A Seminar Report On

Solar powered Housing

Department of electrical Engineering

Presented by :- Vishal Dagade

Shubham Dalavi
Ganesh Parkale

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 Guide By:- Prof.Gophane T. P.
CONTENTS
Sr. No INDEX Page NO

1. Abstract

2. concept solar powered housing

3. Working of photovoltaic cell

4. List of components

5. Selection criteria of components

6. Types of solar power systems:-

6.1 OFF- Grid system

6.2 ON- Grid system
6.3 Hybrid system
7. Other related data to solar power plant:-

7.1 Maintenance of solar power plant

7.2 Life span of solar panel

7.3 Costing of solar plant installation

8 Benefits and Limitations:-

8.1 Benefits
8.2 Limitations
9 Total capacity of Solar plant in INDIA

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 10 Applications

11 Conclusion

1. Introduction :-
Solar power plant is based on the conversion of sunlight
in to electricity,either directly using photovoltaic [pv] ,or indirectily
using concentrated solar power is thermal power plant.
photovoltaic converts light into electric current using the photoelectric
effect. Concentrated solar power plants first appeared in the 1980s.
Concentrated solar power systems use lences and mirrors and
tracking systems to focous a large area of sunlight into a small beam.
Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into
electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), indirectly using
concentrated solar power, or a combination. ... Photovoltaic cells
convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect.
Solar panels work by absorbing sunlight with photovoltaic cells,
generating direct current (DC) energy and then converting it to usable
alternating current (AC) energy with the help of inverter technology.
AC energy then flows through the home's electrical panel and is
distributed accordingly.

2. What is solar powered housing?

A house which generates electricity by means of solar
energy or run on solar energy is known as solar powered house.

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 Solar panels work by absorbing sunlight with
photovoltaic cells, generating direct current (DC) energy and then
converting it to usable alternating current (AC) energy with the help of
inverter technology. AC energy then flows through the home's
electrical panel and is distributed accordingly.
If you stay on the grid (the traditional electric system),
you can still use traditional utility-provided power in situations where
you can't make enough power or don't have any power stored. ...
Planning to run your house completely on solar power requires
considerable financial, mental and emotional investments.
Hybrid systems combine solar and battery storage in
one and are now available in many different forms and configurations.
Due to the decreasing cost of battery storage, systems that are already
connected to the electricity grid can start taking advantage of battery
storage as well.

3. Working of photovoltaic cell :-

Photovoltaic cells are made up of semiconductor like silicon. When
solar rays falling on solar cell solar energy absorbed into the
semiconductor material . Due to the one and more electric fields the
elecrtons to flow in one direction.

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How does a photovoltaic solar cell generate electricity?
Photovoltaic cells, through the photovoltaic effect,
absorb sunlight and generate flowing electricity. This process varies
depending on the type of solar technology, but there are a few steps
common across all solar photovoltaic cells.
Step 1: Light is absorbed by the solar cell and knocks electrons loose
First, light strikes a photovoltaic cell and is absorbed by the
semiconducting material it is made from (usually silicon). This
incoming light energy causes electrons in the silicon to be knocked
loose, which will eventually become the solar electricity you can use
in your home
Step 2: Electrons begin to flow, creating an electrical current
There are two layers of silicon used in photovoltaic cells, and each
one is specially treated, or “doped”, to create an electric field,
meaning one side has a net positive charge and one has a net negative
charge. This electric field causes loose electrons to flow in one
direction through the solar cell, generating an electrical current.

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Step 3: The electrical current is captured and combined with other
solar cells
Once an electrical current is generated by loose electrons, metal plates
on the sides of each solar cell collect those electrons and transfer them
to wires. At this point, electrons can flow as electricity through the
wiring to a solar inverter and then throughout your home.
Many photovoltaic cells together produce solar electricity for
your home:-
A photovoltaic cell on its own cannot produce enough usable
electricity for more than a small electronic gadget. In order to produce
the amount of energy a home might need, solar cells are wired
together to create solar panels, which are installed in groups to form a
solar energy system. A typical residential solar panel with 60
photovoltaic cells combined might produce anywhere from 220 to
over 400 watts of power.
Depending on factors like temperature, hours of sunlight, and
electricity use, property owners will need varying amounts of solar
panels to produce enough energy. Regardless, installing a solar panel
system will likely include several hundred solar photovoltaic cells
working together to generate and electrical current. You can use the
EnergySage Solar Calculator to get an idea of the savings you might
see from a solar panel installation ,solar to start having photovoltaic
cells work

