Search

Photovoltaic panels are semiconductor materials having electrical efficiency in between 4% and 46% depending upon its material. About 50% of total solar radiation absorb by photovoltaic panel convert into heat causing high operating temperature of photovoltaic panel (PV) results to drop in its electrical performance and permanent structural damages called thermal degradation if a thermal stress remains in PV panel for long. So cooling of photovoltaic panel is very essential for better performance and long life of photovoltaic module. Many researchers have investigated performance of photovoltaic module by using different cooling arrangements having different thermal absorber design, different coolants and different phase change materials (PCMs). Detailed review of various methods related to water based photovoltaic/thermal system (PV/T) and photovoltaic panel with phase change material (PV-PCM) system has been discussed and reported in this paper. This review paper can help to find new cooling arrangements, different thermal absorber design and different phase change materials for improving performance of photovoltaic/thermal system. It has been observed from the literature that photovoltaic panel with phase change material (PV-PCM) is proficient solution for cooling of photovoltaic panel. But problems associated with phase change material are its low thermal conductivity and nocturnal solidification which affect its readiness and thermal drop performance for same day and next day therefore, performance of photovoltaic panel with phase change material (PV-PCM) system can be enhanced by inserting heat transfer elements within PCM and extracting heat from PCM to regulate temperature of phase change material to maintain its heating storage capacity. Extracted heat from PCM can be use for space heating or water heating applications.

The use of solar energy concentration systems for achieving performance enhancements in the Photovoltaic/thermal hybrid solar systems and reduction of initial costs is an idea that has been studied for years. In this article a new structure for parabolic trough photovoltaic/thermal collector is proposed and its thermal and electrical performances are experimentally investigated. The receiver of this concentrator contains a triangular channel with an outer surface covered with photovoltaic cells and thermoelectric modules with a specific arrangement so that in addition to absorbing heat, a larger portion of the solar radiation is directly converted to electricity. Hence, the performance of the system is enhanced. Performance evaluation of this combined heat and power system that is equipped with one-axis solar tracker in polar mechanism shows that daily average electrical and thermal efficiencies can reach 4.83% and 46.16%, respectively. In addition, the electricity generation capacity of the photovoltaic module applied to this system has become fourfold in comparison with its standard working conditions. As a result, besides simultaneous generation of heat and electricity, the proposed model has a satisfactory performance.

Multiple challenges in solar photovoltaic (SPV) modules integrated with lighter-than-air platforms (LTAPs) such as choice of solar modules, determination of the optimal method of integration, and optimal design of the array layout to minimize the power loss due to non-uniform illumination (NUI), limit their applications. In this paper, we propose a method for designing such a system and overcoming the aforementioned challenges. We find that our methodology has implications in estimating the onboard power generation for contoured platforms. Also, the impact of the contour on illumination pattern has been determined. Interestingly, we find that the power generation can be enhanced by 8% using distributed maximum power point tracking (DMPPT) algorithm. Our proposed schemes have application in calculating the power generation for a given volume of LTAP. Further, this study also incorporates the sizing of the platform for developing various peak power systems using specific SPV technology.

Cooling the operating surface is a key operational factor to take into consideration to achieve higher efficiency when operating solar photovoltaic systems. Proper cooling can improve the electrical efficiency, and decrease the rate of cell degradation with time, resulting in maximisation of the life span of photovoltaic modules. The excessive heat removed by the cooling system can be used in domestic, commercial or industrial applications. This paper presents a review of various methods that can be used to minimize the negative impacts of the increased temperature while making an attempt to enhance the efficiency of photovoltaic solar panels operating beyond the recommended temperature of the Standard Test Conditions (STC). Different cooling technologies are reviewed, namely Floating tracking concentrating cooling system (FTCC); Hybrid solar Photovoltaic/Thermal system cooled by water spraying; Hybrid solar Photovoltaic/ Thermoelectric PV/TE system cooled by heat sink; Hybrid solar Photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) cooled by forced water circulation; Improving the performance of solar panels through the use of phase-change materials; Solar panel with water immersion cooling technique; Solar PV panel cooled by transparent coating (photonic crystal cooling); Hybrid solar Photovoltaic/Thermal system cooled by forced air circulation, and Solar panel with Thermoelectric cooling. Several research papers are reviewed and classified based on their focus, contribution and the type of technology used to achieve the cooling of photovoltaic panels. The discussion of the results has been done based on the advantages, disadvantages, area of application as well as techno-economic character of each technology reviewed. The purpose of this review is to provide an understanding for each of the above-mentioned technologies to reduce the surface temperature of the PV module. The study will focus on the surface temperature reduction array bound by each of the cooling technologies. The performance of each cooling technology will also be highlighted. In addition to this study, this review will include a discussion comparing the performance of each cooling technology. The outcomes of this study are detailed in the conclusion section. This paper has revealed that any adequate technology selected to cool photovoltaic panels should be used to keep the operating surface temperature low and stable, be simple and reliable and, if possible, enable the use of extracted thermal heat to enhance the overall conversion efficiency. The presented detailed review can be used by engineers working on theory, design and/or application of photovoltaic systems.

