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MODULE 3

DIFFERENT ENERGY SOURCES

Lesson 1 Renewable and

Non-renewable Energy

Lesson 2 Components of Solar

Power System

Lesson 3 Size of Solar Power System

Lesson 4 Connecting Solar Panels in

Series and Parallel

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MODULE III

INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS

 INTRODUCTION

This module covers the different number systems that includes

OBJECTIVES

After studying the module, you should be able to:

1. Differentiate renewable and non-renewable energy

2. Enumerate the main components of a solar power system
3. Calculate the size of the solar power system
4. Learn how to connect solar panels in series and parallel

 DIRECTIONS/ MODULE ORGANIZER

There are four lessons in the module. Read each lesson carefully then
answer the exercises/activities to find out how much you have benefited
from it. Work on these exercises carefully and submit your output to your
instructor. Discuss with your instructor in case you encounter difficulty.

Good luck and happy reading!!!

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Lesson 1

 Renewable and
Non-renewable Energy

Energy, Fuel and Heat

Everything requires energy. Even when you are sitting as still as you
possibly can, your body is using energy to breathe, circulate blood, digest
food, and perform many other functions. Producing light or heat requires
energy. Making something requires energy. Including plants and animals
require energy to function.

All living things need energy. Energy is one of the requirements for
life. However, it is not only living things which need energy to move and
carry out various processes. The machines and appliances in the world
around us also need energy to do work.

Energy is the ability to do work or produce change. Every little thing

needs energy to perform its daily functions and even more energy to grow.
Plants get energy from the food they make through photosynthesis, and
animals get energy directly or indirectly from that food. People also use
energy for many things, such as cooking food, keeping ice cream cold in the
freezer, heating a house, or lighting their homes.

The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be

created nor destroyed. It can only be changed from one form to another.
This means that even though energy changes form, the total amount of
energy always stays the same. Thus, we cannot produce energy to do
certain work. Therefore, we use certain substances which help us transform
one form of energy to another form.

The energy to make electricity comes from fuel. Fuel has energy that
it releases. A fuel is any material that can release energy in a chemical
change.

For example, when we burn paper with a matchstick, light is

produced by the flame. If we analyze this closely, light energy is not
created over there; it has just been produced due to the transformation of
heat energy provided by the match stick into light energy. Thus we always
need a certain substance to convert one form of energy into another for
accomplishing various jobs. We call such materials as fuels. Fuel is any
substance which upon combustion produces a usable amount of energy.

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For a fuel to be useful, its energy must be released in a way that can
be controlled. Controlling the release of energy makes it possible for the
energy to be used to do work. When fuel is used for its energy, it is usually
burned, and most of the energy is released as heat. The heat may then be
used to do work.

Billions of people all around the world use energy, there is a huge
need for energy resources. Many substances and organisms store energy
which can then be used. We call them energy sources. Energy sources have
energy that is stored in them and can be used to make something happen.
There are two main sources of energy: renewable and non-renewable
resources.

A. Renewable Energy

Renewable energy often referred to as “clean energy” is one which

can be recycled or reused. It is the energy derived from natural processes
that are replenished at a rate that is equal to or faster than the rate at
which they are consumed. These sources are part of the planet’s physical
structure, which means they are constantly being renewed by natural
means. They simply cannot run out.

These sustainable energy sources are often called “alternative

energy” because they’re considered to be an alternative to the traditional
fossil fuels such as oil and coal, and tend to be much less harmful to the
environment. Renewable or alternative energy includes: wind, hydrogen,
hydroelectric, geothermal, wave, bioenergy and solar energy.

B. Non-renewable energy

Non-renewable energy or “dirty energy” are only available in limited

amounts and take a long time to replenish. It is typically found in specific
parts of the world, making them more plentiful in some nations than others.

All energy sources have some impact on our environment. Fossil fuels
do substantially more harm than renewable energy sources by most
measures, including air and water pollution, damage to public health,
wildlife and habitat loss, water use, land use, and global warming emissions.

Classifications of Fuel

1. Solid Fuels – wood , coal, oil shale, briquettes, charcoal

Fuels which are found in their solid state at room temperature are
generally referred to as Solid Fuels. They were the first kind of fuel known
to be used by man, basically wood to produce fire. Coal was another one of

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the influential fuels known to man as it leads the way for the industrial
revolution, from firing furnaces to running steam engines.

