SOLAR ENERGY

REVIEW: ATOMIC STRUCTURE

•Three particles

Nucleus

Electrostatic Force

Strong nuclear force

Image by AG Caesar - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67059219
SUNLIGHT IS RADIANT ENERGY
UNEVEN SOLAR ILLUMINATION

The axial precession, or “tilt”, of Earth

causes variations in sunlight intensity
throughout the year. In spring and
autumn, the axis of Earth is
perpendicular to the incoming sunlight,
and on each equinox sunlight directly
strikes the Equator. In the Northern
Hemisphere, winter begins in December,
when sunlight directly impacts the
Tropic of Capricorn. Summer in the
Northern Hemisphere occurs when
upper latitudes are closer to the sun.
AVERAGE
DAILY
INSOLATION
PER
MONTH
AVERAGE
DAILY
INSOLATION
PER YEAR
MAJOR USES OF SOLAR ENERGY

Generating
Electrical
Drying Power
Space Water
Daylight Agricultural
Heating Heating • Concentrating
Products Solar Power
(CSP)
• Photovoltaics
DAYLIGHTING
DRYING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
SPACE HEATING THROUGH PASSIVE SOLAR
ACTIVE SOLAR HEATING
 SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGIES

Unglazed solar Transpired solar air Flat-plate solar

collectors collectors collectors

Evacuated tube Concentrating solar

solar collectors systems
Images source: EPA
CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER (CSP)
Using sunlight to heat a fluid, which in turn heats water into steam.
TROUGH SYSTEMS

Solar mirrors at the Noor 1 Concentrated Solar Power plant in Ouarzazate, Morocco. Courtesy Dewa
POWER TOWERS
IVANPAH, MOJAVE DESERT
The United States
houses the largest
CSP plant in the
Mojave Desert

It uses 347,000
garage door-sized
mirrors and
173,500 heliostats

Ivanpah is
operated by NRG
PHOTOVOLTAICS
Using sunlight directly to
generate electricity.
 SOLAR CELL
A solar cell is a device that converts light energy
into electrical energy using the photovoltaic
effect. It is also known as a Photovoltaic cell.
• A solar cell is made up of two types of silicon
semiconductors type, one is n-type silicon
semiconductor type and another p-type
silicon semiconductor type.
• There is a reflecting coat covered above the
solar cell to prevent any external shocks.
The solar
• cell’s middle layer is known as the p-n
junction diode.
• When the sunlight falls on the solar cell, the
solar energy from the sun in the form of
photons creates loose electrons on the n-
type semiconductor holes on the p-type
semiconductor.
• These created loose electrons are collected
on the aluminum layer and start flowing,
thus resulting in generating the electric
current.
PV CELL

Image of how a photovoltaic cell works.

N-TYPE
P-TYPE
 CURRENT FLOW IN A PV CELL
Phosphorus-doped (N-type)
Photovoltaic Cell Silicon layer ~ 0.3:m
Electrical Load
(-)
DC Current Flow

(+)
Boron-doped (P-type)
Silicon layer ~ 250:m
COMPONENTS THAT MAKE A SOLAR PANEL
One cell produces about 0.5 V; larger cells
produce more current

Cells are connected in series to create

modules (increases voltage)

Modules are connected in parallel to create

arrays (increases current)

A “solar panel” is an array

Solar farms are often also called arrays –

technically an array of arrays
CONVERSION EFFICIENCY 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 % =
𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
× 100
SOLAR SYSTEM COMPONENTS
CONNECTING TO THE GRID AND NET METERING
 CUSTOMERS PARTICIPATING IN NET METERING
3,500,000

3,000,000

2,500,000
Residential
Number of Customers

Commercial
2,000,000

1,500,000

1,000,000

500,000

-
Data source: EIA 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
SOLAR PV IN ALGERIA
Algeria has the highest technical and economical potential for
solar power exploitation in the MENA region, with about 170
Terawatt-hours per year. Listed below are the five largest
active solar PV power plants by capacity in Algeria, according
to GlobalData’s power plants database.
• The Sonelgaz Algeria Solar PV Park is a 233 MW solar PV
power project located in Adrar, Algeria.
• The 60 MW Laghouat Solar PV Park solar PV power project
is located in Laghouat, Algeria.
• The Djelfa Solar PV Park is a 53 MW solar PV project.
• The Ouargla Solar PV Park solar PV project with a capacity
of 30 MW came online in 2015.
• The 29.88 MW solar PV project is located in Saida, Algeria.
SOLAR PV IN THE UNITED STATES
SOLAR IN ELECTRIC UTILITY GROWTH
TOP COUNTRIES FOR INSTALLED PV CAPACITY

Image Source: ren21.net

PROJECTED GLOBAL PV GROWTH
ADVANTAGES OF USING SOLAR ENERGY

No emissions Sunlight is a free

from generation energy source

Provide
Sustainable electricity to
remote locations
DISADVANTAGES OF USING SOLAR ENERGY

Less efficient and costly equipment

•25% vs 35% of thermal power plant; ignores

transmission losses
•Residential systems about $3.50/watt installed

Peak production does not coincide with

peak demand for electricity

Amount of power available depends on

location and season

Environmental impact of PV cell production

Image: Quartz crystal