SOLAR INSTALLATION SYSTEMS FUNDAMENTALS

CONVERTING SOLAR ENERGY:

- Solar energy is radiation .To make use of it we must convert it to a form that is useful. Solar
energy can be directly transformed into useful forms :-

I. Solar to chemical: Green plants transform solar energy to chemical energy in sugar and
cellulose through photosynthesis (all biomass contains chemically stored solar energy).
II. Solar to heat: solar heating devices transform solar energy into heat which is used for
drying, water heating, space heating, cooking, generating steam and distilling water.
III. Solar to electricity

ENERGY AND POWER CONCEPTS

Energy:- reffered as the ability to do work. It is measured in joules (J), or in watt hours. Other units are
KJ, MJ etc.

Watt hours (Wh): are a convenient way of measuring electrical energy.

Power: is the rate of doing work or the rate which energy is supplied i.e energy per unit time .

SOLAR RADIATION PRINCIPLES

Sunshine reaches earth as a type of energy known as radiation. Radiation is composed of a million units
of solar radiation or photon carrying a certain amount of energy. Depending on the amount of energy
that it carriers, solar radiation fall into different categories including infrared (visible which we can see)
and ultraviolent radiation (very high energy radiation).

The solar spectrum describes all these groups of radiation energy which are constantly arriving from the
sun ,and categorizes them according to their wavelength. Different solar devices make use of different
types of radiation.

Solar energy arrives at the edge of the earth’s atmosphere at the rate of about 1350 watts per square
meter (1350w/m^2). This does not change throughout the year and it is reffered to as solar constant.

However, not all this energy reaches the earth surface. The atmosphere absorbs and reflects most of it
and by the time it reaches the earth surface, it is reduced to a maximum of about 1000w/m^2. Northern
countries like Europe have lower solar radiation levels compared to Equatorial countries because the
incident angle of the sun’s rays in the north is not as perpendicular as it is at the equator.

DIRECT AND DIFFUSE RADIATION

Solar radiation can be divided into two types:

 I. Direct and diffuse- direct radiation comes in a straight beam and can be focused with a lens or a
mirror.
II. Diffuse radiation- is radiation reflected by the atmosphere and scattered by clouds or dust.
Clouds and dust absorbs and scatter radiation, reducing the amount that reaches the ground.
Together, direct and diffuse radiation are known as global radiation.

TERMS USED WITH SOLAR SYSTEMS:

Solar irradiance: refers to the solar radiation actually striking a surface or the power received per unit
area from the sun. This measured in watt per square metre (w/m^2) or kilowatt per square metre
(kw/m^2). If a solar module is facing the sun directly (module is perpendicular to the sun’s rays),
irradiance will be higher than if the module is at an angle to the sun.

The figure below shows the changes in the angle of power received on a flat surface on a clear day.in the
morning and late afternoon less power is received because the flat surface is not at an optimum angle to
the sun and hence less energy is received from the sun beam.at noon the amount of energy received is
highest. The actual amount of power received at a given time vary with passing of clouds and the
amount of dust in the atmosphere

Solar incident angle: this is the angle at which the solar beam strikes the surface. The closer the solar
incident angle is to 90 degrees the more the energy received on the surface (see the figure below). If a
solar module is turned to face the sun throughout the day, the energy output increases. This practice is
known as tracking.
Insolation: also called incident solar radiation is a measure of the solar energy received on a specified
area over a specified period of time.it is measured in Mega joules (Mj), kilowatt hours per square meters
(Kwh/m^2) per day and peak sun hours per day. Meteorological stations throughout the country keep
records of monthly solar insolation which are useful in planning solar utilization systems.

Solar cell modules: this is an arrangement of many solar cells wired in series, sealed between glass and
plastic, and supported inside a metal frame

Arrays: groups of modules mounted together are called arrays.

MEHODS OF SOLAR HARVESTING:

- Solar energy is trapped as heat using properties of heat transfer, insolation and properties of
greenhouse effect.
- Solar radiation is absorbed on surfaces as heat. The amount of heat absorbed depends on the
incident surface area the color and material of the surface and the angle and integrity of the
incoming radiation. Solar energy is best absorbed on surfaces which are perpendicular to the
incoming solar radiation
- Dark colored (black) non-reflective material surfaces absorb solar most effective solar water
heater, driers and cookers make use of black painted absorber surface for capturing heat.
- The greenhouse effect allow us to accumulate heat from solar energy. Radiation energy can pass
through glass (clear plastic) surfaces, but infrared heat energy cannot. Thus solar radiation
energy passes through the glass windows of a sealed box is absorbed by the surface behind the
glass and radiated to heat which cannot pass the glass. This heat is trapped inside the solar
collector and causes the temperature to rise inside the box as shown below. Solar box cookers,
 solar dries, solar stills flat plate collectors shown below and solar heated homes use the green
houses effect to gain heat.

FLAT PLATE COLLECTORS:

- Take advantage of both greenhouse effect and absorption principle to trap solar energy.
- These solar-collectors are large boxes with glass windows in-front of an air-space and black
absorber plates with layers of insulation behind. Water heating collectors transfer heat from the
absorber plate to water flowing through the airspace.
- Solar heat, once collected, is either stored or used immediately with solar water heaters,
captured heat is stored in the water, which is transferred by the pipe to insulated water tanks.
With solar stills, driers and cookers, the heat is used immediately in the process. In this case of
solar heated homes, captured heat is often stored in rock (in water) which re-radiated the heat
into the dwelling, an advanced solar cookers store heat in rock so that the cooker can be used to
cook a night.

OTHER COMMON USES OF SOLAR ELECTRICITY

 - Solar electricity is electric power generated from sunlight using devices called solar cell
modules. Solar electricity can replace small applications of petroleum fueled generators,
grind power and even dry cell batteries Solar electric system theory differs from “mains”(or
generator) wiring in that:

1. Systems are based on low voltage d.c, and not 220v AC

2. Systems usually store power in batteries
3. Power is generated on site by photovoltaic equipment
4. For systems to be economical, all energy produced must be used efficiently

The list below describes some of the important applications for which solar electric
power is being utilized.
I. House hold lights, tvs, cassette players, radio and small appliances.
II. Small industries and institutions
III. Telecommunications-telecommunication systems are often installed in
isolated places with no access to power, they often use stand-alone
photovoltaic systems to power radios, and weathering monitoring
equipment.
IV. Health center vaccine refrigeration and lighting.
V. Water pumping.
VI. Electric fencing.

APPLICATIONS OF SOLAR ENERGY:

SOLAR CROP DRIERS.

- Drying of crops is a process by which moisture removed from the crop product in order to
prevent moulding and to facilitate storage.
- Can be used to dry cash-crops such as: coffee, pyrethrum, cashewnuts, macademias and
groundnuts during their processing. Many crops could switch to solar drying and save fuel
(wood) and petroleum.
- The tobacco industry, in particular could reduce reliance on electricity during leaf curing by
using solar assisted driers.
- A solar drier heats air with collected solar radiation and use it to dry a product.
- Two parts of solar drying process: first, solar radiation is captured and used to heat air,
increasing its ability to hold and carry water vapour
- The second part of the process is actual drying, during which heated air moves through,
warms and extracts moisture from the product. Drying takes place in a large box called
drying chamber. Air is either heated in a flat plate collector or through a window in the
drying chamber.

DIRECT SOLAR DEVICES

- Direct solar driers are closed, insulated inside where both solar collection and drying takes
place.
- Indirect solar direction-have a flat plate collector and a separate drying chamber. They operate
more efficiently and allow more control of the drying process.