2. Liquid fuels – petroleum, coal tar, alcohols

Most liquid fuels are derived from the fossilized remains of dead
plants and animals by exposure to heat and pressure in the Earth’s crust.
The fumes of the liquid fuel are flammable instead of the liquid.

3. Gaseous fuels – natural gas, coal gas, oil gas, acetylene, hydrogen,
water gas, blast furnace gas
Gaseous fuels occur in nature, besides being manufactured from solid
and liquid fuels. Most gaseous fuels are composed of hydrocarbons, carbon
monoxide, hydrogen or a mixture of them all.

Solar Energy

Like wind power, the sun provides a tremendous resource for

generating clean and sustainable electricity. Solar energy is derived from
capturing radiant energy (heat and light) from sunlight/sun’s energy and
turning it into electricity for your home or business consumption. The sun is
natural nuclear reactor. It releases tiny packets of energy called photon,
which travel the 93 million miles from the sun to Earth in about 8.5
minutes. Every hour, enough photons impact our planet to generate enough
solar energy to theoretically satisfy global energy needs for an entire year.

A variety of solar energy technologies are used to convert the sun’s

energy and light into heat, illumination, electricity, or hot water.
Photovoltaic (PV) systems can convert direct sunlight into electricity
through the use of solar cells.

Typically, these involve the strategic location of buildings and various

elements of these buildings, such as windows, overhangs and thermal
masses. Such practices take advantage of the sun for lighting and space
heating; significantly reduce the use of electrical or mechanical equipment.
Solar energy can be harnessed only during the day and only if the sunlight is
not blocked by clouds, buildings or other obstacles.

Benefits/Advantages of Solar Energy

a. One of benefits of solar energy is that sunlight is functionally

endless. With the technology to harvest it, there is a limitless
supply of solar energy, meaning, it could render fossil fuels
obsolete.
b. Relying on solar energy rather than fossil fuels also helps us
improve public health and environmental conditions.

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c. In the long term, solar energy could also eliminate energy costs
and in the short term reduce your energy bills.
Disadvantages/ Current Limitations

a. Although solar energy will save you money in the long run, it tends
to be a significant upfront cost and is an unrealistic expense for
most households.
b. For personal homes, homeowners also need to have the ample
sunlight and space to arrange their solar panels, which limits who
can realistically adopt this technology at the individual level.
c. The environmental impacts associated with solar power can
include land use and habitat loss, water use, and the use of
hazardous materials in manufacturing.

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THINK!

LEARNING ACTIVITY 3.1

I. FILLIN THE BLANKS: Fill in the missing words in each blank to

complete the sentence. Choose your answers from the words inside
the box.
Sustainable energy Solid fuels Energy
Renewable energy Liquid fuels Heat
Alternative energy Photon Fuel
Non-renewable energy Dirty energy Solar energy

1. The law of conservation of ___________________ states that energy

cannot be created nor destroyed; it can only be changed from one form
to another.

2. ___________________ is any substance which upon combustion

produces a usable amount of energy.

3. When fuel is used for its energy, it is usually burned, and most of the
energy is released as ____________________.

4. _____________________ often referred to as “clean energy” is one

which can be recycled or reused.

5. These renewable energy sources are often called

_____________________ because they’re considered to be an
alternative to the traditional fossil fuels.

6. Non-renewable energy or ______________________ are only available

in limited amounts and take a long time to replenish.
7. Most ______________________ are derived from the fossilized remains
of dead plants and animals by exposure to heat and pressure in the
Earth’s crust.

8. _____________________ is derived from capturing radiant energy (heat

and light) from sunlight/sun’s energy and turning it into electricity for
your home or business consumption.

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9. Fuels which are found in their solid state at room temperature are
generally referred to as _______________________.

10. Solar energy releases tiny packets of energy called

_______________________, which travel the 93 million miles from the
sun to Earth in about 8.5 minutes.

II. ENUMERATION: List down what are being asked in the following:

1-2) What are the two energy sources?

______________________
______________________

3-5) What are the three classifications of fuel?

______________________
______________________
______________________

6-12) What are the seven renewable energy?

______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________

13-15) What are three advantages of using solar power?

______________________
______________________
______________________

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Lesson 2

 Components of a Solar
Power System

Around the globe, more homeowners are electing to install solar

power system (solar panel system/solar electric system). Their motivation is
to reduce long-term energy costs while minimizing their carbon footprint.
Clean, renewable, and affordable, solar energy is clearly the energy of the
future.

