Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A
Project-3 Report
On
SOLAR ENERGY
By
CERTIFICATE
GF’s
Godavari College of Engineering, Jalgaon
SOLAR ENERGY
DECLARATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, I thank the God Almighty for his grace that enabled me in
the finalization of this seminar. Secondly, I would like to thank my
parents who helped me a lot in finalizing this project within the limited
time frame.
MAHESH A MAHAJAN.
INDEX
Sr. No. Title Page
No.
01) Survey 07
02) Introduction 08
ABSTRACT
Green Environment
SURVEY
INTRODUCTION
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed
using a range of ever-evolving technologies such as solar heating,
photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, solar architecture, molten salt
power plants and artificial photosynthesis.
It is an essential source of renewable energy, and its technologies are
broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending
on how they capture and distribute solar energy or convert it into solar
power. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic systems,
concentrated solar power, and solar water heating to harness the
energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun,
selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light-dispersing
properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
The large magnitude of solar energy available makes it a highly appealing
source of electricity. The United Nations Development Programme in its
2000 World Energy Assessment found that the annual potential of solar
energy was 1,575–49,837 exajoules. This is several times larger than the
total world energy consumption, which was in 2012.
In 2011, the International Energy Agency said that "the development of
affordable, inexhaustible and clean solar energy technologies will have
huge longer-term benefits. It will increase countries' energy security
through reliance on an indigenous, inexhaustible, and mostly import-
independent resource, enhance sustainability, reduce pollution, lower
the costs of mitigating global warming, and keep fossil fuel prices lower
than otherwise. These advantages are global. Hence the additional costs
of the incentives for early deployment should be considered learning
investments; they must be wisely spent and need to be widely shared.
SOLAR PANEL
GF’S
GODAVARI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, JALGAON[Type text] Page 11
SOLAR ENERGY
Photovoltaic modules use light energy (photons) from the Sun to generate
electricity through the photovoltaic effect. Most modules use wafer-
based crystalline silicon cells or thin-film cells. The structural (load carrying)
member of a module can be either the top layer or the back layer. Cells must be
protected from mechanical damage and moisture. Most modules are rigid, but
semi-flexible ones based on thin-film cells are also available. The cells are usually
connected electrically in series, one to another to the desired voltage, and then
in parallel to increase current. The power (watts) of the module is the
mathematical product of the voltage (volts) and the current (amps) of the module.
The manufacture specifications on solar panels are obtained under standard
condition which is not the real operating condition the solar panels are exposed
to on the installation site.
A PV junction box is attached to the back of the solar panel and functions as its
output interface. External connections for most photovoltaic modules use MC4
connectors to facilitate easy weatherproof connections to the rest of the system.
A USB power interface can also be used.
TECHNOLOGY
Most solar modules are currently produced from crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar
cells made of multicrystalline and monocrystalline silicon. In 2013, crystalline
silicon accounted for more than 90 percent of worldwide PV production, while
the rest of the overall market is made up of thin-film technologies using
cadmium telluride, CIGS and amorphous silicon[18]
Emerging, third generation solar technologies use advanced thin-film cells. They
produce a relatively high-efficiency conversion for the low cost compared to
APPLICATIONS
There are many practical applications for the use of solar panels or photovoltaics.
It can first be used in agriculture as a power source for irrigation. In health care
solar panels can be used to refrigerate medical supplies. It can also be used for
infrastructure. PV modules are used in photovoltaic systems and include a large
variety of electric devices:
INSTALLATION
The urban environment provides a large amount of empty rooftop spaces and can
inherently avoid the potential land use and environmental concerns. Estimating
rooftop solar insolation is a multi-faceted process, as insolation values in rooftops
are impacted by the following:
The following section contains the most commonly utilized components of a rooftop
solar array. Though designs may vary with roof type (eg. metal vs shingle), roof
angle, and shading concerns, most arrays consist of some variation of the following
components
1. Solar Panels produce carbon free electricity when irradiated with sunlight. Often
made of Silicon, solar panels are made of smaller solar cells which typically number
6 cells per panel. Multiple solar panels strung together make up a solar array. Solar
panels are generally protected by tempered glass and secured with an aluminum
frame. The front of a solar panel is very durable whereas the back of a panel is
generally more vulnerable.
2. Mounting clamps generally consist of aluminum brackets and stainless steel bolts
that secure solar panels to one another on the roof and onto the rails. Clamps often
vary in design in order to account for various roof and rail configurations.