The paper investigated a hybrid experimental space heating system that comprises the novel mini-channel solar thermal and PV/T panels, as well as a heat pump. The major advantage of the system lies in the multiple functions of providing energy for space heating in winter and domestic hot water in other seasons, and generating electricity annually to balance the electricity demand of the system. Compared to traditional flat-plate solar collectors, the mini-channel solar thermal and PV/T panels have the smaller cross-sectional area, higher fluid flow velocity and thus higher heat transfer rate between the heat-carrying fluid and panel walls, thus leading to enhanced solar thermal and electrical efficiencies. It is found that during the typical-day testing, the mini-channel thermal panels had average solar efficiency of 50.8%; while the mini-channel PV/T panels had average solar efficiency of 45.0% and the whole system had average Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 4.9. The system made use of solar and gas sources with the fractional solar consumption of 44%, while its operation was under the pre-set time schedule, i.e., solar panels on from 9:00 to 6:00, heat pump on from 18:00 and 20:00, and gas heater on from 22:00 to 9:00. Throughout the testing period, the room temperature was maintained at above 18 °C, thus enabling achieving the required thermal comfort. Concerning the complexity of such a system, a simplified system comprising the mini-channel thermal and PV/T panels and a heat pump was suggested. In brief, the research has produced fundamental data for the mini-channel-based solar thermal and PV/T panels and established a foundation for designing a simple and low-cost mini-channel based solar space heating system for rural houses in cold climatic regions of China, which will subsequently contribute to significant fossil fuel saving and carbon emission reduction in the global extent.

As the main electrical power source of spacecraft, solar cells require high electrical performance and light weight, to provide enough electrical power for missions in space and to lower costs for launching. Multi-junction compound semiconductor solar cells generate relatively high power, but their rigid substrates are tens or hundreds of times thicker than the solar cells. In this paper, methods are described to realize flexible space solar cell arrays that can be wrapped on non-planar surfaces, by removing the rigid substrates and integrating the thin solar cells on flexible substrates. Cover glasses were integrated over the solar cells on flexible substrates through an guided-printing method, providing both flexibility and radiation shielding. Experimental results and mechanical analysis demonstrate the mechanical and electrical performances of these flexible space solar cell arrays.

As solar power usage is increasing nowadays, performance tests have become one of the most important topics in order to guarantee the security of photovoltaic tools. For photovoltaic panels to become efficient, there is need for health testing of all materials and technologies used in the production of the panels in electrical and optical aspects. Thus, when future energy standards are considered, it is imperative to use solar simulators that obtain near real sunlight spectrum values. The most important components of solar simulators used in photovoltaic panel tests are light sources. In this study, solar simulators were classified based on the light sources they use, and their history and technological development were investigated in line with the literature. Within the scope of this study, carbon arc lamps, sodium vapor lamps, argon arc lamps, quartz-tungsten halogen lamps, mercury xenon lamps, xenon arc, xenon flash lamps, metal halide lamps, LED and super continuum laser light sources were investigated. Additionally, to compare spectral deficiency among these light sources and solar simulators, multiple light sourced solar simulators were also covered under a separate title.

The present document describes experimental work carried out on an air conditioning unit which has been powered using both a photovoltaic installation and the grid simultaneously. This document exposes the information gathered during an entire year of data collection. The control system has been designed to give priority to the renewable energy source in order to maximise solar contribution. The aim of the study is to analyse any real possibilities and the viability of the use of photovoltaic systems to supply energy to air conditioning equipment without batteries or regulators. In this case, the conventional energy source has been used to supply energy when the PV energy is insufficient. The main elements of the experimental setup were; an air conditioning unit with a nominal cooling capacity of 3.52 kW, and a photovoltaic installation with three 235 Wp panels connected directly to the equipment at 24 Vdc. The equipment has been monitored during the 12 h of daily usage (from 8 to 20 h), to condition an office with 35 m2 in Alicante (Spain). The results during a cooling period of 6 months have demonstrated that the average EER could be close to 15. Both the solar contribution and the production factor are close to 65%. Experimental correlations are given in order to extend the obtained results to simulate other climatic conditions and demands.

In energy efficiency, cogeneration is an interesting alternative that allows energy savings. The production of electricity by photovoltaic effect can be more efficient by combining photovoltaic cells with a solar collector. This maintains an acceptable electrical efficiency by cooling the solar cells and recovering the solar energy dissipated as heat in a conventional PV. This study is an experimental test on a hybridized conventional PV panel, by the installation of an air heat exchanger on its back. The experimental results obtained in real time have determined the interest of heat and power cogeneration in a photovoltaic-thermal solar collector.

