Solar Thermal

EEE 483
RENEWABLE ENERGY

M Rezwan Khan, PhD Avijit Saha

Executive Director, Co-ordinator,
Institute of Advanced Research Power & Energy Training Academy
Professor, Dept. of EEE, UIU Lecturer, Dept. of EEE, UIU
 Solar Technologies

Solar Photovoltaic Solar Thermal

Technology Technology
Converts sunlight directly Harnesses heat from the
into electricity. sun to generate thermal
energy or electrical energy.
 Solar Thermal Applications

Passive Solar Technology

Provides light and harnesses heat from the sun to warm our homes
and businesses in winter.

Solar Water Heating

Harnesses heat from the sun to provide hot water for homes and
businesses.

Solar Process Heat

Uses solar energy to heat or cool commercial and industrial buildings.

Concentrating Solar Power

Harnesses heat from the sun to provide electricity for large power
stations.
 Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

 CSP technologies use mirrors to reflect and concentrate

sunlight onto receivers that collect solar energy and convert it
to heat.

 Thermal energy can then be used to produce electricity via a

turbine or heat engine driving a generator.

 In the United States alone, between 11 and 21 gigawatts of CSP

could be built and integrated into existing fossil fuel plants to
reduce their carbon emissions – that’s enough electricity to
power to between 3 million and 6 million homes.

 Three types of CSP systems: linear concentrator, dish/engine,

and power tower systems.
 Linear Concentrator Systems

This method uses flat or U-shaped mirrors. The mirrors are

lined up in a north-south direction and they follow the Sun as
it moves from east to west. Instead of focusing light at a single
point, the light is directed along a pipe containing the liquid to
be heated.
 Linear Concentrator Systems

Parabolic Trough Linear Fresnel

Systems
Receiver tubes are positioned
along the focal line of each
parabolic mirror.
Reflector
One receiver tube is positioned
above several mirrors to allow
the mirrors greater mobility in
tracking the sun.
 Dish/Engine Systems

This method uses dish-shaped mirrors, like shiny

satellite dishes. Each dish focuses light into a single
narrow beam directed at its own small generator. Here,
every dish has a generator..
 Power Tower Systems

This method uses a large number of mirrors named

heliostats. These mirrors are all directed at one single
point—a tall tower containing the liquid to be heated.
 Solar Thermal for Cooking

 A solar cooker is a device which uses the energy of direct

sunlight to heat, cook or pasteurize drink and other food
materials.
 Principle of Solar Thermal Cooking

 Concentrating sunlight: A mirror, or reflective

metal, is used to reflect the sunlight so that it is
concentrated and the energy is stronger.

 Converting light to heat: Parts of the inside of the

cooker are painted black. Black surfaces absorb and
retain heat which is important for keeping the cooker
hot.

 Trapping heat: Isolating the air inside the cooker

from the air outside the cooker makes an important
difference. A plastic or glass cover creates a greenhouse
effect within the oven to make sure that the heat is
allowed in but can’t escape out.
 Why Solar Cooking?

 Solar cookers prevent deforestation.

 Solar cookers prevent pollution.
 Solar cookers take longer to cook food but are easy to
run.

 There are over 100,000 solar cookers being used in both

India and China.
 More than 5000 families in Kenya are using solar
cookers because of Solar Cookers International
 Developing countries are fuel poor but sun rich
 In the Touloum Refugee Camp in Chad, Africa, 5,000
women have been trained to use solar cookers and about
16,000 have been distributed.
Solar Thermal for Water Heating
 Solar Thermal for Water Heating

 Collectors absorb the sun’s heat energy and transfer

it to a heat transfer fluid in the system. A pump
moves the hot fluid to a domestic water tank where
the heat is transferred to the water through a heat
exchanger. The now cool heat transfer fluid
circulates back to the collector to gather more heat.

 Hot water throughout the year.

 Reduced energy bills.
 Lower carbon footprint.
Thank you