A complete home solar power system requires components to produce

electricity, convert power into alternating current that can be used by home
appliances, store excess electricity and maintain safety. The four main
components of a solar system are the solar panel, battery, charge controller
and the DC/AC converter/inverter.

1. Solar Cells/ Solar Panels - Solar cells are the foundation of any
solar power system. A collection of individual solar cells comprise a
solar panel. Each cell creates electrical energy when exposed to
light.

Solar panels, the key elements of a solar power system, are the most
noticeable components of a residential solar electric system. The solar
panels are installed outside the home, typically on the roof and convert
sunlight into electricity. Solar panels are given output ratings in watts. This
rating is the maximum produced by the panel under ideal conditions.

Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are consists of many solar cells that
are made of silicon. They are most commonly used in residential
installations, and come in wattages ranging from about 150 watts to 370
watts per panel. They are constructed with a positive layer and a negative

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layer which together create an electric field, just like in a battery. PV solar
panels generate direct current (DC) electricity.
When photons hit a solar cell, they knock electrons loose from their
atoms. If conductors are attached to the positive and negatives sides of a
cell, it forms an electrical circuit. When electrons flow through such a
circuit, they generate electricity. Multiple cells make up a solar panel, and
multiple panels (modules) can be wired together to form a solar array. The
more panels you can deploy, the more energy you can expect to generate.

The two main types of solar panels most suitable for residential solar
installations are monocrystalline and polycrystalline. These perform
similarly although the monocrystalline is slightly more efficient and a little
more expensive.

It is important to install your solar panel at location that gets the

most sun exposure. Solar panels perform at optimum capacity when placed
in direct sunlight. When you install your solar power system, try to position
your PV panels directly under the noontime sun for maximum efficiency
from your PV unit.

Before installation, take care of any obstruction to sunlight. Remove

all unnecessary obstruction and items such as branches that may block
sunlight to your solar unit. You should also trace the path of the sun in the
sky and make sure there is no object that may cast a shadow over your PV
panels. The operating efficiency of your solar energy unit will suffer
because of this shadow.

1. Charge controller – also known as the regulator maintains the proper

charging voltage for system batteries. It is a device that regulates the
power coming from the solar panels with the right voltage and
current to the battery. This is important for safe and efficient battery
charging. Batteries can be overcharged, if fed continuous voltage.
The charge controller regulates the voltage, preventing overcharging
and allowing charging when required. Not all systems have batteries.

The power output of a solar panel system fluctuates depending on the

amount of sunlight it receives. Because the sun moves across the sky over
the course of a day, panels output a different amount of power throughout
the day. When cell receives no sunlight, they output no power. If you power
a device directly from a solar panel, the device may not receive enough
power to sustain operation. Therefore, the power must be stored in a
battery. However, before it goes to a battery, it should travel through a
charge controller.

2. Battery Pack – Solar power systems produce electricity during the

daytime, when the sun is shining. Your home demands electricity at

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night and on cloudy days – when the sun isn’t shining. To offset this
mismatch, batteries can be added to the system.
The power from a charger controller travels to a battery for storage.
A battery stores the power from your solar power system based on its amp
hour rating. Amp hours denote the amount of amps of current that a battery
could output in one hour before needing a charge. Typically, a solar power
battery is not discharged quickly over the course of an hour, but slowly over
the course of a number of hours. Many amp hour ratings assume a 20-hour
discharge time. For example, a 160 amp hour battery might be used to
output 8 amps of current for 20 hours.

3. Solar Inverter – Solar panels and batteries produce DC power while

standard home appliances use AC. An inverter converts the DC power
produced by the solar panels and batteries to the AC power required
by the appliances.

A solar inverter takes the DC electricity from the solar array and uses
that to create AC electricity. Inverters are like the brains of the system.
Along with inverting DC to AC circuits, energy production and maximum
power point tracking.

