KNU 1073

INTRODUCTION TO SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC

TOPIC : Assessment Report on Solar Photovoltaic System Design
(12V DC Solar System with 150W Inverter)

NAME: SHATHISHKOMAR RAMESH

MATRIC NUMBER: 57831

INSTRUCTOR : ASSOC. PROF DR. WAN AZLAN BIN WAN ZAINAL ABIDIN

Semester1–2017/2018
TABLE OF CONTENT

Chapte Page
Content
r
ABSTRACT

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1      What is Solar Photovoltaic (PV)

1.2       Application of Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
2 DISCUSSION

3 CONCLUSION

REFERENCE
 ABSTRACT

Development in solar PV technology is growing very fast in recent years due

to the technological improvement, cost reductions in materials and government
support for renewable energy based on electricity production (Tyagi et al, 2013).
Moreover, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has the versatility and flexibility for
developing off-grid electricity system for different regions, especially in remote rural
areas.  

        Traditional solar cells are made from silicon, are usually flat-plate, and
generally are the most efficient. Second-generation solar cells are called thin-film
solar cells because they are made from amorphous silicon or non-silicon materials
such as cadmium telluride. Thin film solar cells use layers of semiconductor materials
only a few micrometers thick. Because of their flexibility, thin film solar cells can
double as rooftop shingles and tiles, building facades, or the glazing for skylights.
However, the third generation solar cells are being made from a variety of new
materials besides silicon, including solar inks using conventional printing press
technologies, solar dyes and conductive plastics. Some new solar cells use plastic
lenses or mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a very small piece of high efficiency PV
material. The PV material is more expensive, but because so little is needed, these
systems are becoming cost effective for use by utilities and industry (National
Renewable Energy Laboratory, n.d.).

        At present, most of the worldwide PV systems are operating at maximum

power points and not contributing effectively towards the energy management in the
network. Unless properly managed and controlled, large-scale deployment of PV
generators in off-grid system may create problems such as voltage fluctuations,
frequency deviations, power quality problems in the network, changes in fault
currents and protections settings, and congestion in the network.
 1.0 INTRODUCTION

Renewable or alternative energy sources is generated from natural resources.

There are five categories of renewable energy sources which are sunlight, wind, rain,
tides and geothermal heat. Solar power/ energy is produced from the sunlight that is
sustainable and  inexhaustible, unlike fossil fuels that are finite. It is also a non-
polluting source of energy and it does not emit any greenhouse gases when producing
electricity. One of the technologies develop from the solar energy is ‘Photovoltaic
Cell’ (PV).

1.1  What is solar Photovoltaic (PV) ?

Solar photovoltaic is one of the renewable system designed to generates
electricity where sunlight directly converts into electricity. Photovoltaic (PV) defined
the process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage), known as PV effect.
The silicon which is an element found in sand created an electric charge when
exposed to sunlight, that is called PV effect.
Other than that, Hybrid Silicon PV module is the combination of single crystalline
silicon surrounded by thin layer of amorphous silicon. The first element used in PV
cells is silicon then upgrade to amorphous silicon or non silicon materials such as
cadmium telluride (CdTe) , gallium arsenide, and copper indium gallium diselenide
(CIGS). The most semiconductor used for solar cell is silicon because it is easily
found in nature, does not pollute, eco friendly, easy melted and formed into
monocrystalline silicon form.

1.2 Application of Solar Photovoltaic

A photovoltaic system or solar PV system is a power system that designed to

supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaic. First, the PV are used in the
space program, but now both generating electricity to pump water, light up the night,
active switches, charge batteries and supply the electricity utility grid.(AZO
Materials, 2012). Other than supply power to the house appliances, there are others
examples of the application of PV system used for such as :

1) Utility Interactive Applications 2) Stand-alone system

3) Lighting 4) Communication

3.0 DISCUSSION

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.

PV solar panels generate direct current (DC) electricity. With DC electricity,

electrons flow in one direction around a circuit. This example shows a battery
powering a light bulb. The electrons move from the negative side of the battery,
through the lamp, and return to the positive side of the battery.

With AC (alternating current) electricity, electrons are pushed and pulled,

periodically reversing direction, much like the cylinder of a car’s engine. Generators
create AC electricity when a coil of wire is spun next to a magnet. Many different
energy sources can “turn the handle” of this generator, such as gas or diesel fuel,
hydroelectricity, nuclear, coal, wind, or solar.

Advantages of Solar Photovoltaic system are PV solar panels generate direct

current (DC) electricity. With DC electricity, electrons flow in one direction around a
circuit. This example shows a battery powering a light bulb. The electrons move from
the negative side of the battery, through the lamp, and return to the positive side of the
battery. With AC (alternating current) electricity, electrons are pushed and pulled,
periodically reversing direction, much like the cylinder of a car’s engine. Generators
create AC electricity when a coil of wire is spun next to a magnet. Many different
 energy sources can “turn the handle” of this generator, such as gas or diesel fuel,
hydroelectricity, nuclear, coal, wind, or solar.

Disadvantage of Solar energy is somewhat more expensive to produce than

conventional sources of energy due in part to the cost of manufacturing PV devices
and in part to the conversion efficiencies of the equipment. As the conversion
efficiencies continue to increase and the manufacturing costs continue to come down,
PV will become increasingly cost competitive with conventional fuels. Solar power is
a variable energy source, with energy production dependent on the sun. Solar facilities
may produce no power at all some of the time, which could lead to an energy shortage
if too much of a region's power comes from solar power.

4.0 CONCLUSION

The worldwide energy consumption is increasing every year and different

technologies are using to produce electricity to compete the energy demand. The
environmental pollution is also a serious problem nowadays due to the more use of
fossil fuel for energy production. Solar PV technology is growing rapidly in past
decades and can play an important role to achieve the high energy demand worldwide.
Huge amount of PV systems installed yearly shows the seriousness and the
responsibility of every country about the issue to save the earth by using renewable
energy.

REFERENCES

Florida Solar Energy Center (2019). How PV cells work. Retrieved on 20 May 2017

from.http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/solar_electricity/basics/how_pv_cells_

work.html

U. S. Department of Energy Photovoltaic Program.(2002).PhotovoltaicApplication

and Uses. Retrieved from http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1157.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory . (n.d.). Solar Photovoltaic Technology

Basics.Retrieved from https://www.nrel.gov/workingwithus/re-photovoltaics.html

Tyagi, V., Rahim, N. A., Rahim, N., & Selvaraj, J. A.(2013). Progress in solar PV

technology:Research and achievement. Renewable and Sustainable Energy

Reviews, 20, 443-461.