This work deals with the control of a solar photovoltaic array and a battery storage integrated into a grid. It has versatile control strategy as it provides with maximum power point tracking, battery charging/discharging and a grid current at unity power factor. This configuration along with its control helps in feeding a constant power to the grid and maintains the controlled power dynamics in the system. The control performs a voltage control of the boost converter, current control of grid and DC-link voltage control along with current control of the battery and adapts itself according to the environmental conditions such as no/low solar insolation and absence of battery storage. The proposed system is designed for a maximum power of 5 kW and simulated in MATLAB-based environment. Test results on a prototype developed in the laboratory verify the simulated results. Under steady-state condition, the total harmonic distortions of grid voltage and current are within the range of an IEEE 519 standard. Simulations and experimental results of the proposed system are demonstrated for various dynamic changes.

Due to the rotation of the earth in an orbit, direction of the Sun changes relatively. This paper represents a setup, which is fabricated to minimize the angle of incidence between incoming light from Sun and a flat photovoltaic (PV) panel to increase the intensity of the light received. It increases the power generated by an installed power generating unit. This setup consists of a mechanical mechanism to tilt the flat PV panel towards the Sun. This mechanism is derived by DC motors having a high reduction ratio. Voltage supplies to these motors are controlled by the LDR (Light Dependent Registers) sensors by the means of electronic circuits. The energy consumed by the tracking system is very less. The cost of the mechanical parts and electronic components are very less. The Microprocessor is not used in this setup. Hence it does not require programming and computer interface. Not any geological data are required, because LDRs work on the differential of the light intensity at the both ends of the plate. The motive of the work is to fabricate a solar tracker at a very low cost.Keywords: Solar Tracker, LDR, Photovoltaic (PV) cell, Dual Axis, Solar Collectors, Solar power plant

Buildings need energy including heat and electricity, and both of them can be provided by the solar systems. Solar thermal and photovoltaic systems absorb the solar energy and can supply the heat and electricity for buildings, respectively. However, for the urban residential buildings, the limited available area makes installation of the solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic modules together impossible. A hybrid photovoltaic/thermal system can simultaneously generate heat and electricity, which is deemed to be quite suitable for the urban residential buildings application. And yet, for a rural house of China, the available area for installation of the solar collectors is large but daily domestic hot water demand of a rural family is generally not exceeded 300 L. If only the hybrid photovoltaic/thermal collectors are installed on the whole available area, this will lead to an overproduction of the thermal energy, especially in summer. Moreover, buildings requiring for the heat and electricity are different in different regions and different seasons. In this paper, simulation models of the solar thermal, photovoltaic and hybrid photovoltaic/thermal systems are presented, and experiments are also performed to validate the simulation results. Using the validated models, performances of the three solar systems for residential applications were predicted. And energy comparison between the three solar systems used in Hongkong, Lhasa, Shanghai and Beijing of China, respectively, were also studied. Results show that, for the urban residential building with limited available installation space, a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal system may have the largest potential for reducing the energy consumption among the solar thermal, photovoltaic and hybrid photovoltaic/thermal systems. And for a rural house with large available area, system with photovoltaic and hybrid photovoltaic/thermal modules can obtained the most net annual electricity output, and the installation area of the hybrid photovoltaic/thermal collectors mainly depended on the hot water load of the building.

At present, the reliability of solar modules is affected by potential induced degradation (PID). In this paper, the performance deterioration of p-type single crystalline silicon solar modules affected by potential induced degradation in photovoltaic power plant was investigated in detail. Based on the measurements in the field and the flash solar simulator-determined powers under standard test conditions for solar modules dismounted from the power plant in one string, the deterioration of open circuit voltage and power for substrings were given out for the first time. The uneven power degradation of three substrings in one solar module was proved by the electroluminescence images and the thermography images. This phenomenon was explained by the distribution of electric field calculated by using ANSYS finite element software for a PID-affected solar module. The results obtained in this paper give some hints for further uncovering mystery of PID.

Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energies and meaningful for the sustainable development of energy source. A multi-segment plate concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power system was proposed in this paper, the design principle of the multi-segment plate concentrator of this solar power system was given, which could provide uniform solar radiation flux density distribution on solar cells. A prototype of this multi-segment plate CPV solar power system was developed for the experimental study, aiming at the investigations of solar radiation flux density distribution and PV performances under this concentrator design. The experimental results showed that the solar radiation flux density distribution provided by the multi-segment plate concentrator had a good uniformity, and the number and temperature of solar cells both influence the photoelectric transformation efficiency of the CPV solar power system.

The aim of the project is to increase the efficiency of the solar panel. Solar technology offers great potential in terms of supplying the world’s energy needs. The effective way of utilizing sunlight with solar energy concentration technology and recent developments of its applications using Fresnel lens and water cooling method is reviewed in this project .The increased efficiency saves the number of solar panels used and also its cost efficient. This increased efficient solar panel can be used for several purposes either domestic applications and also industrial applications. In our project we are going to optimize the efficiency of the solar panel using the water cooling method and Fresnel lens and implement them in the solar power vehicle for more power output with less power input.