4. Solar Panel Mounts/ Solar Array Mounting Racks – Solar panel

mounts are used to install photovoltaic panels. This base structure
provides support and sturdiness. The mounting structure must be
slightly tilted. Angle of the tilt could be between 18-36 degrees.
Many companies use a solar tracker to increase the conversion of
efficiency. Solar panels are joined into arrays and commonly
mounted in one of three ways;

a. Pole mounts - free standing, pole mounted arrays can be set at

height that makes maintenance easy. The advantage of easy
maintenance must be weighed against the additional space required
for the arrays.

b. Roof-ground mounts

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b.1. on roofs – roof mounted systems are the most common but the
main drawback of roof mounting is maintenance. For high roofs,
clearing or repairing the systems can be an issue.
b.2. directly on the ground – ground systems are low and simple, but
cannot be used in areas with regular accumulations of snow. Space is
also a consideration with these array mounts.
c. Flush mounts - Regardless of where you mount the arrays, mounts
are either fixed or tracking.

c.1. Fixed mounts are preset for height and angle and do not move.
Since the angle of the sun changes throughout the year, the height
and angle of fixed mount arrays are a compromise that trades
optimum angle for a less expensive, less complex installation.

c.2. Tracking arrays move with the sun. It moves from east to west
with the sun and adjust their angle to maintain the optimum as the
sun moves.

5. Circuit Breaker Panel – the breaker panel is where the power source
is joined to the electrical circuits in your home. For each circuit
there is a circuit breaker to interrupt the flow of electricity and
prevent the appliances on a circuit from drawing too much
electricity.

6. Array DC Disconnect - it is used to disconnect the solar arrays from

the home for maintenance. It is called a DC disconnect because the
solar arrays produce DC power.

7. Back-up Generator – for systems that are not tied to the utility grid,
a back-up generator is used to provide power during periods of low
system output due to poor weather or high household demand.

8. Combiner box – the role of the combiner box is to bring the output of
several solar strings together. It also consolidates incoming power
into one main feed that distributes to a solar inverter. This saves labo

9. r and material costs through wire reductions.

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THINK!

LEARNING ACTIVITY 3.2

I. IDENTIFICATION: Identify what is being referred to in the following

sentences. Choose your answers from the words inside the box. Write
your answer on the space after each statement.
Charge controller Solar cells Array DC disconnect
Battery pack Solar panel Back-up generator
Solar Inverter PV solar panel Solar Panel Mounts
Combiner box Tracking arrays Circuit breaker panel

1. These are the foundation of any solar power system that creates
electrical energy when exposed to light. ______________________

2. These panels are consists of many solar cells that are made of silicon.
______________________

3. The role of this device is to bring the output of several solar strings
together. ______________________

4. It is used to interrupt the flow of electricity and prevent the appliances

on a circuit from drawing too much electricity. ______________________

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5. The key element of a solar power system which is a collection of

individual solar cells. ______________________

6. It is used to store the power from your solar power system based on its
amp hour rating. ______________________

7. These base structures that provide support and sturdiness are used to
install photovoltaic panels. ______________________

8. It converts the DC power produced by the solar panels and batteries to

the AC power required by the appliances. ______________________

9. It is used to provide power during periods of low system output due to

poor weather or high household demand. ______________________

10. It is used to disconnect the solar arrays from the home for maintenance.
______________________

II. ENUMERATION: List down what are being asked in the following:

1-3) What are the three types of solar panel mounting?

1. _____________________________
2. _____________________________
3. _____________________________

4-6) What are the three types of solar inverter?

4. _____________________________
5. _____________________________
6. _____________________________

7-10) Give at least 4 components of a solar power system

7. _____________________________
8. _____________________________
9. _____________________________
10._____________________________

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III. APPLICATION: Draw the connection of a solar power system with the
following components:

a. Solar panel
b. Charge controller
c. Solar inverter
d. Battery pack
e. DC load
f. AC load

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Lesson 3

 Size of Solar Power System

Calculate your Home’s Electricity Usage

1. Determining how many solar panels you’ll need for your home means
first knowing what your goals are. One factor to consider is how much
energy your household uses. To determine your home’s average energy
requirements look at past utility bills. Collect your utility bills for the
past year so you can calculate your average monthly electricity usage.
Calculating an average is essential because electricity use peaks in the
hottest months.

Example A:
January – 265 kWh April – 350 kWh July – 275 kWh October – 272 kWh

February – 272 kWh May – 323 kWh August – 270 kWh November – 290 kWh

March – 324 kWh June – 280 kWh September – 268 kWh December – 306 kWh

2. Add up the kWhs for all 12 months and divide that number by 12 to
determine your average monthly energy consumption.

265+272+324+350+323+280+275+270+268+272+290+306 = 3500 kWh

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3500 / 12 = 291.67 or 292 kWh

3. Divide the monthly figure by 30 to determine your daily kWh usage.

292 / 30 = 9.73 kWh

4. Determine the average number of hours per day that the sun produces
peak sunlight for your area. The peak sunlight hours for your particular
location will have a direct impact on the energy you can expect your
home solar system to produce.