4. List of components :-
4.1 Battery :- It is used to store electricity so that it can
be used be as a back up power when panel is unable to produce
electricity

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 4.1.1 Working principle of solar battery:-
Conversion of light energy in electrical energy is based on
a phenomenon called photovoltaic effect. When semiconductor
materials are exposed to light, the some of the photons of light ray are
absorbed by the semiconductor crystal which causes a significant
number of free electrons in the crystal. This is the basic reason for
producing electricity due to photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic cell is
the basic unit of the system where the photovoltaic effect is utilised to
produce electricity from light energy. Silicon is the most widely used
semiconductor material for constructing the photovoltaic cell. The
silicon atom has four valence electrons. In a solid crystal, each silicon
atom shares each of its four valence electrons with another nearest
silicon atom hence creating covalent bonds between them. In this
way, silicon crystal gets a tetrahedral lattice structure. While light ray
strikes on any materials some portion of the light is reflected , some
portion is transmitted through the materials and rest is absorbed by the
materials.

4.1.2 Types of solar batteries:-

1. LEAD ACID :- The common automobile batteries in which
the electrodes are grids of metallic lead-containing lead oxides

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 that change in composition during charging and discharging.
The electrolyte is diluted sulfuric acid
2. NIFE [NICKEL IRON]:-
ALKALINE-TYPE ELECTRIC
CELLS USING POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE AS THE
ELECTROLYTE AND ANODES OF STEEL WOOL SUBSTRATE
WITH ACTIVE IRON MATERIAL AND CATHODES OF NICKEL
PLATED STEEL WOOL SUBSTRATE WITH ACTIVE NICKEL
MATERIAL. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL "EDISON CELL". VERY
LONG LIFE.
3. LITHIUM :-
Lithium batteries have many advantages over
traditional battery types. They have an extremely long cycle life and
high discharge and recharge rates.

4.1.3 Uses/Applications of solar[rechargeable] battery:-

1] Off Grid Systems
2] Energy Storage for backup power
3]Solar street Lights
4] Smart Grid Systems
5] Solar cars, Bikes
6] Solar home lighting etc.

4.2 solar panel:- It is a set of solar photovoltaic cell which

connected in series and parallel and mounted on supporting structure

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which generate electricity

4.2.1 Construction of solar panel:-

The main part of a silicon (Si) solar cell
generating solar power is formed by two differently doped (n- and p-)
silicon layers. A physical barrier is created between them along the
p/n- junction, with electrons and holes diffusing into regions of lower
concentration.
This depleted region or space charge region can only be
overcome with the help of photons i.e. sunlight.
To be able to channel electrones and holes and generate
electric power, metal contacts need to be printed onto the front and
rear side. Generally, a full aluminium or silver layer is screenprinted
onto the rear. A thin grid forms the front contact keeping the impact
on light entering the silicon cells as low as possible.To reduce light
reflection, a thin film of silicon nitride or titanium dioxide is coated
onto the surface.

4.2.2 What materials are used to make a solar panel:-

• Different types of silicon are used:-
1] Monocrystalline silicon
2] Epitaxial silicon development
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3] Polycrystalline silicon
4] Ribbon silicon
5] Mono-like-multi silicon (MLM)
6] Cadmium telluride 8]
Silicon thin film

4.2.3 Different types of chemicals are used:-

1] Hydrochloric acid, copper, trichlorosilane gas and silicon waste
2] Cadmium
3] Nitrogen trifluoride and sulfur hexafluoride
4] Copper indium selenide and copper indium gallium
(di)selenide

4.2.4 Different type of minerals are used:-

1]Arsenic (used in semi-conductor chips)
2]Aluminum, Boron minerals (used in semi-conductor chips)
3] Cadmium (used in certain types of cells)
4] copper (used in wiring and certain types of cells),
5] Gallium ,Indium (used in solar cells)

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4.2.5 Working principle of solar panel:-
It generates electricity by using sunlight to make electrons
hop across the junction between the different flavors of silicon: When
sunlight fall on the cell, photons (light particles) bombard the upper
surface. The photons (yellow blobs) carry their energy down through
the cell.

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4.2.6 Recycling of solar panel:-[Tip]
In addition to taking valuable landfill space, many PV
panels contain heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead .The solution,
of course, is to recycle the panels. The Challenges of Solar Panel
Recycling .Solar panel recycling is no easy task, because the units are
assembled from multiple, extremely different materials.

