CONCEPTS OF SOLAR ENERGY

Contents:

 Basic characterstics of sunlight-Solar Spectrum-

Isolation specifies –Irradiance and Irradiation
Pyranometer-Solar Energy Statics –Solar PV cell-IV-
characteristics –PV char-Fill factor- Modeling of solar
cell- MPPT- PV module-Blocking diode and bypass
diodes-Composite characteristics of PV module –PV
array-PV system- PV powered fan-PV fan with battery
backup-PV powered pumping system-PV powered
lighting systems-Grid connected PV system
Contents to be discuss:

 Basic characteristics of sunlight

 Solar Spectrum
 Isolation specifies
 Irradiance and Irradiation Pyranometer
 Why Solar Energy
 Solar energy is the most readily available source of energy.

 Solar energy received in the form of radiation, can be

converted directly or indirectly into other forms of energy,
such as heat and electricity.

 It is free.

 It is also the most important of the non-conventional sources

of energy because it is non-polluting.
 Facts about solar energy
 Energy is radiated by the sun as the electromagnetic waves of
which 99 percent have wavelengths in the range of 0.2 to 4.0
micrometers.

 As viewed from the earth, the radiation coming from the sun
appears to be essentially equivalent to that coming from a
black surface at 5762°K.Earth surface receives 1.2x1017 W of
power from sun.

 Energy supplied by the sun in one hour is almost equal to the

amount energy required by the human population in one year.

 Most if the other source on renewable energy have their in

 Solar Constant

 The rate at which Solar energy arrives at the top of the

atmosphere is called the Solar Constant Isc.

 It is the amount of energy received in unit time on a unit area

perpendicular to the Sun’s direction at the mean distance of
the earth from the Sun.
 Radiation and Earth’s Atmosphere

• The earth’s global average surface temperature in present

climate is 15C (59F). Without the atmosphere, it would be -18C
(-0.4F),
• About 33C or 59.4F colder! Atmosphere is the most important
component of the earth’s climate.

• Radiation vs. other heat sources:

• Total energy enter the earth’s atmosphere: 174 petawatts or
174X1015 Watts
• Solar: 99.978%, Geothermal: 0.013%, waste and fossil fuel:
0.007%, tidal: 0.002%
Infrared
Three Choices for Radiation

Emissivity is the same as absorptivity. Source can be visible or

infrared radiation, or other wavelengths as well.

Climate consequences of these choices….

(from www.ldeo.columbia.edu/.../solar_radiation)
Earth’s Surface Temperature

 
1/4
2
Te T Rs 2 (1 a)

s


Rse 2(1t)
 

t  0, Te  303K (Greenhouse Max)

t 1, Te  255 K (No Atmosphere)
t  0.2, Te  289 K (Just Right)
Te Earth’s radiative temperature
Ts Sun’s radiative temperature
Rs Sun’s radius
Rse Sun to Earth distance
a Earth’s surface solar reflectance
t IR transmittance of Earth’s atmosphere.
Global Energy Balance

From Cunningham & Cunningham, 2004, Fig. 9.2

 Earth’s Atmosphere
1. What is it?
A thin gaseous envelope around the planet.
Blue sky!
2. Composition
Today’s atmosphere: nitrogen (78%), oxygen
(21%), other (1%) – trace gases!

Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and most
other gases are invisible.
Clouds are not gas, but condensed vapor in the form of
liquid droplets or ice particles.

Ground based smog, which is visible, contains reactants of

nitrogen and ozone.
3. Structure Four layers:
Troposphere (overturning) From surface to 8-18 km
Stratosphere (stratified) From troposphere top to 50 km
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
 The Structure of Earth’s Atmosphere
1. Four layers defined by

temperature
Troposphere: T decreases with elevation
Stratosphere: T increases with elevation
Mesosphere: T decreases with elevation
Thermosphere: T increases with elevation

2. Importance to climate and climate change

Troposphere:
80% of Earth’s gases
Most of Earth’s weather happens
Most of the measurements
Stratosphere:
19.9% of Earth’s gases
Ozone layer:
Blocking Sun’s ultraviolet radiation
 Energy from the Sun
1. Characteristics

Travels through space (vacuum)

in a speed of light
In the form of waves:
Electromagnetic waves
In stream of particles (Photons)
Releases heat when absorbed
2. Electromagnetic spectrum

From short wavelength, high energy,

gamma rays to long wavelength, low
energy, radio waves

3. Importance to climate and

climate change
Primary driving force of Earth’s climate engine
Ultraviolet, Visible, Infrared
 Spectrum of Solar Radiation Flux

• The sun emits 41% of its radiation in the visible spectrum,

• 9% in the ultraviolet spectrum

• 50% in the near infrared spectrum

 Sun’s Electromagnetic Spectrum

Solar radiation has peak intensities in the shorter wavelengths,

dominant in the region we know as visible, thus shortwave
radiation
Blackbody Radiation Curves

Any object above

absolute zero radiates
heat, as proportional to T4

Higher temperature,
shorter wavelength
Longwave & Shortwave Radiation

The hot sun

radiates at
shorter
wavelengths
that carry more
energy, and the
fraction
absorbed by the
cooler earth is
then re-radiated
at longer
wavelengths.
 Atmospheric Greenhouse Effects

T= 15°C
(59°F) With the
Surface Temperature
Atmosphere T= –18°C
(0°F)
Surface Temperature Without the
Atmosphere

Greenhouse effects make Earth’s surface warmer!

 Greenhouse Gases
 What are they?
Water vapor (H2O)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) Methane (CH4)

Ozone (O3) Chlorofluorocarbons Nitrous oxide (N2O)

(CFC’s)

 Water vapor accounts for 60% of the atmospheric greenhouse effect, CO2 26%,
and the remaining greenhouse gases 14%.

 CO2 contributes most (55-60%) to the anthropogenic greenhouse effect,

and methane is a distant second (16%).

 CFCs cause the strongest greenhouse warming on a molecule-for-molecule

basis.
 SOLAR RADIATION
 Beam Radiation – Reaches directly to the earth surfaces,
which produces the shadow effect.

 Diffused Radiation – Solar radiation from the sun after its

direction has been changed.

 Solar Radiation = Beam Radiation + Diffuse Radiation

 Variation in Solar Radiation due to ABSROPTION AND

SCATTERING
 ABSORPTION AND SCATTERING
 Absorption : Short wave Ultra-violet rays by ozone and long
wave infra red by Co2 and moisture in the atmosphere.

 Scattering : As Solar radiation passes through the earth’s

atmosphere the components of the atmosphere, such as water
vapour

 Solar rays passes to Water vapour and dust in the atmosphere

causes scattering.
 Solar Radiation Measurements
Solar Radiation measured by two basic type of instruments

 Pyrheliometer-Collimates the radiation to determine the

beam intensity as a function of incident angle

 Pyranometer-It measures the total hemispherical solar

radiation.
 Types of Pyrheloimeters
 Pyrheliometers – This collimates the radiation to measure
the beam intensity as a function of incident angle.

Types :

 Angstrom pyrheliometer

 The Abbot Silver disc pyrheliometer

 Eppley pyrheliometer
 Angstrom Compensation Pyrheliometer

 A thin blackened shaded manganin strip is heated

electrically upto the same strip exposed to solar
radiation.

 The thermocouples on the back of each strip

connected in opposition through a galvanometer to
check the equality of temperature.
Angstrom Compensation
Pyrheliometer
 Abbot Silver Disk Pyrheliometer
 It consist of black end silver disk positioned at the lower
end of tube with diaphragms limit to the hole aperture to
5.7deg .

 A Mercury in glass thermometer is used to measure the

temperature of the disk and shutter made of 3 polished
metal leaves is provided at the upper end of tube to allow
solar radiation to fall on the disk at regular intervals.

 The thermometer steam is bend through 90 deg so that it

lies along the tube to minimize its exposure to the sun.
Eppley Pyrheliometer
 A thermopile is basically a series arrangement of
thermocouples used to develop a much greater voltage
than its possible using only one.
 The tube is filled with dry air and sealed with crystal
quartz window which is removable.
 The instrument has found wide acceptance within the
U.S.A and many parts of the world.
Pyranometers
 Eppley Pyranometers : The temperature is sensed on
the concentric silver ring ( 0.25 mm thick ) consist of
black and white surface with a thermopile
 10 or 50 thermocouple junctions to detect the
temperature difference between the coated rings and
it is enclosed in hemispherical glass cover.
Eppley Pyranometers
 Yellow Solarimeter
 Silicon cells are used to measure solar radiations.

 The incident radiations are converted to the equivalent

electrical energy.
Sunshine Recorder :
 The duration of sun shine is measured by means of
sun’s rays are focused by a glass sphere to point on a
card strip held in a groove in a spherical bowl
concentrically with the sphere.