Example: 5 peak sunlight hours per day

5. Divide the daily kWh by the number of peak sunlight hours to determine
how many kW you need your solar system to generate per day.

Daily kWh 9.73

# Kw = = = 1.95 kW
¿ of hours 5

6. It is important to note that solar panels don’t operate at maximum

efficiency at all times. Weather conditions, for example can temporarily
reduce your system’s efficiency. Therefore, experts recommend adding
a 25 percent “cushion” to your target daily average to ensure you can
generate all the clean energy you need.

Actual size of PV system in kW = # of kW (in step 5) x 1.3 (25%

increase)
= 1.95 x 1.25
= 2.44 kW solar PV system

7. Now multiply your kW usage by 1000 to convert your hourly power

generation needs to watts.

2.44 kWh x 1000 = 2,440 Watts

8. You may use a low-wattage (150W) and high-wattage (370W) example to

establish a range or a conventional 250W PV panel. To figure out
how many solar panels you need, divide your home’s hourly wattage
requirements by the solar panel’s wattage to calculate the total number
of panels you need. So for 292 kWh monthly consumption, you would
need about 10 conventional (250W) solar panels or 7 sunpower (370W)
panels.

Solar cells with no grid lines on the front (like SunPower) absorb more
sunlight than conventional cells and do not suffer from issues such as
delamination (peeling), stronger and more resistant to cracking. A micro-
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inverter on each panel can optimize power conversion. The more efficient
the panels are, the more wattage they can produce, and the fewer you will
need on your roof to get the same energy output. Conventional solar panels
usually produce about 250 watts per panel.

If you have small or unusual shaped roof, solar panel size and
numbers are important considerations. With a large usable roof area,
perhaps you can sacrifice some efficiency and buy larger panels (at a lower
cost per panel) to get your target energy output. But if your usable roof
area is limited, or if it’s partially shaded, being able to use fewer smaller
high efficiency panels may be the best way to make the most possible power
over the long term, ultimately saving you more money. Typical residential
solar panel dimensions today are about 65 inches by 39 inches or 5.4 feet by
3.25 feet with some variations among manufacturers.

Optional:

To more accurately assess your home’s electricity needs, make a list of

all your appliances, listing the power consumption for each in wattage and
whether it is AC or DC power. Track how many hours you use each of those
appliance per week, then for each appliance, multiply the watts by the
hours/week to determine the number of watt-hours per week you use each
appliance.

Example B:

Appliance Watts Hours/day Watt-hour/day

Two 60 W Incan-
120 W 4 480W/day
descent lights
Fluorescent light 20 W 6 120W/day
Ceiling fan 60 W 4 240W/day
32” LED TV 60 W 5 300W/day
Portable laptop 50 W 6 300W/day
WI-FI router 10 W 24 240W/day
Refrigerator 150 W 24 3600W/day
Flat iron 1000 W 1 1000W/ day
Total 6280W/day

1. Determine the total number of wattage consumption per day.

In our example, the total daily usage is 6280W.

2. Divide the daily kWh by the number of peak sunlight hours to determine
how many kW you need your solar system to generate per day.

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Daily Wh 6280
# Kw = = = 1256W
¿ of hours 5

3. Compute for actual size of PV panel with 30% energy loss cushion.

Actual size of PV system in kW = # of kW (in step 5) x 1.3 (30%

increase)
= 1256 x 1.25
= 1570W solar PV system

4. Figure out how many solar panels you need: For a 1570W you will need
seven conventional 250W panels or five 370W PV panel.

THINK!

LEARNING ACTIVITY 3.3

1. Compute for the size of solar power system for a household with the
following electrical consumption. Show you complete solution inside
the box.
January – 134 kWh April – 198 July – 132 kWh October – 130 kWh
kWh

February – 140 kWh May – 151 kWh August – 138 kWh November – 135 kWh

March – 190 kWh June – 134 September – 137 December – 181 kWh
kWh kWh

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2. Compute for the size of solar power system for a household with
3500W average daily electrical consumption. Show your solution
inside the box.