The various solar energy applications offer clean, environment friendly and exhaustive energy resources to human being. Solar system directly converts the sunlight energy into electrical energy through Photovoltaic (PV) module and indirectly through concentrated lenses. PV module configurations play vital role in improving the performance of the PV system. This paper discussed the impact of different configurations like series parallel (SP), total cross tied (TCT), Bridge link (BL) and honey comb (HC) on system performance. Attempts are also made to highlight the currents issues and challenges involved in solar system.

The aim of this paper is to determine the power losses recorded by a PV generator operating under partial shading conditions. These losses are evaluated through two distinct methods. The first method is based on mathematical modeling, while the second is based on Simulink’s physical model. The losses recorded are considerable and increase as a function of the increase in the percentage of shading up to a limit value where they become constant in the case where an ideal by-pass diode is connected in parallel with the modules. This limit value is non-existent in the case where the bypass diode is not ideal, which in fact corresponds to the real model. However, it emerges that the power losses are minimized in a PV system comprising bypass diodes, in particular in the case where the partial shading is considerable.

Electrical energy is one of the main resource for development of any country. As there are many ways to generate electrical energy, solar energy is one of green energy which is imperishable. As many research institutions are rigorously working on how to improve efficiency of Solar Photovoltaic cell so that we can generate more electrical energy per given area. Selection of different material such as CdTe,GaN,SiGaAs, Ge, InP, a-SiH,cSi will give variation in band gap, change in efficiency of photovoltaic cell. We need to solve supply demand problem by adding more generation. One method can be optimizing efficiency of solar cell by making multi- layer, multi junction with more materials which can effectively use complete solar spectrum to convert as electricity by changing band gap limits. This paper will present how different material will add to increase efficiency of solar cells. Another important reason for research towards improve in solar photovoltaic cell efficiency is rapid reduction of availability of conventional energy resources such as coal, oil and gas.

Solar Photovoltaic is a very promising solution that can greatly contribute in solving the increasing global energy demand. In both rural and urban areas, photovoltaic modules are in some instances installed close to telecommunication antennas or voltage transformers which generate important magnetic fields in their vicinity. The question is whether or not these magnetic fields affect the performances of the photovoltaic installations. This article presents a modelling study of external magnetic field effect on the electrical parameters of a photovoltaic module. The photocurrent, the photovoltage, the electric power, the series and the shunt resistances of the photovoltaic module, made up of ideal cells, are deduced from those of a silicon solar cell. Then, the I-V and P-V curves are plotted and the theoretical values of the electrical parameters of the photovoltaic module are deduced. The series and shunt resistances of the photovoltaic module are calculated using well known equations and the previous electrical parameters. The results show the negative effect of magnetic field on the performance of a solar photovoltaic module.

The solar photovoltaic based agricultural water pumping system is best suited technology for irrigation of farms. The generation of electrical power from Photovoltaic cell is mainly dependent on solar irradiations at respective times. The study reported in this paper deals with characteristic study of existing water pumping system based on solar photovoltaic power and conventional electrical power. Thin film Cd-Te solar panels were used to power 2HP existing water pump. The performance of solar powered water pump was as equal as pump powered by conventional one. The efficiency of solar based water pump is much higher than conventional power based water pump. The maximum flow rate obtained was 69 LPM against 65 LPM for conventional power method. MPPT was used to track best operating point of solar PV array. The outcomes of reported study are important making socio-economic impact on Indian agricultural sector.

When Steve Johnson had solar panels installed on the roof of his Boulder, Colo., home several years ago, he considered it his personal contribution to making the world a little cleaner. And if his grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system would occasionally cause his electricity meter to spin backward during the day and trim his utility bills, so much the better.

This paper presents some practical issues and experience acquired in the design and experimental verification of a small-sized solar concentrator producing both electrical and thermal power. The device is a low-concentration photovoltaic/thermal solar system with a 20 suns ( $20\times $ ) concentrator factor and is suitable for integration on building roofs. It consists of four small-sized ( $1930 \times 250 \times 166$ L $\times $ W $\times $ H mm) linear focus semiparabolic mirrors mechanically linked and driven by a stepper motor and tracking the sun along a single axis. The sunrays are concentrated on strings of monocrystalline cells with conversion efficiency of about 18%. One of the main features of this device is that the parabola mirrors are designed to have their focus inside the mirror profile so that the solar receiver is installed inside the parabolic concentrator. As a result, each single concentrator height is as low as 166 mm. The solar energy that is not converted into electricity by the solar cells is recovered by a cooling medium flowing in an aluminum structure on which the PV cells are mounted. This paper presents an overall description of the device, an electrical layout of the bypass diodes of the solar receiver utilized to reduce the end losses, a method based on voltage measurement to derive the solar cell temperature inside the receiver, and a set of results derived from experimental validations performed on a device prototype. This paper also describes the monitoring system utilized for measurements on the solar concentrator and derives an overall efficiency of solar energy conversion in both electric and thermal generation as high as 61.5%. The predicted values were in good agreement with the experimental test results.

In this paper, a configuration of photovoltaic-thermal hybrid solar collector embeddable in an indirect solar dryer system is studied. In the present structure of the solar photovoltaic/thermal air collector, the air goes through a double pass below and above the photovoltaic module. A system of electrical and thermal balance equations is developed and analyzed governing various electric and heat transfer parameters in the solar hybrid air collector. The numerical model planned for this study gives a good precision of results, which are close to the experimental ones (of previous literature), and makes it possible to have a good assessment of energy performance regarding the studied configuration (temperature, electric and thermal powers, electrical and thermal efficiencies, etc.). The numerical results show the energy effectiveness of this hybrid collector configuration and particularly its interesting use in an indirect solar dryer system that provides a more suitable air temperature for drying agricultural products. The values of the electrical, thermal and overall energy efficiencies reaches 10.5%, 70% and 90% respectively, with a mass flow rate of 0.0155 kg/s and weather data sample for the month of June in the Algiers site. The results presented in this study also reveal how important the effect of certain parameters and operating conditions on the performance of the hybrid collector.

Conventional high performance silicon solar cells have a potential to generate more electricity by using low concentrating reflectors. Static solar concentrators reduce the cost of photovoltaic systems for given electrical power demand. However, non-uniform illumination on the conventional rectangular photovoltaic panel causes ohmic drops, mainly due to the cell that operates locally at higher irradiance. In this research study a comprehensive review has been carried out regarding Uniform Solar Illumination at Low Concentration Photovoltaic (LCPV) Systems. Another objective of the present study is therefore, calculating the pattern of sun incident at low concentration ratios for reflective troughs (V-type, cylindrical and compound parabolic concentrators) and linear Fresnel reflectors. The geometrical parameters of these concentrators were studied to obtain uniform illumination on the common rectangular photovoltaic panels. The designed concentrator with most uniform flux distribution, high concentration ratio and low requirement of mirror was fabricated and tested at ambient conditions. The optical simulation output of different concentrators illustrated the linear Fresnel reflector had uniform irradiance on the photovoltaic panel with standard deviation less than 30% of total income radiation. The experimental results showed that the linear Fresnel reflector has the potential to harvest more energy when using standard silicon solar cells in a basic concentration configuration. Finally thermal, electrical and total performances of a photovoltaic/thermal flat collector were measured with and without concentrator. Using the concentrator improved thermal and overall efficiency by 16% and 17.5% respectively. The maximum overall efficiency for PVT collector with concentrator and without concentrator was 91% and 78% respectively.

The three dimensional photovoltaic cell is revolutionary silicon solar cell, design to maximize the conversion of sunlight into electricity. It is like container rather than plane conventional solar cell and has ‘High Efficiency Design to produce 200% of the Power Output of the Conventional Solar Cells’. Three dimensional solar has a special feature on the surface to capture more light in the morning and evening hours, as well as in the winter months when the sun is not directly overhead. Unlike conventional solar cells where electrical contact wires run on the top of the cell, blocking sunlight, three dimensional solar cell use a network of contact wires run below the light collector. Solar Tree is energy generating and harvesting tree, in order to increase efficiency “SPIRALLING PHYLLATAXY” technique is applied. It is way of mounting the three dimensional solar panel (leaf) on the top such a way that maximum sunlight incident on it. It can be applied in street lightening system, industrial power supply etc. It is much better than traditional photovoltaic solar system in area point of viewandalso more efficient. It is perfect solution for future energy needandFibonacci Sequence SolarTree is one of advance solar tree. After using three dimensional solar cell in solar tree, the investment payback period of solar panel systems is40%more than conventional solar panel systems.

A prototype of a solar power tower system was designed and constructed to produce electricity from solar energy. This prototype of a solar power tower system was constructed and installed at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia where solar intensity is excessive. Heliostats were implemented to capture the solar rays during daylight. These mirrors are used to direct the solar energy to a solar receiver that is made of alloy steel so that thermal energy is conveyed to a thermal fluid inside the receiver. Based on a detailed selection procedure presented in this article, a final number of ten heliostats were chosen to direct the solar energy to the solar receiver. In addition; two motors were used to control the heliostat rotational and elevation movements. The thermal fluid is a molten salt mixture (which consists of 60% NaNO3 and 40% KNO3). Cold and hot storage tanks were manufactured from steel and they were insulated with calcium silicate from all sides. A one-meter high and one and a half-meter cylindrical vessel was adopted for each of the cold and hot tanks. In this article, a detailed design analysis of each component is presented. The thermal power transferred to the water in the heat exchanger as it is heated by the molten salt was measured and found to be 11.26 kW. The thermal power given by the molten salt in the heat exchanger was also measured and found to be 12.31 kW. The design thermal power was 13 kW. The percentage error in the thermal power obtained is about 5.3%.

