Junior Skills

Solar Energy
Lesson 2
 0
RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Application of RE technology
to meet Energy needs in the Rural Areas

| Presentation Title | Presenter Name | Date | Subject |

Business Use Only
2
2
 Topics Covered
Renewable Energy Sources
• Solar Energy Technologies
• Biomass Technologies
• Small Hydro Energy Technologies
• Wind Energy Technologies
RE technologies and Applications
Energy Needs in Rural Areas and commercially available RE systems
 Renewable Energy Sources
• Renewable energy is generally defined as energy generated from resources which are naturally replenished on a
human timescale

• Major Renewable Energy Sources to meet rural energy requirements are:

1. Solar

3.Small Hydro 4. Wind

2.Biomass
 Renewable Energy Sources 1. Solar Energy
• Sun gives energy of about ~1372 W/m2. This is filtered through the atmosphere and is received at
the surface at ~1000 watts per square meter or less (average is 345 W/m 2).

• Air, clouds, rain, and haze reduce the

received surface energy

• This energy is captured as heat (thermal

energy) and by photovoltaic cells yielding
direct electrical energy
 Renewable Energy Sources 2. BIOMASS ENERGY
• Biomass is organic matter derived from living, or recently living organisms.
• Biomass can be used as a source of energy and it most often refers to plants or plant-based
materials that are not used for food or feed.

• Biomass contains stored energy.

• That's because plants absorb energy from the

sun through the process of photosynthesis.

• When biomass is burned, this stored energy is

released as heat.
 Renewable Energy Sources 3. HYDRO ENERGY
• Hydroelectric energy is energy derived from the movement of water.
• Water has mass. It falls and flows downward due to gravity.
• When it moves, it has kinetic energy which can be harnessed.
• Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity.
• The most common type of hydroelectric power plant uses a dam on a river to store water in a
reservoir.

Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity, which captures

the kinetic energy in rivers or streams, without a
large reservoir and sometimes without the use of
dams.
 Renewable Energy Sources 4. WIND ENERGY
• Wind energy (or wind power) describes the process by which wind is used to generate electricity.
• Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power.
• A generator can convert mechanical power into electricity.

Wind power is the use of air flow

through wind turbines to generate electricity

Wind energy is a form of solar energy.

 Application of RE technology
to meet Energy needs in the Rural Areas

Solar Energy Technologies

 1. Solar Energy Technology
• The Solar Photovoltaic technology uses visible part of sun radiation (light) and converts it
directly in to electricity.
• Solar PV technology produces electricity and can be used for any electrical application.

Solar PV Solar Thermal

• The technologies using heat (thermal) energy of solar radiation are called Solar thermal
technologies.
• Solar Thermal technology is used for Steam generation, water heating, drying, cooling and also
power generation
Solar PV Technology

• Solar PV technology makes use of Solar PV

Cells.

• A group of Solar Cells make a Solar PV

‘Module’

• These Modules are the building blocks for

Solar PV Power Plants to generate electricity.

• A PV system / plant can be designed to any

size based on energy requirements.
 PV System Components

Main components of PV systems are:

• Solar Array or Panel
• Charge Controller
• Inverter
• Battery
 Solar Thermal Energy Technology
• The technologies using heat (thermal) energy of solar radiation are called Solar thermal technologies.

• Solar Thermal technology is used either directly or by concentration which depends on the output temperature to be
achieved.

• Solar Thermal Technologies can be classified into the following categories depending upon the output temperature :

1. Low Temperature:- upto 100 degree Centigrade

2. Medium Temperature:- 100 to 300 degree Centigrade
3. High Temperature:- above 300 degree Centigrade
 Solar Thermal Energy Technology
Solar Thermal Low Temperature Technologies:- upto 100 degree Centigrade
Flat Plate collectors and use of direct Solar radiation are the most common technologies used for Solar Thermal
Low Temperature Applications.
Common Application : Water Heating, Space heating, Drying, Distillation.
 Solar Thermal Energy Technology
Solar Thermal Medium Temperature Technologies:- 100 to 300 degree Centigrade
Solar Cookers, ETC Collectors are the most common technologies used for Solar Thermal Medium
Temperature Technologies.
Common Applications: Water Heating, Cooking, Air Heating, Refrigeration ,
Air conditioning and Distillation.
 Solar Thermal Energy Technology
Solar Thermal High Temperature Technologies:- above 300 degree Centigrade
CPT, Paraboloid Distributed Receiver System are the most common application of Solar Thermal High
Temperature Technologies.
Common Applications: Process Heat and Power Generation.
 Application of RE technology
to meet Energy needs in the Rural Areas

Biomass Technologies
 Biomass Technologies
Technologies used to convert Biomass into useful form of energy are as follows:
1. Combustion
2. Gasification
3. Pyrolysis
4. Anaerobic Digestion
 Biomass Technologies
1. Combustion:
• Biomass combustion simply means burning organic
material.
• Humans have used this basic technology to create heat
and, later, to generate power through steam.
• While wood is the most commonly used feedstock, a
wide range of materials can be burned effectively.