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Lesson 4

 Connecting Solar Panels in

Series and Parallel

Connecting solar panels together is a simple and effective way of

increasing your solar power capabilities. The trick when connecting solar
panels together is to choose a connection method that is going to give you
the most energy efficient configuration for your particular requirements.
There are three basic but very different ways to connect solar panels
together and each connection method is designed for a specific purpose.

a. Solar can be wired in series to produce more output voltage.

b. Or it can be wired in parallel to increase the amperage/more
output current.
c. They can be wired together in combination of series and parallel
to increase both the voltage and current output producing a
higher wattage array.

1. Connecting Solar Panels in Series

The first method we will look at for connecting solar panels together
is what’s known as ‘Series Wiring”. Connecting solar panels together in
series is used to increase the total system voltage. Solar panels in series are
generally used if you have a grid connected inverter or charge controller
that requires 24 volts or more. To series wire the panels together, you
connect the positive terminal to the negative terminal of each panel until
you are left with a single positive and negative connection.

Solar panels in series add up or sum the voltages produced by each

individual panel, giving the total output voltage of the array as shown:

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Solar Panels in Series of Same Characteristics

In this method, all the solar panels are of the same type and power
rating. The total voltage output becomes the sum of the voltage output of
each panel. Using the same three 6 volt, 3.0 amps panels as above, we can
see that when they are connected together in series, the array produces 18
volts (6+6+6) at 3.0 amps, or 54 watts (volts x amps).

Solar Panels in Series of Different Voltages

Now let’s look at connecting solar panels in series with different

nominal voltages but with identical current ratings.

In this method, all the solar panels are of different types and power
rating but have a common current rating. When they are connected
together in series, the array produces 21 volts at 3.0 amps, or 63 watts.
Again, the amperage remains the same as 3.0 amps but the voltage output
jumps to 21 volts (5+7+9).

Solar Panels in Series of Different Voltages and Currents

Finally, let’s look at connecting solar panels in series with completely

different nominal voltages and different current ratings.

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In this method, all the solar panels are of different types and power
rating. The individual panel voltages will add together as before, but this
time the amperage will be limited to the value of the lowest panel in the
series string, in this case, 1 amp. Then the array will produce 19 volts at
only 1.0 amp, or 19 watts out of a possible 69 watts available reducing the
arrays efficiency.
We can see that the solar panel rated at 9 volts, 5 amps will only use
20% of its maximum current potential reducing its efficiency and wasting
money on the purchase of this solar panel. Connecting solar panels in series
with different current ratings should only be used provisionally, as the solar
panel with the lowest rated current determines the current output of the
whole array.

2. Connecting Solar Panels in Parallel

The next method we will look at of connecting solar panels together

is what’s known as “Parallel Wiring”. Connecting solar panels together in
parallel is used to boost the total system current and is the reverse of the
series connection. By parallel wiring panels, you have to connect all the
positive terminals together (positive to positive) and all the negative
terminals together (negative to negative) until you are left with a single
positive and negative connection to attach to your regulator and batteries.

When you connect solar panels together in parallel, the total voltage
output remains the same as it would for a single panel, but the output
current becomes the sum of the output of each panel as shown:

Solar Panels in Parallel of Same Characteristics

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In this method, all the solar panels are of the same type and power
rating. Using the same three 6 volt, 3.0 amp panels as above, the total
output of the panels, when connected together in parallel, the voltage
output would remain 6 volts, but the amperage would increase to 9.0 amps
(3+3+3), or 54 watts.

Let’s look at connecting solar panels in parallel with different

nominal voltages and different current ratings.

Solar Panels in Parallel of Same Characteristics

Here, the parallel currents add up as before but the voltages adjust
to the lowest value, in this case, 3 volts. Solar panels must have the same
output voltage to be useful in parallel. If one panel has a higher voltage, it
will supply the load current to the degree that its output voltage drops to
that of the lowest voltage panel.

We can see that the solar panel rated at 9 volts, 5 amps will only
operate at a maximum voltage of 3 volts as its operation is being influenced
by the smaller panel, reducing its efficiency and wasting money on the
purchase of this higher power solar panel. Connecting solar panels in
parallel with different voltage ratings is not recommended as the solar
panel with the lowest rated voltage determines the voltage output of the
whole array. Therefore, when connecting solar panels together in parallel,
it is important that they all have the same nominal value, but it is not
necessary that they have the same current value.

