Homework Assignment 2 EE 499 Photovoltaic Energy

Note: Answer all the questions. Best 3 out of 4 answers will be considered in the grading.

Question 1:

a) Compute the area in square meters and square feet needed to generate 5000 kW of power. Assume

the sun irradiant is equivalent to 0.8 sun of energy

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Homework Assignment 2 EE 499 Photovoltaic Energy

b) Compute the area in square meters and square feet needed to generate 1000 kW of power. Assume

the sun irradiant is equivalent to 0.4 sun of energy

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Homework Assignment 2 EE 499 Photovoltaic Energy

Question 2:

Let us assume that you want to buy a computer. You see two computers: brand A is rated as 400 W and

120 V and costs $1000; brand B is rated as 100 W and 120 V and costs $1010. Your electric company

charges $0.09/kWh on your monthly bill. You are interested in the total cost, that is the cost of buying the

computer and the operating cost if you use your computer for 3 years at the rate of 8 hours a day.

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Homework Assignment 2 EE 499 Photovoltaic Energy

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Homework Assignment 2 EE 499 Photovoltaic Energy

Question 3:

Consider a three-phase 480 V, 300 kVA load with pf = 0.9 lagging. What is the active, reactive, and

complex power of the load?

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Homework Assignment 2 EE 499 Photovoltaic Energy

Question 4:

Suppose a PV plant of 1000 kW capacity is constructed for $500 per kW. Compute the cost of energy per

kWh to the end users for one year of operation at full capacity if the total cost on investment is to be

recovered in 2 years when the PV plant operates 6 hours a day on the average for 2 years and the cost of

production is negligible.

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