Electrical and thermal energy have wide applications for the future of mankind. A solar photovoltaic thermal system is a hybrid system, which can produce both thermal and electrical energy. Chennai has an appropriate climate and is highly suitable for using photovoltaic thermal hybrid systems. This article presents the mathematical analyses of the thermal, electrical, and exergetic performance of a photovoltaic thermal system augmented by a flat plate collector for a typical domestic application. The system is found to have 11% average electrical efficiency, 15% overall exergy efficiency, and 56% overall energy efficiency.

Bifacial solar cells may produce more output energy than mono-facial solar cells because both sides of the cell, front and rear, can absorb solar radiation. This occurs when the nearby ground or other artificial surfaces are highly reflective. A gain in output power of 5–20% has been reported in the literature for special applications. The present article deals with the calculation of the annual incident irradiation on a solar field comprising of bifacial photovoltaic panels deployed in multiple rows and separated by a distance between the rows. These types of fields are designed for large scale solar electricity production. The calculation of the annual incident irradiation is compared between two types of deployments: (a) bifacial photovoltaic panels installed with an optimal tilt angle facing south, (b) bifacial photovoltaic panels installed vertically and facing the east-west direction. The study shows that bifacial photovoltaic panels installed with an optimal tilt angle may produce 32% more energy than vertical bifacial photovoltaic panels, for the same environmental conditions. On the other hand, more vertical collectors can be installed in fields with the same field dimensions.

Photovoltaic systems have become recently the most attractive and promising technology compared with other solar energy conversion devices. Solar energy reaches the earth’s surface in wavelengths between 0.300 and 2.50 μm. Silicon based photovoltaic systems convert only the wavelength between 0.35 to 0.82 μm of solar energy to electricity. The rest of incident solar radiation will be converted to heat, which will increase the operating temperature of the device and decrease the output power and efficiency. Maintaining the operating temperature of the PV systems at low and desired value was the main emphasis of different researches through the last decades. In this research, a special transparent glass cover (STGC) was used in order to cool down the photovoltaic module and, therefore, increase the output power and the efficiency of the module. The result showed that STGC led to 2.75% improvement in open circuit voltage, 9.6% increase in short circuit current, 26.4% increase in the output power, and 3% increase in the efficiency of the module.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of the solar-powered products. The major benefit of solar products is that they do not need a separate power source, so many of today's solar products are designed to operate independently of other electricity supplies. This is commonly known as “standalone” operation. Indoor products are designed for use in interior light levels. Many other products also operate “indoors” while the solar cell is exposed to external daylight. Thin film solar cells perform better than their crystalline counterparts at low light levels, and can be tailored to optimize the output under the typical indoor light spectrum, which is different from sunlight. For this reason, almost all indoor products use thin film solar cells, usually of amorphous silicon. In future, genesis of new solar products are expected to accelerate, driven primarily by ever lower solar cell costs, new advances in solar cell technology, and by more power efficient products. This chapter discusses the genesis of solar-powered products. Stand-alone consumer products including indoor products, calculators, watches and clocks, chargers, lighting and markers, aquatic products, deterrents, household products, ventilation, and air conditioning products are also discussed in detail in this chapter.

The increasing installed area of solar technologies around the world gives us an idea about the unlimited potential available in solar energy. This combined with the rising fossil fuel prices and frequent power outages, favor decentralized power generation among domestic consumers and small industries. However, the low energy of the solar PV module, the low exergy of the solar flat plate thermal collector and limited usable shadow-free space on building roof-tops could be overcome by the high overall (electrical and thermal) efficiency of a solar Photovoltaic Thermal (PV/T) system, which combines the electrical and thermal components in a single unit area. This paper gives a brief overview of the different solar flat plate PV/T technologies, their efficiencies, applications, advantages, limitations and research opportunities available.

The Solar Power Satellite (SPS) is a renewable energy technology potentially capable of meeting the projected worldwide energy demand for future generations. Some general aspects of SPSs are discussed in this paper. It was calculated that a power output of 97.24 MW (almost double the power produced by a typical natural gas plant) could be generated using a theoretical system with solar photovoltaics with a total optimised dimension of 0.18 km2. Among the potential problems discussed are the possible effect of microwaves on living organisms and the high capital costs involved in building and launching the satellite into a suitable orbit.

