlight could
be changed into electricity with the use of :
 Directly using PV or photovoltaic or
 Indirectly by CSPs.

Concentrating photovoltaic (CPV): A solar technology that uses lenses or mirrors to

concentrate sunlight onto high-efficiency solar cells.

Concentrating solar power (CSP): A solar technology that use mirrors to reflect and
concentrate sunlight onto receivers that convert solar energy to heat. This thermal energy is
then used to produce electricity with a steam turbine or heat engine driving a generator.

So,
mirrors
or lenses to concentrate the sun’s rays and,

same way as conventional power

plants.

Solar power is concentrated in various ways:

are now several devices and structures created which focus and concentrate solar
power.
Solar Parabolic Troughs
Stirling Dish
Solar Power Tower
The Linear Fresnel Reflector

Fig: Different ways to concentrate solar power

Prepared by
S.M.G Mostafa, AP, EEE,IIUC
Solar pumping
A solar-powered pump is a pump running on electricity generated by photovoltaic panels or
the thermal energy available from collected sunlight as opposed to grid electricity or diesel
run water pumps. The operation of solar powered pumps is more economical mainly due to
the lower operation and maintenance costs and has less environmental impact than pumps
powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE).

Components
A photovoltaic solar powered pump system has three parts:

 The pump
 The controller
 Solar panels

The solar panels make up most (up to 80%) of the systems cost. The size of the PV-system is
directly dependent on the size of the pump, the amount of water that is required (m³/d) and
the solar irradiance available.

Fig.2 Solar pumping system

Voltage of the solar pump motors can be AC (alternating current) or DC (direct current).
Direct current motors are used for small to medium applications up to about 3 kW rating, and
are suitable for applications such as garden fountains, landscaping, drinking water for
livestock, or small irrigation projects. Since DC systems tend to have overall higher
efficiency levels than AC pumps of a similar size, the cost are going to get reduced by using
smaller solar panels.

Finally, if an alternating current solar pump is used, an inverter is necessary that changes the
direct current from the solar panels into alternating current for the pump. The supported
power range of inverters extends from 0.15 to 55 kW and can be used for larger irrigation
systems. However, the panel and inverters must be sized accordingly to accommodate the
inrush characteristic of an AC motor.
Prepared by
S.M.G Mostafa, AP, EEE,IIUC
Solar water pumps are often used in remote areas where the cost of running traditional AC
powered water pumping is cost prohibitive or you just want to provide water to an off-grid
home. Solar water pumping systems are also used to pump water for livestock and crop
irrigation in remote locations.

Selecting the Solar Panels

The solar panels powering the solar water pump are sold separately. Each manufacturer
provides a graph or table showing how many watts or amps and volts of solar panels are
needed to produce the desired water flow and/or lift. Once you have selected the appropriate
type and size of solar pump, use that graph to calculate the correct watts of solar panels.

The solar pump and the amount of solar panels needed both depend on how many gallons per
day (GPD) or gallons per minute (GPM) you want to pump and the vertical head the pump
needs to overcome.

Should I Use Batteries With My Solar Water Pumping System?

Most solar water pumps run directly off solar panels (PV direct) and do not require batteries.
Using batteries may complicate an otherwise straight forward application. Instead of storing
electricity in batteries to run the solar pump at non-sunny times, most people prefer to store
the water in a holding tank. This results in the same effect, water when you need it, with less
cost and less complexity. The exception is when you are using a booster pump to create water
pressure in your house. Since you may need to boost the pressure at night or on rainy days,
batteries are required to provide power whenever pressure is needed.

Prepared by
S.M.G Mostafa, AP, EEE,IIUC