NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT ENGINEERING

AND TECHNOLOGY

LECTURE 3; ENERGY CONVERSION-SOLAR

  2018
Solar Energy

• Solar energy is the energy

that is coming from the
sun.
• It can be collected by
human through
photovoltaics and heat
engines. 
• Solar Power, along with
wind, hydroelectric, wave,
biomass account for most
of the renewable energy
source available to use.
Solar Power
Solar collectors
Concentrating collector
Flat plate solar collectors
• Fixed collectors
• Tracking collectors
Distribution of incoming solar radiation
• Reflected
• Glass absorbed
• Conduction
• Convection loss
• Useful heat removed by coolant
Heat losses
• Conduction loss, conventional loss and radiation loss
 Efficiency calculations
Efficiency of a solar collector
• Instantaneous efficiency
• Average efficiency
1. Photons in sunlight hit the
solar panel and
are absorbed
by
semiconducting materials,
such as silicon.

2. Electrons (negatively charged)

are knocked loose from their

atoms, allowing them to flow

through
the material to
produce electricity.

3. An array of solar cells

converts solar energy into a

usable amount of
direct
current (DC) electricity.
WIND TURBINE
 WIND ENERGY APPLICATION

• Water pumping
• Electricity generation