The southwest region of the United States is expected to experience an expansion of commercial solar photovoltaic generation facilities over the next 25 years. A solar facility converts direct current generated by the solar panels to three-phase 60-Hz power that is fed to the grid. This conversion involves sequential processing of the direct current through an inverter that produces low-voltage three-phase power, which is stepped up to distribution voltage (∼12 kV) through a transformer. This study characterized magnetic and electric fields between the frequencies of 0 Hz and 3 GHz at two facilities operated by the Southern California Edison Company in Porterville, CA and San Bernardino, CA. Static magnetic fields were very small compared to exposure limits established by IEEE and ICNIRP. The highest 60-Hz magnetic fields were measured adjacent to transformers and inverters, and radiofrequency fields from 5-100 kHz were associated with the inverters. The fields measured complied in every case with IEEE controlled and ICNIRP occupational exposure limits. In all cases, electric fields were negligible compared to IEEE and ICNIRP limits across the spectrum measured and when compared to the FCC limits (≥0.3 MHz).

The photovoltaic system converts electrical energy from solar radiation energy. It is preferable because it has no moving parts and low pollution to the environment. The performance of photovoltaic system has been decided with environmental aspects apart from the photovoltaic system specifications and incident solar radiation. In this research, the influence of relative humidity on photovoltaic system is considered for evaluating the performance and to draw the characteristic curves during winter (December and January) period. The photovoltaic system which installed at Chennai city, India, is exposed to high relative humidity even during winter season. The 3kW photovoltaic system behaviour is considered and measures the photovoltaic output voltage and output current with the effect of relative humidity. The performance curves shows that high relative humidity reduces the output voltage and current from photovoltaic system. It is same as the influence of other adverse environmental factors to degrade the operation and life span of photovoltaic system.

This paper presents a comparative study in terms of copper weight required and losses generated in transporting energy harvested in PV plant using different Centralized Inverter (CI) configurations. For the sake of simplicity, the Standard Test Conditions (STC) rated PV power value has been used in this study. The key findings suggest that different Combiner Box (CB) configurations in CI plays an important roles in determining the total conductor weight and losses attributed by each configuration. The outcome of this study will help the PV plant designers and system integrators to estimate the cost of solar cable of implementing different design configuration.

Renewable energy penetration is increasing in last years, covering a more and more important role in both electrical and thermal supply. Nowadays, the photovoltaic conversion is a consolidated technology and can be efficiently combined with solar concentration. In this study, a new concept of photovoltaic solar concentrator based on non-conventional mirrors coupled with high efficiency triple-junctions cells is described and discussed. More in details, as for the optical design, deformations are applied to classical spherical mirrors to control solar aberrations and boost efficiency of a receiver consisting in a dense array of cells. The efficiency enhance is obtained by high matching between the collected solar irradiance and the receiver electrical features. The concentrator is able to produce both electrical and thermal energy: the system requires in fact an active cooling circuit to maintain the cells performance. This behavior makes the system suitable for combined heat and power applications with particular reference to high direct irradiance environments. An analytical study, considering a residential utility has been performed in order to understand the energetic and economic performance of the system. In particular, a simulation has been carried out by the use of an in-house-developed calculation code considering a whole year of operation.

Summary Because of zero greenhouse gas emission and decreased manufacture cost, solar photovoltaic (PV) generation is expected to account for a significant portion of future power grid generation portfolio. Because it is indirectly connected to the power grid via power electronic devices, solar PV generation system is fully decoupled from the power grid, which will influence the interconnected power grid dynamic characteristics as a result. In this paper, the impact of solar PV penetration on large interconnected power system frequency response and inter-area oscillation is evaluated, taking the United States Eastern Interconnection (EI) as an example. Furthermore, based on the constructed solar PV electrical control model with additional active power control loops, the potential contributions of solar PV generation to power system frequency regulation and oscillation damping are examined. The advantages of solar PV frequency support over that of wind generator are also discussed. Simulation results demonstrate that solar PV generations can effectively work as ‘actuators’ in alleviating the negative impacts they bring about. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The design and implementation of several measuring complexes intended for studying cascade solar photovoltaic converters are considered. The complexes consist of a solar simulator and an electronic unit with an active load. The high-aperture light source of the complex reproduces solar intensity over wide spectral range λ = 350–1700 nm with an angle of divergence of ±0.26°, which are characteristic of solar radiation. The active load of the electronic unit allows taking both dark and illuminated I-V characteristics of test objects within about 1 ms during the quasi-stationary part of the irradiation pulse. The small size and low power consumption of the complexes hold out the hope that they will be widely used in designing, refining, and testing cascade efficient photovoltaic converters made of III–V materials and solar modules integrating these converters with concentrator modules.

Photovoltaic panels used for power generation are subject to significant wind loads of concern to mounting systems. A novel method of arranging photovoltaic surface in layers of non-overlapping panels is proposed for tracking systems to reduce wind load forces. The potential of this approach is assessed for double layer systems called DLOOP using Computational Fluid Dynamic turbulence modelling and wind tunnel tests. A consistent pattern of wind-force reduction is found as distance between double layers is increased up to and beyond the scale of the integrated panels’ side length. A 49 panel DLOOP arrangement when tested in high winds had the potential to carry 30% more panels than a single layer arrangement of side by side panels for equivalent wind loading.

