Solar Water Heater (Solar Panel)

A solar thermal collector collects heat by absorbing sunlight. A collector is a device for capturing
solar radiation.
The panel on the roof has a zig-zag of water pipes running through it. The top of the panel is
transparent to let the Sun's radiation through. The pipes are painted black and lie on a black base.
Black surfaces absorb the Sun's radiation much better than white surfaces. The whole panel has
an insulating layer on the bottom, between the water pipes and the roof. Cold water flows in, is
heated by the Sun's radiation and hot water flows out. Free hot water.





Solar cell (Photovoltaic cell)
A solar cell (also called a photovoltaic cell) transfers the energy of sunlight into electrical
energy. It uses the photoelectric effect.
The photoelectric effect is the observation that many metals emit electrons when light shines
upon them. Electrons emitted in this manner may be called photoelectrons.
Atoms consist of a dense, positively-charged nucleus, a whole lot of empty space and a bunch
of negatively charged electrons. Solar panels are made so that when the electron leaves the
atom it crosses a one-way junction and then cannot return. Since we have a positively charged
nucleus and a negatively charged electron separated from each other, we have created a
potential difference.
Advantages of solar PV
During electricity generation with PV panels there is no harmful greenhouse gas emissions thus
solar PV is environmentally friendly.
Free and abundant!
Solar energy can be made available almost anywhere there is sunlight
Solar Panels cost is currently on a fast reducing track and is expected to continue reducing for
the next years
Operating and maintenance costs for PV panels are considered to be low, almost negligible,
compared to costs of other renewable energy systems
PV panels are totally silent, producing no noise at all; consequently, they are a perfect solution
for urban areas and for residential applications
Because solar energy coincides with energy needs for cooling PV panels can provide an
effective solution to energy demand peaks especially in hot summer months where energy
demand is high.
Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT) started in 1986
Disadvantages of Solar PV in a nutshell
As in all renewable energy sources, solar energy has intermittency issues; not shining at night
but also during daytime there may be cloudy or rainy weather.
Consequently, intermittency and unpredictability of solar energy makes solar energy panels
less reliable a solution.
Solar energy panels require additional equipment (inverters) to convert direct electricity (DC) to
alternating electricity (AC) in order to be used on the power network.
For a continuous supply of electric power, especially for on-grid connections, Photovoltaic
panels require not only Inverters but also storage batteries; thus increasing the investment cost
for PV panels considerably.
In case of land-mounted PV panel installations, they require relatively large areas for
deployment; usually the land space is committed for this purpose for a period of 15-20 years
or even longer.
Solar panels efficiency levels are relatively low (between 14%-25%) compared to the efficiency
levels of other renewable energy systems. (Solar cell efficiency is the ratio of the electrical
output of a solar cell to the incident energy in the form of sunlight.)
Though PV panels have no considerable maintenance or operating costs, they are fragile and
can be damaged relatively easily; additional insurance costs are therefore of ultimate
importance to safeguard a PV investment.
Active solar heating systems use solar energy to heat a fluid -- either liquid or air -- and then
transfer the solar heat directly to the interior space or to a storage system for later use. If the
solar system cannot provide adequate space heating, an auxiliary or back-up system provides
the additional heat. Liquid systems are more often used when storage is included, and are well
suited for radiant heating systems, boilers with hot water radiators, and even absorption heat
pumps and coolers. Both liquid and air systems can supplement forced air systems.
LIQUID-BASED ACTIVE SOLAR HEATING
They are the same as those used in solar domestic water heating systems. In the collector, a heat
transfer or "working" fluid such as water, antifreeze (usually non-toxic propylene glycol), or
other type of liquid absorbs the solar heat. At the appropriate time, a controller operates a
circulating pump to move the fluid through the collector.
The liquid flows rapidly, so its temperature only increases 10 to 20F (5.6 to 11C ) as it
moves through the collector. Heating a smaller volume of liquid to a higher temperature
increases heat loss from the collector and decreases the efficiency of the system. The liquid flows
to either a storage tank or a heat exchanger for immediate use. Other system components include
piping, pumps, valves, an expansion tank, a heat exchanger, a storage tank, and controls.
Air Based Solar Heating
A type of solar collector in which air is is used as the medium for heat transfer instead of a
liquid. The heat thus obtained from the incident solar energy is stored in holders, which may be
filled with gravel, for example. The energy collected from air-based solar collectors can be used
for ventilation air heating, space heating, or crop drying.
Circulating refrigerant vapor enters the compressor and is compressed to a higher pressure,
resulting in a higher temperature as well. The hot, compressed refrigerant vapor is now at a
temperature and pressure at which it can be condensed and is routed through a condenser. Here it
is cooled by air flowing across the condenser coils and condensed into a liquid. Thus, the
circulating refrigerant rejects heat from the system and the heat is carried away by the air.
The condensed and pressurized liquid refrigerant is next routed through an expansion valve
where it undergoes an abrupt reduction in pressure.
That pressure reduction results in flash evaporation of
a part of the liquid refrigerant, lowering its
temperature. The cold refrigerant is then routed
through the evaporator. A fan blows the warm air
(which is to be cooled) across the evaporator, causing
the liquid part of the cold refrigerant mixture to evaporate as well, further lowering the
temperature. The warm air is therefore cooled. A simple stylized diagram of the refrigeration
cycle: 1) condensing coil, 2) expansion valve, 3) evaporator coil, 4) compressor
Photovoltaics can provide the power for any type of electrically powered cooling be
it conventional compressor-based or adsorption/absorption-based, though the most common
implementation is with compressors. For small residential and small commercial cooling (less
than 5 MWh/a) PV-powered cooling has been the most frequently implemented solar cooling
technology. The reason for this is debated, but commonly suggested reasons include incentive
structuring, lack of residential-sized equipment for other solar-cooling technologies, the advent
of more efficient electrical coolers, or ease of installation compared to other solar-cooling
technologies
Geo thermal Cooling: Earth sheltering or Earth cooling tubes can take advantage of the
ambient temperature of the Earth to reduce or eliminate conventional air conditioning
requirements. In many climates where the majority of humans live, they can greatly reduce the
buildup of undesirable summer heat, and also help remove heat from the interior of the building.
They increase construction cost, but reduce or eliminate the cost of conventional air
conditioning equipment.
Earth cooling tubes are not cost effective in hot humid tropical environments where the ambient
Earth temperature approaches human temperature comfort zone. A solar
chimney or photovoltaic-powered fan can be used to exhaust undesired heat and draw in
cooler, dehumidified air that has passed by ambient Earth temperature surfaces. Control of
humidity and condensation are important design issues.