Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By, N Venkata Srinath, MS Power Systems
By, N Venkata Srinath, MS Power Systems
N Venkata Srinath,
MS Power Systems.
Introduction
Solar energy is a very large, inexhaustible source of energy. The power
from the sun intercepted by the earth is approximately 1.8 X 1011 MW
which is many thousands of times larger than the present consumption
rate.
Thus, in principle, solar energy could supply all present and future
energy needs of the world on a continuing basis.
However, there are many problems associated with its use. The main
problem is that it is dilute source of energy.
The second problem is that its availability varies widely with time. The
variation in availability occurs daily because of the day-night cycle and
also seasonally because of the earths orbit around the sun.
(requirement of storage)
Radiation
Energy radiated by the sun as electromagnetic waves of which 99
percent have wave lengths in the range of 0.2 to 4.0 micrometers.
The rate at which solar energy arrives at the top of the atmosphere is
called the solar constant. This is the amount of energy received in unit
time on a unit area perpendicular to the suns direction.
Solar radiation that has not been absorbed or scattered and reaches the
ground directly from the sun is called direct radiation or beam
radiation.
Diffuse radiation is that solar radiation received from the sun after its
direction has been changed by reflection and scattering by the
atmosphere. Because this scattering takes place in all directions,
diffuse radiation comes from all parts of the sky.
Insolation:- the total solar radiation received at any point on the earths
surface is the sum of direct radiation and diffuse radiation.
Solar Energy Collectors
Utilization of solar energy requires solar collectors.
Solar collector is a device which collects solar radiation and transfer the
energy to a working fluid passing in contact with it.
Tubes, fins, passages or channels are integral with the collector absorber
plate or connected to it, which carry the water, air or other fluid.
Photons with energy greater than Band gap energy are absorbed and
excite some of the electrons. (valence to conduction).
When light (photons) hits the solar cell, some of the photons are
absorbed in the region of the junction, freeing electrons in the silicon
crystal.
If the photons have enough energy, the electrons will be able to overcome
the electric field at the junction and are free to move through the silicon
and into an external circuit.
Indian scenario
India is located in the equatorial sun belt of the earth, thereby receiving
abundant radiant energy from the sun.
India receives solar energy equivalent to over 5,000 trillion kWh per year.
The daily average solar energy incident over India varies from 4 -7 kWh
per square meter depending upon the location.
The utilization of solar energy in the country is regularly increasing,
however, the high initial cost of the solar energy systems is a barrier in
its large-scale utilization.
Further, a collector area of about 2.15 million square meter has been
installed for solar water heating applications.
For projects approved and commissioned by 31st December, 2009, the
Ministry will provide generation based incentive up to Rs.12 per kWh
for solar photovoltaic power and Rs.10 per kWh for solar thermal
power after taking in to account the tariff provided by the State
Electricity Regulatory Commissions.
Websites
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy <www.mnre.gov.in>
Ministry of Power Government of India < www.powermin.nic.in>
Solar India online <www.solarindiaonline.com>
Trade India <www.tradeindia.com>