3. Racking or rails are made of metal and often lie in a parallel configuration on the
roof for the panels to lie on. It is important that the rails are level enough for the
panels to be evenly mounted.
4. Mounts attach the rails and the entire array to the surface of the roof. These mounts
are often L brackets that are bolted through flashing and into the rafters of the roof.
Mounts vary in design due to the wide range of roof configurations and materials.
5. Flashings are a durable metal plate that provide a water resistant seal between the
mounts and roof surface. Oftentimes, caulk is used to seal the flashing to the roof
and it resembles a metal roof shingle.
6. DC/AC wiring for inverters connect wires between panels and into a micro inverter
or string inverter. No cables should touch the roof surface or hang from the array to
avoid weathering and the deterioration of cables.
7. Micro inverters are mounted to the bottom of the panel and convert DC power from
the panels into AC power that can be sent into the grid. Micro inverters allow for
the optimization of each panel when shading occurs and can provide specific data
from individual panels.
COST
As more people choose solar energy, hearing of solar panel installation around us is
becoming more prevalent. Due to its uniqueness from the conventional systems, you can
expect the difference in skill and cost required to handle it. Issues like low performance,
shadow problems, or breakdowns are very common and need solar panel experts to fix
them.
To understand better the installation process and solar panel cost in India, we need to
get some insights first.
A solar panel system can be of two major types based on your requirements and location.
A complete solar panel system, also known as a solar energy system, consists of 4 key
components.
1. Solar panel: It is the board type structure with grids that you usually see on rooftops. It
is the main component that converts the energy from the sun into electricity.
2. Solar inverter: It converts the Direct Current (DC) generated by the panel into
Alternating Current (AC).
3. Solar battery: It stores the energy generated from the sun and utilizes it when the grid
turns off.
4. Panel stand: It is a basic metal structure usually made of galvanized iron. It holds
the panels firm at a certain angle and protects them from getting blown away by
the wind. and other solar panel installation accessories.
• DC wire: A PVC coated wire with configurations - less than 3kW and a Cable Tray
of 3kW and above.
• AC wire: It connects the inverter with grid power and home load.
• DCDB: It protects the panels from the DC side and can be placed with an off-grid
solar inverter or a grid-tie solar inverter.
• ACDB: It takes care of the AC side and is usually used with a grid-tie solar inverter.
• MC4 connectors: Required to connect DC wire with the panels. It is the most
critical component among these accessories.
• Lightning Arrester (LA): It protects the solar panels and connected appliances from
lightning. You can use it with both off-grid as well as a grid-tie solar inverter.
• Earthing kit:
1. 1kW to 3kW: It is done with two earthing. One is for Inverter, and the second one
is for LA.
2. Above 3kW: It is supported by three earthing. Here, the extra one is for PV
modules.
The current rate of solar panel installation is approx. Rs. 7 per watt. Now
depending on their size, let's see how much solar panels cost.
According to solar panel experts, if the initial solar panel installation is done correctly, it can
improve its lifespan to enjoy long-term benefits. Thus always contact professional solar panel
installers. With a dedicated team of 50 technical personnel, Waaree Solar provides you with all
kinds of solar panel installation and maintenance. For additional safety, you can also opt for our
annual maintenance plans available at reasonable costs.
NET-METERING MECHANISM
Solar energy will be accessible as long as we have the sun, therefore sunlight will be
available to us for at least 5 billion years when according to scientists the sun is going
to die.
Moreover, not only will you be saving on the electricity bill, but there is also a
possibility to receive payments for the surplus energy that you export back
to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). If you generate more
electricity than you use (considering that your solar panel system is connected
to the grid).
3. Diverse Applications
Solar energy can be used for diverse purposes. You can generate electricity
(photovoltaics) or heat (solar thermal). Solar energy can be used to
produce electricity in areas without access to the energy grid, to distil water
in regions with limited clean water supplies and to power satellites in space.
Solar energy can also be integrated into the materials used for buildings.
Not long ago Sharp introduced transparent solar energy windows.
Also, as there are no moving parts, there is no wear and tear. The inverter is usually
the only part that needs to be changed after 5-10 years because it is continuously
working to convert solar energy into electricity and heat (solar PV vs. solar thermal).
Apart from the inverter, the cables also need maintenance to ensure your solar
power system runs at maximum efficiency.
So, after covering the initial cost of the solar system, you can expect very little
spending on maintenance and repair work.
