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Introduction:
This report provides information related to Emerging Sources of Energy, need for new sources of energy and
the challenges being faced in exploiting the New energy source in terms of capacity increase, continuous
availability and environmental impact etc.
Current Major sources of Energy:
Before going into current major sources of energy lets discuss, different sources of energy
1) Solar Energy:
This energy is generated using solar panels which absorb energy from sun and convert into thermal or
electrical energy. The main problem with this energy is only certain geographical areas has plentiful amount of
direct sun available.
2) Wind Energy
Wind is a form of energy which is produced by uneven heating of atmosphere by the sun. The wind turbines
convert kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power. This mechanical power is used for running a
Tidal Energy uses rise and fall of tides to convert kinetic energy into Electrical energy. Huge investment and
limited availability of sites are major drawbacks of this energy.
5) Hydroelectric Energy
This energy is generated by constructing large dams near rivers. The power of water is used to run turbines to
generate electricity.
6)Bio Mass Energy
This energy is produced from organic material. Biomass energy generally includes plants, crops, trees, yard
clippings, wood chips and animal wastes. A large amount of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when
this energy is used in large amounts which in turn increases the temperature of the earth causing global warming.
9) Nuclear power
Nuclear power is used for running power generators to generate Electricity. The main drawback of this energy is
the disposal of nuclear waste and powerful radiation of gamma rays which is very harmful to human skin.
From the above plot, we can see the dependence of fossil fuels to generate Electricity.
Solar Cell:
Before we go any further in our discussion lets discuss some important information regarding Solar Cell.
Solar energy is directly converted into electricity by means of the photovoltaic effect. The first photovoltaic cell
was manufactured by Bell Laboratories in the 1950 decade. In the year 1955 first test was conducted on small
panels of cells mounted on the top of telephone poles for supplying power to telephone amplifiers. One more
significant cell i.e. silicon solar cell used in space vehicles and artificial satellites. Solar cells are in use only for
a limited number of applications, because of its high capital cost for generating a small amount of power.
Only semiconductors have the capability of generating electric power for practical applications. Commonly used
semiconductor materials are silicon, germanium, cadmium sulfide, and gallium arsenide.
Research and
Development in the field of photovoltaic conversion are directed to produce inexpensive, long life and reliable
solar cell. A cell made from oxidized gallium arsenide, the currently active project has proven some improved
characteristics. Newly developed processes are expected to reduce the manufacture of the solar cell. There is still
research going on.
Cost:
The cost of silicon solar cell is getting reduced in recent years. In 1980 the price was in the range of $7 to $12 per
week. The Department of Energy tried to reduce the cost of solar cell modules to $3 per peak watt by 1982 and
to 70 cents per peak watt by 1986. A peak watt is the maximum power output of solar cell under bright noon
sunlight. The total cost of constructing solar power plant depends on the cost of producing a solar cell. Below is
a sample chart showing the price change variation of a solar cell. Right (The Week , n.d.)now, thin films are being
manufactured using Cadmium telluride which is inexpensive than silicon-based technologies. They reach about
10 to 13.1 percent efficiency.
See how the price is drastically reduced to 0.30 cents per watt which are better improvement of reducing the cost
of the Solar power plant.
Solar cells are interconnected in a matrix to form a module. One cell produces about 0.5 volts at room temperature.
So, 36 cells connected produces 18 volts equal to two batteries.
Construction:
The cells are connected and placed between a tough glass front and a back with a frame and sealed. Dow corning'
which plays a major role in the solar energy industry is developing encapsulate technology to protect cells in the
modules. This technology keeps out moisture and contaminants which could cause the module to fail, so it is a
critical part of manufacturing process.
Source:http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2013-year-review
From the above plot, we can see some growth in solar energy in recent years. This is positive concern to further
increase the usage of solar energy. Rooftop solar is cost effective for domestic, Business and communities. New
inventions with the help of financial partners helped to reduce the price of household systems in the united states
by 45% from 2010 to 2014.
Source: http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2013-year-review
Plot showing yearly installed solar Capacity (solar investment tax credit(ITC) is one of the most important federal
policy support mechanisms to support deployment of solar energy)
Dropping prices of solar panels is due to technology advancements. Global solar production is increased from
24000 (MW) in 2010 to 40000(MW) in 2014. PV margins in the united states are further benefited from soft
costs, such as those related to sales, permitting, inspection, and the profit margins of retailers and installers.
Ownership options:
The success of solar energy is also due to ownership structures. Many homeowners are taking advantage or third
part ownership options. Under solar lease and property agreements, customers pay little or nothing up front for
roof systems, and they get electricity from the system for a long period. The system (maintenance and
responsibilities) completely depend on the project developers, which may be private companies or electric utilities
themselves. In 2014, more than 70% of new residential systems were the third party owned. Of the 1.2 gigawatts
of residential solar installed in the U.S last year, 72% was the third party owned (TPO) in the form of leases. The
remaining part is owned by customers itself through loans. This info is from GTM research, U.S Solar Residential
Financing 2015-2020. According to their report, three companies financed 56% of all U.S residential solar
installations in 2014. Among them Solar City 12%, Sun runs 10%, and Vivint Soars 12%. Some other leading
finance providers are Sun power, NRG Home solar, sun nova and clean Power Finance.
which collects the solar energy from the sunlight. A Controlled Inverter Interface is used to control the power
flow between these two layers.
The architecture will be challenging to adopt but "will ensure that solar electricity is completely decoupled from
AC networks," ElNozahy(student of Magdy Salama) explained.
Willet Kempton a professor in the college of Earth, Ocean and Environment at the University of Delaware
highlighted another problem which is "islanding". It refers to the condition where a distributed generator
continues to power a location even though the electric grid is shut down. This is very dangerous to utility workers
who may not realize that circuit is still powered. Kempton disagreed with the above a research and stated that
he is working with an inverter that is totally reliable in detecting islanding. In a study published in journal or
power sources, he and his team predicted that combination of the wind, solar power, and improved fuel cell will
fully power a large electrical grid of 99.9 percent of the time by 2030 at costs compared to today electricity
charges.
References
(1). Retrieved from CFF Conserve Energy Future: http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/different-energy-sources.php
SEIA(Solar Energy Industries Association). (n.d.). Retrieved from GTM Research and Solar Energy Industries Association
(SEIA): http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2013-year-review
Dow Corning Solar Solutions. (2.). Retrieved from https://www.dowcorning.com/content/publishedlit/06-10028_solarenergy-the-basics.pdf
gtm . (3). Retrieved from A wood mackenzie Business: https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/72-of-usresidential-solar-installed-in-2014-was-third-party-owned
INSIDE SCIENCE . (4). Retrieved from Scaling Up Solar Power May Demand Updated Electric Grid:
https://www.insidescience.org/news/scaling-solar-power-may-demand-updated-electric-grid
Solar Cell. (5.). Retrieved from Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell
The Week . (6). Retrieved from The 3 biggest obstacles to a solar energy boom: http://theweek.com/articles/463150/3biggest-obstacles-solar-energy-boom