4.3 Inverter :- Electricity produce by solar energy is in direct

current [dc] form, and most electrical appliances require alternating
current [ac], so inverter is necessary to change ac into dc

If the power fails, what you have at your disposal is charged-up

batteries that will produce direct current, but which need to produce
alternating current to power your home. So when the UPS is
supplying energy, the batteries pump DC through an inverterproduce
AC.

4.4 Switchboard:-
(electricity consumption.) AC electricity from the inverter is sent to
the switchboard where it is directed to the various circuits and
appliances in your house that require electricity. Any excess
electricity generated by the solar system is sent to either the electricity
grid or a battery storage system if you have a off-grid or hybrid
system. Hybrid systems can export excess electricity and store excess
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 energy in a batter y.

DCDB controls the DC power from Solar Panels and with having
necessary surge protection device (SPD) and fuses to protect the solar
panels strings and solar inverter from any type of damage. All
switches at the circuit breakers, connectors confirm to act IEC 6094.

4.5 Net meter :- [ for on grid system] A measuring meter which

will calculate how much energy you have taken from grid and also
supplied to grid

4.6 CHARGE CONTROLLER:-

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 A charge controller or charge regulator is basically a voltage and/or
current regulator to keep batteries from overcharging. It regulates the
voltage and current coming from the solar panels going to the battery.
Generally, there is no need for a charge controller with the small
maintenance, or trickle charge panels, such as the 1 to 5-watt panels.
A rough rule is that if the panel puts out about 2 watts or less for each
50 battery amp-hours, then you don't need one.
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is the most effective means to
achieve constant voltage battery charging by switching the solar
system controller's power devices. When in PWM regulation, the
current from the solar array tapers according to the battery's condition
and recharging needs.

5. Selection criteria of components :-

5.1 Battery:- The first thing you have to decide on is of you
are going to use a 12v, 24v or 48v DC system. The advantages to
using a larger DC voltage system is that the cables will need to use
can be of smaller gauge . and decide according to total load in kwh.

5.2 Inverter:- To determine the inverter size we must found

the peak load or maximum wattage of your home . This is found by
adding up the wattage of the appliances and devices that could be run
at same time.

5.3 Charge controller :- Once you have sized your battery

bank and solar panel array, determining which charge controller to
use is comparatively straight forward . All we have to do is find the
current through the controller by using power = voltage * current

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.Take the power produced by the solar panels and divide by the
voltage of the batteries. For example:
Example: Our solar array producing 800w
and charging battery bank is of 12v.
then the controller size will be = 800/12 =67A
Now multiply by value of safty factor 1.25 and it gives the
value = 67*1.25
= 84A

6. Types of solar powered system :-

6.1 OFF GRID SYSTEM:-
An off-grid system is not connected to
the electricity grid and therefore requires battery storage. An off-grid
solar system must be designed appropriately so that it will generate
enough power throughout the year and have enough battery capacity
to meet the home’s requirements, even in the depths of winter when
there is less sunlight.

The high cost of batteries and inverters means off-grid systems are
much more expensive than on-grid systems and so are usually only

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needed in more remote areas that are far from the electricity grid.
However battery costs are reducing rapidly, so there is now a growing
market for off-grid solar battery systems even in cities and towns.
How off-grid solar systems work:-
There are different types of off-grid systems which we will
go into more detail later, but for now I will keep it simple. This
description is for an AC coupled system, in a DC coupled system
power is first sent to the battery bank, then sent to your appliances.
The battery bank :- In an off-grid system there is no public
electricity grid. Once solar power is used by the appliances in your
property, any excess power will be sent to your battery bank. Once
the battery bank is full it will stop receiving power from the solar
system. When your solar system is not working (night time or cloudy
days), your appliances will draw power from the batteries.
Backup Generator. For times of the year when the batteries are low
on charge and the weather is very cloudy you will generally need a
backup power source, such as a backup generator or gen-set. The size
of the gen-set (measured in kVA) should to be adequate to supply
your house and charge the batteries at the same time.

6.2 ON GRID SYSTEM:-

On-grid or grid-tie solar systems are by far the most
common and widely used by homes and businesses. These systems do
not need batteries and use common solar inverters and are connected
to the public electricity grid. Any excess solar power that you
generate is exported to the electricity grid and you usually get paid a
feed-in-tariff (FiT) or credits for the energy you export.

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 Unlike hybrid systems, on-grid solar systems are not able
to function or generate electricity during a blackout due to safety
reasons. Since blackouts usually occur when the electricity grid is
damaged; If the solar inverter was still feeding electricity into a
damaged grid it would risk the safety of the people repairing the
fault/s in the network. Most hybrid solar systems with battery storage
are able to automatically isolate from the grid (known as islanding)
and continue to supply some power during a blackout.
Batteries are able to be added to on-grid systems at a later
stage if required. The popular Tesla Powerwall 2 is an AC battery
which can be added to an existing solar system.