5. Technology Development
Technology in the solar power industry is constantly advancing and improvements
will intensify in the future. Innovations in quantum physics and nanotechnology can
potentially increase the effectiveness of solar panels and double, or even triple, the
electrical input of the solar power systems.
1. Cost
The initial cost of purchasing a solar system is fairly high. This includes paying for
solar panels, inverter, batteries, wiring, and the installation. Nevertheless, solar
technologies are constantly developing, so it is safe to assume that prices will go
down in the future.
2. Weather-Dependent
Although solar energy can still be collected during cloudy and rainy days, the
efficiency of the solar system drops. Solar panels are dependent on sunlight to
effectively gather solar energy. Therefore, a few cloudy, rainy days can have a
noticeable effect on the energy system. You should also take into account that solar
energy cannot be collected during the night.
On the other hand, if you also require your water heating solution to work at night
or during wintertime, thermodynamic panels are an alternative to consider.
In most cases, it is smarter to just use solar energy during the day and take energy
from the grid during the night (you can only do this if your system is connected to
the grid). Luckily your energy demand is usually higher during the day so you can
meet most of it with solar energy.
An alternative is to install some of the panels in your yard but they need to have
access to sunlight. If you don’t have the space for all the panels that you wanted,
you can opt for installing fewer to still satisfy some of your energy needs.
There are also some toxic materials and hazardous products used during the
manufacturing process of solar photovoltaic systems, which can indirectly affect
the environment.
Monocrystalline panels have a high power output, occupy less space, and last the longest.
Of course, that also means they are the most expensive of the bunch.
Another advantage to consider is that they tend to be slightly less affected by high
temperatures compared to polycrystalline panels.
Polycrystalline Solar Panels (Poly-SI)
You can quickly distinguish these panels because this type of solar panels has squares, its
angles are not cut, and it has a blue, speckled look. They are made by melting raw
silicon, which is a faster and cheaper process than that used for monocrystalline panels.
This leads to a lower final price but also lower efficiency (around 15%), lower space
efficiency, and a shorter lifespan since they are affected by hot temperatures to a greater
degree. However, the differences between mono- and polycrystalline types of solar panels
are not so significant and the choice will strongly depend on your specific situation. The
first option offers a slightly higher space efficiency at a slightly higher price but power
outputs are basically the same.
If you are looking for a less expensive option, you might want to look into thin-film.
Thin-film solar panels are manufactured by placing one or more films of photovoltaic
material (such as silicon, cadmium or copper) onto a substrate. These types of solar panels
are the easiest to produce and economies of scale make them cheaper than the
alternatives due to less material being needed for its production.
Just to give a brief impression of what “thin” means, in this case, we’re talking about a
thickness of 1 micrometre (one millionth of a metre). With only
7% efficiency rate, these cells are less effective than crystalline silicon ones—that have an
efficiency rate of circa 18%—but the advantage is the fact that the A-SiCells are relatively
low in cost.
The name of such CVP cells is related to what makes them so efficient, compared to other
types of solar panels: curved mirror surfaces, lenses and sometimes even cooling
systems are used to bundle the sun rays and thus increase their efficiency.
By this means, CVP cells have become one of the most efficient solar panels, with a
high performance and efficiency rate of up to 41%. What remains is the fact, that such
CVP solar panels can only be as efficient if they face the sun in a perfect angle. In order to
reach such high efficiency rates, a solar tracker inside the solar panel is responsible for
following the sun.
CONCLUSION
The purpose of this project was to improve the college entrance fountain
and to give it a unique look. The fountain that was old and damaged
before that’s why we decided to remark it and also make it something
new. And then we discussed with our project guide. The main aim to
choose this project was to learn about plumbing, motor function, motor
connection other lights connection their display. The project also helped
to know about solar automatic sensor which we learned and handled
firstly time. The learned that how it works and sense the signal. This
project also taught us that how to work with team also how to treat with
each other. Actually we understand the responsibility. We really loved to
handle learning of open well motor.
We also enjoyed the painting of fountain and decoration of fountain. And
finally we touched to success of project and completed it.
REFERENCES
1. ^ Armstrong, Robert (12 November 2014). "The Case for Solar Energy Parking
Lots". Absolute Steel. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d "Photovoltaic power generation in the buildings. Building
integrated photovoltaic–BIPV" (PDF). bef-de.org. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
3. ^ "Energy Resources and Resource Criteria". greenip.org. Archived from the
original on 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2011-06-20.