NEB40303 /

BKB40503
RENEWABLE
ENERGY
Chapter 2
Solar Energy
NURUL HANIS AZHAN (NUHA)
 ▪ Topic 2.1
Introduction – Solar Power & Energy

▪ Topic 2.2
Chapter 2 Solar Photovoltaics
Solar Energy

▪ Topic 2.3
Solar Energy Systems
 Course Learning Outcomes
(CLOs)

Upon completion of the chapter, students should be able to:

Explain the fundamental and main characteristics of various renewable

energy sources. [CLO2] [C4]
 Solar Thermal
System
SOLAR
ENERGY
SYSTEM
PV Solar
System
Solar Energy Systems
- Solar Thermal
Systems -
 ACTIVE
Solar Thermal
System
SOLAR
THERMAL
SYSTEM PASSIVE
Solar Thermal
System
 Passive systems can be categorized into THREE
PASSIVE types:

Solar ▪ Direct Gain - Allows the solar energy to come

in through the south-facing window panes.
Thermal ▪ Indirect Gain - Allows the solar radiation to
System heat a wall and then the energy is slowly
delivered into the interior of the house.
Openings in the wall (called a Trombe Wall).
▪ Greenhouse Addition - An attached sunspace
and/or solar greenhouse heated by the solar
energy - where some of the energy is used to
grow the plants and some of it is used to heat
the interior of the house.
Key for passive solar thermal system:

Make use of materials with large heat capacities

(stone, water, or concrete) to store and deliver heat.
 PASSIVE
Solar
Thermal
System

Solar Powered
Greenhouse
 • Integral collector-storage passive
systems
These work best in areas where temperatures
rarely fall below freezing. They also work well
in households with significant daytime and
evening hot-water needs.
PASSIVE Solar
• Thermosyphon systems
Thermal - Water flows through the system when warm
System water rises as cooler water sinks.
- The collector must be installed below the
storage tank so that warm water will rise
Solar Water into the tank.
- These systems are reliable, but careful
Heating System attention to the roof design because of the
heavy storage tank.
- More expensive than integral collector-
storage passive systems.
Integral collector-storage
passive systems Thermosyphon systems

Passive Solar Water Heating System

 ▪ Heat energy from the sun raises the
temperature of fluids in the collector
tubes.
▪ Fluid is then pumped to a heat exchanger
which is inside the water tank in your
ACTIVE Solar property.
Thermal ▪ The heat is exchanged through thermal
System convection to the water in the tank and the
fluid is pumped back round to be heated
Solar Water again in the tubes.

Heating
System
 1) Solar thermal panels (or solar collector)
2) Heat transfer fluid - this can be water,
ethylene glycol (commonly known as anti-
freeze), or a mixture of the two
3) Coil heat exchanger within a water cylinder
Solar Water 4) Pump which circulates the heat transfer fluid
Heating System between panels and cylinder (the pump is
usually powered by mains electricity)
- Main Components - 5) Insulated pipes between the panels and the
water cylinder - called flow and return piping

Boiler (or even a standard domestic

water heater) works as supply back-
up heat

System control panel which

controls the heat transfer fluid pump
and provides information on the
system’s performance, as well as any
faults should one develop
Evacuated
Tube Solar
Collector
Solar Plate
Collector

Typical collector efficiencies range from 50% – 70 %

 ▪ Solar thermal power (electricity)
generation systems collect and
concentrate sunlight to produce the high
temperature heat needed to generate
ACTIVE Solar electricity.
Thermal
System
▪ All solar thermal power systems have
Solar Thermal solar energy collectors with two main
components: reflectors (mirrors) that
Power capture and focus sunlight onto a
Generation receiver.
 A heat-transfer fluid is heated

Solar
Thermal Heated fluid is circulated in the
receiver and used to produce steam.
Power
Generation
The steam is converted into
mechanical energy in a turbine,
which powers a generator to produce
electricity.
 Solar Thermal Power Generation
- Characteristics -

Solar Thermal Power Generation systems use solar collectors to

concentrate the Sun's rays on one point to achieve appropriately
high temperatures.

Solar thermal power plant is characterized according to the type

of solar concentrators (or collectors) used.

Solar thermal power systems have tracking systems that keep

sunlight focused onto the receiver throughout the day as the sun
changes position in the sky.
Solar Thermal Power System
Solar Thermal Power System
(Energy Conversion)
A Stirling engine is a
heat engine that
operates by cyclic
compression and
expansion of air or
other gas (the
working fluid) at
different
temperatures, such
that there is a net
conversion of heat
energy to mechanical
work.

Solar Thermal Power System

(Small Scale)
Solar Thermal Power System
(Large Scale)
 ▪ The overall efficiency of the power conversion
system is composed of the efficiency of the solar
collectors (with parabolic troughs, max ~75%),
the efficiency of the heat engine (~35%).

Efficiency
▪ Minus field losses, the typical average overall
efficiency of solar trough thermal plants is around
15-20%.

▪ Efficiency of the solar collectors decreases with

increasing operating temperature, while the
efficiency of the heat engine increases at a higher
temperature (Duffie and Beckman, 2013)
Solar Energy Systems
- PV Solar Systems -
RECAP!
Mechanism of Photovoltaic
Solar PV System (Solar Farm)
Off-Grid PV System (OGPV)
Off-Grid Hybrid PV System (OGHPV)
 Grid-
Connected
PV System
(GCPV)
Grid-Connected PV System (GCPV)
Grid-Connected PV System (GCPV)
Grid-Connected PV System (GCPV)
 Calculate home load (AC+DC
Step 1 loads)

Step 2 Battery Selection

Basic Steps to Step 3 Solar Panel Selection

Installation
Off-Grid Solar Step 4 Charge Controller Selection
PV System for
Residential
Home Step 5 Inverter Selection

Step 6 Series and Parallel Connection

Step 7 Mounting the Solar Panel

References
 References

Step 1
 References

Step 2
 References

Step 3
 References

Step 4
 References

Step 5
 References
Step 6
RECAP!
 References
Step 6
 References
Step 6
 References
Step 6
 References
Step 6
 References

Step 7
 World Costs
and Price
Trends for PV

▪ In Malaysia this move is to ensure the price of

solar technology would soon be affordable to
all levels of society.
 ▪ Topic 2.1
Introduction – Solar Power & Energy

▪ Topic 2.2
Chapter 2 Solar Photovoltaics
Solar Energy

▪ Topic 2.3
Solar Energy Systems