In an on-grid system, this is what happens after electricity reaches the

switchboard:
The meter:- Excess solar energy runs through the meter, which
calculates how much power you are either exporting or importing
(purchasing).Metering systems work differently in many states and
countries around the world. In this description I am assuming that the
meter is only measuring the electricity being exported to the grid, as is
the case in most of Australia. In some states, meters measure all solar
electricity produced by your system, and therefore your electricity
will run through your meter before reaching the switchboard and not
after it. In some areas (currently in California), the meter measures
both production and export, and the consumer is charged (or credited)

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for net electricity used over a month or year period. I will explain
more about metering in a later blog.
The electricity grid :- Electricity that is sent to the grid from your
solar system can then be used by other consumers on the grid (your
neighbours). When your solar system is not operating, or you are
using more electricity than your system is producing, you will start
importing or consuming electricity from the grid.
6.3 Hybrid System :-
Modern hybrid systems combine solar and battery
storage in one and are now available in many different forms and
configurations. Due to the decreasing cost of battery storage, systems
that are already connected to the electricity grid can start taking
advantage of battery storage as well. This means being able to store
solar energy that is generated during the day and using it at night.
When the stored energy is depleted, the grid is there as a back up,
allowing consumers to have the best of both worlds. Hybrid systems
are also able to charge the batteries using cheap off-peak electricity
(usually after midnight to 6am).

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There are also different ways to design hybrid systems but we will
keep it simple for now.

The battery bank.:- In hybrid system once solar power is used by the
appliances in your property, any excess power will be sent to your
battery bank. Once the battery bank is full, it will stop receiving
power from the solar system.
The meter and electricity grid:- Depending on how your hybrid
system is set up and whether your utility allows it, once your batteries
are fully charged excess solar power not required by your appliances
can be exported to the grid via your meter. When your solar system is
not in use, and if you have drained the usable power in your batteries
your appliances will then start drawing power from the grid.

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7. Other related data to solar power plant:-

7.1 Maintenance of solar PV system :-

 Solar PV systems are durable and do not require regular
maintenance
 The only maintenance to be done regularly is to clean the dust
particles deposited on the panels which can be done by
showering water on the panel from the lower floor.

 This basic cleaning routine ensures that the sun can shine
brightly on the panel, maximizing the amount of light available
to turn into electrical power.

7.2 Life span of solar panel:-

 The output of the solar panels degrades by about 0.8% every
year.
 Solar systems modules have 25 years of useful life with 80 % of
power still available at the end of that time period.

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7.3 Costing of solar plant installation :-
 The range for 1kw system quoted at the expo by various
solutions providers is between Rs 1.20 lakhs to Rs 1.8 lakhs.
 Cost of 3750w solar system is up to 4.3 Lakhs

8. Benefits and Limitations:-

8.1 Benefit of power system s :--
 Solar energy is renewable energy
 The solar energy is a very large inexhaustible and renewable
source of energy.
 Solar power reduces your carbon footprint
 It is the best alternative for the rapid depletion of fossil fuels.

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 8.2 Limitations of power system :-
 Solar power cannot be obtained at night.
 Solar [cell] panel are very expensive
 Air pollution and whether can affect the production of electricity
 Large area required for panel installation
 It is a low grade energy means unit/area is less

9. Total capacity of India [s .p .p] :-

SR. STATES CAPACITY
NO [IN MW]
1 Andaman and Nicobar 5.10
2 Andhra pradesh 475.74
3 Gujarat 1024.15
4 Punjab 300.2
5 Rajasthan 1264.35
6 Telangana 392.39
7 Uttar pradesh 140.00
8 West Bengal 7.21
9 Maharashtra 500
10 Another 200
Total capacity in MW 4309.14

10. Applications :-
1] Rural Hamlets…
2] Hospitals
3] Educational Institutions
4] Government Offices
5].

Petrol pump

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6] Commercial buildings
7] Workshop

11. Conclusion :-
A solar energy is renewable and pollution less energy. Solar power
reduces your carbon footprint .It is the best alternative for the rapid
depletion of fossil fuels.
Conversion of solar energy in to electrical energy is also easy and
convenient by using off-grid system, on-grid system and hybrid
system. By using on-grid system we can export the electricity to grid
of MSEB ,so it is helpful to reduce the electricity bill offered by
MSEB. Solar is very useful now days to reduce rapid consumption.

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