Connecting solar panels together to form bigger arrays is not all that
complicated. How many series or parallel strings of panels you make up per
array depends on what amount of voltage and current you are aiming for. If
you are designing a 12 volt battery charging system, parallel wiring is
perfect. If you are looking at a higher voltage grid connected system, then
you’re probably want to go with series or combination depending on the
numbers of solar panels you have.

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THINK!

LEARNING ACTIVITY 3.4

Solve for the total output current and voltage of the following PV
panels connected in series and parallel. Show your solution inside the box.

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 MODULE SUMMARY

In module 3, you have learned about the two main categories of

energy sources, Renewable and Non-renewable energy. It focused on the
discussion about one of the renewable energy sources – solar energy. Later
part discussed about the application and connection of solar power system.

There are four lessons in module 3. Lesson 1 tackled the difference

between the renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. Later part of
this lesson also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy.

Lesson 2 deals with the different components of a solar power system

and how they are properly used in the system.

Lesson 3 tackled the size of the solar power system and calculating
how many solar panels you will actually need.

Lesson 4 includes lessons on connecting solar panels in series and

parallel.

Congratulations! You have just studied Module 3. now you are ready
to evaluate how much you have benefited from your reading by answering
the summative test. Good Luck!!!

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 SUMMATIVE TEST

I. FILLIN THE BLANKS: Fill in the missing words in each blank to

complete the sentence. Choose your answers from the words
inside the box.

Sustainable energy Solid fuels Energy

Renewable energy Liquid fuels Heat
Alternative energy Photon Fuel
Non-renewable energy Dirty energy Solar energy
Charge controller Solar cells Array DC disconnect
Battery pack Solar panel Back-up generator
Solar Inverter PV solar panel Solar Panel Mounts
Combiner box Tracking arrays Circuit breaker panel

1. The law of conservation of ___________________ states that energy

cannot be created nor destroyed; it can only be changed from one form
to another.

2. ___________________ is any substance which upon combustion produces

a usable amount of energy.

3. When fuel is used for its energy, it is usually burned, and most of the
energy is released as ____________________.

4. _____________________ often referred to as “clean energy” is one

which can be recycled or reused.

5. These renewable energy sources are often called

_____________________ because they’re considered to be an
alternative to the traditional fossil fuels.
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6. Non-renewable energy or ______________________ are only available in

limited amounts and take a long time to replenish.

7. Most ______________________ are derived from the fossilized remains

of dead plants and animals by exposure to heat and pressure in the
Earth’s crust.

8. _____________________ is derived from capturing radiant energy (heat

and light) from sunlight/sun’s energy and turning it into electricity for
your home or business consumption.

9. Fuels which are found in their solid state at room temperature are
generally referred to as _______________________.
10. Solar energy releases tiny packets of energy called
_______________________, which travel the 93 million miles from the
sun to Earth in about 8.5 minutes.

11. ______________________ are the foundation of any solar power system

that creates electrical energy when exposed to light.

12. These ______________________ are consists of many solar cells that are
made of silicon.

13. The role of ______________________ is to bring the output of several

solar strings together.

14. ______________________ is used to interrupt the flow of electricity and

prevent the appliances on a circuit from drawing too much electricity.

15. ______________________ is the key element of a solar power system

which is a collection of individual solar cells.

16. ______________________ is used to store the power from your solar

power system based on its amp hour rating.

17. ______________________ are base structures that provide support and

sturdiness are used to install photovoltaic panels.

18. ______________________ converts the DC power produced by the solar

panels and batteries to the AC power required by the appliances.

19. ______________________ is used to provide power during periods of low

system output due to poor weather or high household demand.

20. ______________________ is used to disconnect the solar arrays from the

home for maintenance.

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II. ENUMERATION: List down what are being asked in the following:

1-2) What are the two energy sources?

______________________
______________________

3-5) What are the three types of solar panel mounting?

_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
6-10) Give at least 5 components of a solar power system
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________

II. APPLICATION:

1. Draw the connection of a solar power system with the following

components:

Solar panel Charge controller

Solar inverter Battery pack
DC load AC load

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2. Compute for the size of solar power system for a household with 3500W
average daily electrical consumption. Show your solution inside the box.

3. Solve for the total output current and voltage of the following PV
panels connected in series and parallel. Show your solution inside the
box.

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EMTC 125 Industrial Electronics Module III