Using water as a coolant to reduce the temperature of solar cells is one of the best methods for improving the efficiency of a photovoltaic/thermal system. However the heat absorbed from the solar cell panel is not enough for providing domestic hot water. In this article, a new architecture of photovoltaic/thermal system is proposed and investigated. A silicon monocrystalline photovoltaic module is used with appropriate reflectors in order to increase insolation in conjunction with a closed loop cooling facility to efficiently extract the panel's heat. The absorbed heat from the photovoltaic/thermal panel, is used to preheat the water flow before entering four vacuum tube solar water heaters placed on both sides of the photovoltaic/thermal panel. Performance evaluation of this system in comparison to a similar bare photovoltaic panel, showed a significant increase in the system's electrical and thermal energy output.

Solar Home System comprise with Solar PV, battery, and solar charge controller. Solar panels convert sunlight energy into electric energy by an electro-chemical process called photovoltaic process. Battery store electrical energy throws chemical reaction between acid and electrode. During discharge, stored chemical energy convert into electrical energy is then use for illumination lamp and running others electrical appliances. Most of cases solar energy consumer use solar energy at evening hours, but it is available in day time. So, it is required to store solar energy into battery. Each battery has certain limit of capacity. Battery lifetime reduces due to overcharging and deep discharging. As battery is very expensive component of solar home system. So, it is essential to protect from over charging and deep discharging. In this case charge controller plays a vital role to protect this battery. A solar charge controller, or charge regulator is similar to the voltage regulator. It regulates the voltage and current coming from the solar panels and going to the battery. Most of batteries are fully charged at 14 to 14.5 volts. On the other hand batteries life time drastically reduces due to discharge over the level of 70 – 80% DOD; at this discharge level the battery voltage normally goes down to 11.5±0.2 volts. The aim of this work is to study design and implementation a thin film solar charge controller for commercialization the thin film solar system. In Bangladesh, all supplier has involved with mono-crystalline solar and poly-crystalline solar, but no one deal with thin film solar system; due to lack of appropriate solar charge controller for solar home system (SHS). Thin film solar system is cheapest than other solar system and its installation accessories are obtainable in the local market to purchase in easy approach.

Photovoltaic installations are already producing more than 5% of electricity in several European countries. Monitoring of photovoltaic parks produces a huge amount of data that are employed in checking the real-world efficiency of photovoltaic panels in a variety of locations, for different atmospheric and environmental conditions. The aim of this paper is to present real-world efficiency data for photovoltaic panels and photovoltaic parks, as function of air mass and environmental conditions. The PV efficiency deteriorates quickly when the solar altitude is less than 45° and the solar insolation drops below 200 W/m2. This affects the accuracy of prediction of overall efficiency of PV parks and deserves more attention and study.

energy demand is growing rapidly and thus the need for a renewable source that will not pollute the environment is of prime importance. Some projections state that by 2050 the energy demand will be around 13 terawatts (TW). Yet majority of the energy requirements are satisfied by fossil fuels where as the use of renewable energy resources could help in meeting the energy demands and also in reducing the pollution . Solar energy is one of the most readily available renewable energy resources. The solar energy is non pollutant and maintenance free. Photovoltaic (PV) is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. To reduce the manufacturing cost of the solar panel, I-V and P-V characteristics and various parameters that affect the solar panel should be customized before the fabrication of solar panel. Here, MATLAB software tool is used to simulate the characteristics (I-V & P- V) of solar panel. The main objective of this work is to study the influence of the irradiance, the ambient temperature and the no of series and parallel cells that are onnected in the panel to achieve the global efficiency. The overall performance of solar cell varies with varying Irradiance, Temperature and no of series and parallel cells that are connected in solar panel .With the change in the time of the day the irradiance received from the sun by the PV panel changes. Not only irradiance, temperature also changes. Due to the change in the temperature, the current density changes hence there is a change in efficiency as well as Fill factor. There another factor that affecting the solar panel efficiency is the no of series and parallel cells that are connected in the solar panel.

A new solar generator consisting of double-sided silicon sensing elements is described. The basic photovoltaic parameters of solar generators are made of mono- and polycrystalline silicon solar cells.

Development of solar power engineering must be based on original innovative Russian and world technologies. It is necessary to develop promising Russian technologies of manufacturing of photovoltaic cells and semiconductor materials: chlorine-free technology for obtaining solar silicon; matrix solar cell technology with an efficiency of 25–30% upon the conversion of concentrated solar, thermal, and laser radiation; encapsulation technology for high-voltage silicon solar modules with a voltage up to 1000 V and a service life up to 50 years; new methods of concentration of solar radiation with the balancing illumination of photovoltaic cells at 50–100-fold concentration; and solar power systems with round-the-clock production of electrical energy that do not require energy storage devices and reserve sources of energy. The advanced tendency in silicon power engineering is the use of high-temperature reactions in heterogeneous modular silicate solutions for long-term (over one year) production of heat and electricity in the autonomous mode.