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Solar Thermal (Elective 3, Group 2) Document
Solar Thermal (Elective 3, Group 2) Document
• Solar thermal power generation systems use mirrors to collect sunlight and produce steam by solar heat
to drive turbines for generating power.
• This system generates power by rotating turbines like thermal and nuclear power plants, and therefore, is
suitable for large-scale power generation.
SOLAR ENERGY
• Every day, the sun radiates (sends out) an enormous amount of energy—called solar energy. It radiates
more energy in one day than the world uses in one year. This energy comes from within the sun itself.
• Today, people use solar energy to heat buildings and water and to generate electricity. Solar energy
accounts for a very small percentage of U.S. energy—less than one percent. Solar energy is mostly used
by residences and to generate electricity.
Solar Thermal System:
There are two types of Solar Thermal Systems:
Passive: A passive system requires no equipment, like when heat builds up inside your car when it's left
parked in the sun. E.g. Thermal chimneys
Active: An active system requires some way to absorb and collect solar radiation and then store it. E.g.
Solar thermal power plants
Basic Working Principles:
Photovoltaic (PV)
----- Converts sunlight directly
• In 1913, Frank Shuman finished a 55 HP parabolic solar thermal energy station in Maadi, Egypt for
irrigation.
• In 1929, the first solar-power system using a mirror dish was built by American Scientist Dr. R.H.
Goddard.
• In 1968, the first concentrated-solar plant, which entered into operation in Sant'Ilario, near Genoa, Italy.
• In 1981, The 10 MW Solar One power tower was developed in Southern California.
• In 1984, the parabolic-trough technology of the Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) begun its
combined capacity is 354 MW.
• In 2014, the world's largest solar thermal plant (392 MW) achieves commercial operation in Ivanpah,
California, USA.
Thermal Energy Storage (TES) - TES are high-pressure liquid storage tanks used along with a solar thermal system
to allow plants to bank several hours of potential electricity.
• Two-tank direct system: solar thermal energy is stored right in the same heat-transfer fluid that collected
it.
• Two-tank indirect system: functions basically the same as the direct system except it works with
different types of heat-transfer fluids.
• Single-tank thermocline system: stores thermal energy as a solid, usually silica sand.
• “The basic resource potential for solar PV in the United States is virtually unlimited compared to any
foreseeable demand for energy.”
• Paul Denholm, Robert Margolis, & Ken Zweibel, “Potential Carbon Emissions Reductions from Solar
Photovoltaics by 2030,” in Tackling Climate Change In The US: Potential Carbon Emissions Reductions
From Energy Efficiency And Renewable Energy By 2030, p.99 (Charles F. Kutcher, ed., 2007)
Photovoltaic Cells
Photoelectric Effect
• Basic process by which a photovoltaic cell converts absorbed sunlight into electricity
• “Photons” knock electrons free from the silicon structure, freeing them to enter electric current and power
a “load” (like a light bulb)
Environmental Impacts of Solar Power
The sun provides a tremendous resource for generating clean and sustainable electricity without toxic
pollution or global warming emissions.
The potential environmental impacts associated with solar power the potential environmental impacts
associated with solar power — land use and habitat loss, water use, and the use of hazardous materials in
manufacturing — can vary greatly depending on the technology, which includes two broad categories:
photovoltaic (PV) solar cells or concentrating solar thermal plants (CSP).
Land Use:
Depending on their location, larger utility-scale solar facilities can raise concerns about land
degradation and habitat loss. Total land area requirements varies depending on the technology, the
topography of the site, and the intensity of the solar resource.
Water Use:
Solar PV cells do not use water for generating electricity. However, as in all manufacturing processes,
some water is used to manufacture solar PV components.
Concentrating solar thermal plants (CSP), like all thermal electric plants, require water for cooling.
Water use depends on the plant design, plant location, and the type of cooling system.
CSP plants that use wet-recirculating technology with cooling towers withdraw between 600 and 650
gallons of water per megawatt-hour of electricity produced.
Hazardous Materials
The PV cell manufacturing process includes a number of hazardous materials, most of which are used to
clean and purify the semiconductor surface. These chemicals, similar to those used in the general
semiconductor industry, include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrogen fluoride, 1,1,1-
trichloroethane, and acetone. The amount and type of chemicals used depends on the type of cell, the
amount of cleaning that is needed, and the size of silicon wafer [4]. Workers also face risks associated
with inhaling silicon dust. Thus, PV manufactures must follow U.S. laws to ensure that workers are not
harmed by exposure to these chemicals and that manufacturing waste products are disposed of properly.
Advantages of Solar Thermal Energy
• No Fuel Cost
• High Cost
Major Challenges
• The major challenge are the Installation Cost and energy storage.
• The costs are still far higher than fossil fuel plants based on units of energy produced.
• The hot water storage products are often stretched to their limits.
• In addition to sensible heat, the technologies of latent heat and thermo-chemical energy storage are on
their way to becoming very promising solutions for the future of solar heating and cooling.
Conclusion
• In the face of global warming, rising fuel costs and an ever-growing demand for energy, energy needs are
expected to increase by nearly the equivalent of 335 million barrels of oil per day, mostly for electricity.
• By concentrating solar energy with reflective materials and converting it into electricity, modern solar
thermal power plants, if adopted today as an indispensable part of energy generation, may be capable of
sourcing electricity to more than 100 million people in the next 20 years. All from one big renewable
resource: THE SUN.