SOLAR

ENERGY
ASCALON SEVILLO
OROCIO TINGSON
PUTION VILLAHERMOSA
SEVIILA

ECE 5B

OCTOBER 2018
 SOLAR ENERGY
Solar energy works by capturing the sun’s energy and turning it into
electricity for your home or business.
Our sun is a natural nuclear reactor. It releases tiny packets of energy
called photons, which travel the 93 million miles from the sun to
Earth in about 8.5 minutes. Every hour, enough photons impact our
planet to generate enough solar energy to theoretically satisfy global
energy needs for an entire year.
 HISTORY
– 1839 Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel
– the ability of some materials to create an electrical charge from light
exposure
– 1873 Willoughey Smith
– discovered that the charge could be caused by light hitting selenium
– 1881 Charles Fritts
– created the first commercial solar panel
– 1939 Russell Ohl
– created the solar cell design that is used in many modern solar panels
– 1954 Bell Labs
– Russel Ohl’s design was first used by Bell Labs to create the first
commercially viable silicon solar cell
ADVANTAGES
– Solar power is pollution free and causes no greenhouse
gases to be emitted after installation
– Reduced dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels
– Renewable clean power that is available every day of the
year, even cloudy days produce some power
– Virtually no maintenance as solar panels last over 30
years
ADVANTAGES
– Creates jobs by employing solar panel manufacturers, solar
installers, etc. and in turn helps the economy
– Ability to live grid free if all power generated provides
enough for the home / building
– Can be installed virtually anywhere; in a field to on a building
– Use batteries to store extra power for use at night
ADVANTAGES
– Solar can be used to heat water, power homes and
building, even power cars
– Safer than traditional electric current
– Efficiency is always improving so the same size solar that
is available today will become more efficient tomorrow
DISADVANTAGES
– High initial costs for material and installation and long
Return Of Investment
– No solar power at night so there is a need for a large
battery bank
– Devices that run on DC power directly are more
expensive
DISADVANTAGES
– Solar panels are not being massed produced due
to lack of material and technology to lower the
cost enough to be more affordable
– Solar powered cars do not have the same speeds
and power as typical gas powered cars
– Needs lots of space as efficiency is not 100% yet
Several ways to harness Solar Energy:
Active Solar Systems

which use mechanical or electrical devices that convert the sun's heat or light to
another form of usable energy. Examples of Active Solar Systems are:
Photovoltaics
is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit
the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry,
and electrochemistry.
A photovoltaic system employs solar panels, each comprising a number of solar cells, which
generate electrical power. PV installations may be ground-mounted, rooftop mounted or wall
mounted. The mount may be fixed, or use a solar tracker to follow the sun across the sky.
Solar Heating and Cooling
Solar heating & cooling (SHC) technologies collect the thermal energy from the sun and use
this heat to provide hot water, space heating, cooling, and pool heating for residential,
commercial, and industrial applications.

Concentrated Solar Power

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants require the use of a specific heat transfer fluid that is
designed to work to the correct temperature for prolonged periods in solar thermal
electricity applications.

Passive Solar
Passive solar buildings are designed and oriented to collect, store, and distribute the heat
energy from sunlight to maintain the comfort of the occupants without the use of moving
parts or electronics.
WHAT IS A SOLAR PANEL?
WHAT IS A SOLAR PANEL?

Solar panels are devices that convert light into electricity.

They are called "solar" panels because most of the time,
the most powerful source of light available is the Sun,
called Sol by astronomers.
Some scientists call them photovoltaics which means, basically, "light-electricity."
COMPONENTS:

- SOLAR CELL
- SOLAR MODULE
- SOLAR PANEL
 How do
“SOLAR
PANELS”
work?
The sun is the ultimate source of
energy, and we can all benefit by
tapping into its resources. But
how do solar panels work?
Basically, what’s happening is your solar panel system uses
photons to separate electrons from atoms. Photons are
particles of light. The process of separating electrons from
their atoms creates electricity.
Solar Panels collect sunlight
Every solar panel contains photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells take
light, or photons, and turn the light into electricity. When sunlight
hits the solar panel, PV cells get to work by producing direct
current (DC) electricity.

Inverters convert solar power to

usable electricity
Some solar panel system setups have a single inverter (often called
a “string” inverter) for the entire system. Some have a
microinverter attached behind each panel. The most important
thing to know about inverters is that they convert DC electricity,
produced by the solar panels, into alternating current (AC)
electricity.
Electricity is used in the home
Electricity runs through your net meter, makes itself comfortable in
your home, and powers your appliances. It works just like your
electricity does now—you don’t have to change a thing. If your solar
panels don’t produce enough energy to cover all of your needs, don’t
worry. You’re still connected to traditional power companies via the
grid, so you can automatically draw more energy from your utility
when you need.

Leftover electricity goes back to the

grid
It might seem counterintuitive to be on the traditional power grid
when you have a solar energy system, but being on the power grid has
an advantages. It allows you to use as much electricity as you need
before sending any excess power back to your utility company to use.
Solar panels generate electricity when the sun is up, but we use
electricity at night too, when we’re not producing solar power. That’s
why it’s important to stay connected to your utilities.
Types of Solar Panels: