KS RANGASWAMY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

50 EE E13 RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

“TRANSPARENT SOLAR PANELS”

Presented By
KIRUBAHARAN(73772112124)
BRITTOBABY(73772112102)
KISHORE (73772112126)
 Principles of Operation of Solar Photovoltaics :
The solar energy can be directly converted into electrical energy by
means of photovoltaic effect, i.e. conversion of light into electricity.
The energy conversion devices which are used to convert sunlight to
electricity by use of the photovoltaic effect are called solar cells.
Photovoltaic cells capture solar energy and convert it directly to
electrical current by separating electrons from their parent atoms.
Photo Voltaic Effect On Semiconductors :
Semi conductors are materials which are neither conductors nor
insulators.
The photo voltaic effect can be observed in nature in a variety of
materials but semiconductors has shown best performance.
Once these electrons are created, there must be an electric field
to induce these higher energy electrons to flow out of the
semiconductor to do useful work.
Purification And Reformation into Wafers :
The purification process basically involves high temperature melting
of the sand and simultaneous reduction in the presence of hydrogen.
To reform this silicon into a single crystal and then cut the crystal
into a single crystal and then cut the crystal into individual wafers.
Electrical contacts are applied to the two surfaces, an anti-
reflection coating is added to the entire surface and the entire cell
is then sealed with protective skin.
Antireflective Coating :
Antireflective coating (arc) is an important part of a solar cell since
the bare silicon has a reflection coefficient of 0.33 to 0.54 in the
spectral range of 0.35 to1.1 cm.
Arcs are produced on the solar cell by vacuum evaporation process
and the coatings which are tried are SiO2, SiO, Al2O3, TiO2, Ta2O5
and Si3N4.
A single optimal layer of ARC can reduce the reflection to 10 percent
and two layers can reduce the reflection up to 3 percent in desired
range of wavelengths.
Solar panels description:

A solar panel (also solar module, photovoltaic module or photovoltaic

panel) is a packaged, connected assembly of photovoltaic cells.
Each panel is rated by its DC output power under standard test
conditions, and typically ranges from 100 to 320 watts.
A photovoltaic system typically includes an array of solar panels, an
inverter, and sometimes a battery and or solar tracker and
interconnection wiring.
Construction :
The majority of modules use wafer-based crystalline silicon
cells or thin-film cells based on cadmium telluride or silicon.
Electrical connections are made in series to achieve a desired output
voltage and/or in parallel to provide a desired current capability.
Cells must also be protected from mechanical damage and moisture.
Some recent solar panel designs include concentrators in which light is
focused by lenses or mirrors onto an array of smaller cells.
Thin film modules/panels:

Third generation solar cells are advanced thin-film cells. They produce
high-efficiency conversion at low cost.
In rigid thin film modules, the cell and the module are manufactured.
Flexible thin film cells and modules are created on the same
production line by depositing the photoactive layer and other
necessary layers on a flexible substrate.
Module performance and Aging:

Module performance is generally rated under standard test conditions (STC):

irradiance of 1,000 W/m², solar spectrum of AM 1.5 and module temperature
at 25°C.
panels, which could measure approximately 1x2 meters or 2x4 feet, will be
rated from as low as 75 Watts to as high as 350 Watts, depending on their
efficiency.
Many crystalline silicon module manufacturers offer a warranty that
guarantees electrical production for 10 years at 90% of rated power output
and 25 years at 80%.
Production :
In 2010, 15.9 GW of solar PV system installations were completed, with
solar PV pricing survey and market research company PVinsights reporting
growth of 117.8% in solar PV installation on a year-on-year basis.
With over 100% year-on-year growth in PV system installation, PV module
makers dramatically increased their shipments of solar panels in 2010.
According to PVinsights, five of the top ten PV module companies in 2010
are GW players.
Transparent Solar Panels benefits :
Over the past few years, the U.S. has already become a growing
player in the solar energy industry.
Seeing through solar.
Improving cost-benefit picture.
Extremely Thin.
Advantages :
No green house gases.
Infinite Free Energy
Decentralization of power
Solar cells directly convert the solar radiation into electricity using
photovoltaic effect without going through a thermal process.
Solar cells are quiet, benign, and compatible with almost all
environments, respond instantaneously with solar radiation and have an
expected life time of 20 or more years.
Disadvantages :
Solar doesn’t work at night.
Solar Inefficiency
Storing Solar
Solar panels are bulky
One of the biggest disadvantages of solar energy – COST
Applications of Transparent solar panels :

Solar Cell as a window.

Glass walls as protection.
Transparent glass in showrooms.
Mobile screens.
Roof of cars, Buses and Trains etc.
Conclusion :
The need for energy is growing. Therefore solar energy is a hot item the last few years.
Solar panels made of silicon are however still quite expensive.
AfshinHadipour found a way to make semi-transparent solar cells made of plastic which
can function as a window at the same time. Moreover he developed a way to increase the
effectiveness of the plastic solar cells.