2. Gasification
• Biomass gasification is thermo-chemical conversion of
biomass into a combustible gas mixture (producer gas)
through a partial combustion route with air supply
restricted to less than that theoretically required for full
combustion.
 Biomass Technologies
3. Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a subset of gasification systems. in pyrolysis,
the partial combustion is stopped at a lower temperature
(450°C to 600°C), resulting in the creation of a liquid bio-oil,
as well as gaseous and solid products. The pyrolysis oil can
then be used as a fuel to generate electricity.

4. Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion is a process which takes place in almost
any biological material that is decomposing and is favored by
warm, wet and airless conditions. The resulting gas consists
mainly of methane and carbon dioxide and is referred to as
biogas.
 Application of RE technology
to meet Energy needs in the Rural Areas

Small Hydro Energy Technologies

 3. Small / Mini / Micro Hydro
Small hydro is the generation of hydroelectric power on a scale serving a town, small community or
industrial plant.

In India, hydro projects up to 25 MW station capacities have been categorized as Small Hydro
Power (SHP) projects.
 
Small hydro power plants are further classified as

Class Station Capacity in kW

Micro Hydro Up to 100
Mini Hydro 101 to 2000
Small Hydro 2001 to 25000
 Small Hydro Power Plant (SHP)

OUTSIDE INSIDE

All Hydro power plants which have capacity more than 2 MW and less than 25 MW are known as Small Hydro Power
Plant
 Mini Hydro

All Hydro power plants which have capacity more than 100 kW and less than 2 MW are known as Mini Hydro
 Application of RE technology
to meet Energy needs in the Rural Areas

Wind Energy Technologies

 Wind Technology

Wind turbine produces power by converting the force

of the wind (kinetic energy) acting on the rotor blades
(rotational energy) into torque (turning force or
mechanical energy).

Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind

into mechanical power. This mechanical power can be
used for specific tasks (such as grinding grain or
pumping water) or a generator can convert this
mechanical power into electricity.
 Wind Technology
Following are the different types of Wind Technologies:
Savonius vertical axis wind turbine
These are drag-type devices with two (or more) scoops that are used in anemometers. 

Horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT) have the main rotor shaft and electrical generator at the top of a tower, and must be
pointed into the wind.

Vertical-axis wind turbines (or VAWTs) have the main rotor shaft arranged vertically. One advantage of this arrangement is
that the turbine does not need to be pointed into the wind to be effective.
 Wind Technology
Horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT) have the main rotor shaft and electrical generator at the top of a
tower, and must be pointed into the wind.

Most have a gearbox, which turns the slow rotation of the blades into a quicker rotation that is more
suitable to drive an electrical generator.

A Typical Arrangement of components in a wind

turbine is
 Application of RE technology
to meet Energy needs in the Rural Areas

Energy Needs in Rural Areas

and commercially available RE systems
Renewable Energy Systems for better Energy Access
• In many rural areas and villages, connections to central electric grid is very expensive and
may take years to reach.

• Further, grid connectivity does not fully address the need for access to sustainable heating
and cooking options.

• Renewable Energy sources and technologies can effectively address energy needs of
rural and remote areas
 Energy Needs in Rural Areas
In Rural Areas, Energy is mainly required for:
• Lighting

• Space heating / cooling

• Cooking

• Drinking Water

• Agricultural activities

• Small Industries / business

• Electricity for modern applications

 Renewable Energy Technologies for Rural Applications
Application RE Technology Type of Systems required in Rural Areas of NE
States
Lantern
Lighting Solar PV Home lights / Fans / TV / Street Lights
Small Power Plants
Water Heating Systems
Heating Solar Thermal
Solar Dryers
Improved Cook Stoves
Bio Mass
Cooking Bio Gas
Solar Solar Cookers
SPV pump for Irrigation
Water Pumping Solar PV SPV pump for Drinking water
Renewable Energy Technologies for Rural Applications

Application RE Technology Type of Systems required in Rural Areas of NE

States

Solar PV Small Power Plant

Wind Small wind turbines

Electricity for Small
Industries / business
Small / Pico-hydro Pico hydro power plant

Bio Mass Bio Mass Gasifier

Electric Charging Solar PV Mobile Charging / Radio

 RE in Rural Areas
• Renewable energy Technologies offer an unprecedented opportunity
to accelerate the transition to modern energy services in remote and
rural areas, while also offering co-benefits.
• Co-benefits include
• Improved health (through the displacement of indoor air pollution),
• Contributions to climate change mitigation,
• Positive effects on income growth,
• women’s empowerment and distributive equity.
• They can provide affordable lighting, enhance communications and
facilitate greater quality and availability of education.
 Advantages of decentralised systems
Advantages of decentralised systems include:
• Enables utilization of local resources
• applicability to small and remote communities
• reduced transmission and distribution losses,
• the allowance for direct and local private investment,
• local employment,
• increased security of supply of electricity
• improvements in reliability, speed of deployment, local spill-over costs and reduced
environmental burdens.
 Decentralised RE (DRE) Systems

• Decentralised Renewable Energy systems have proven to be both a

reliable and affordable means for achieving access to modern energy
services.
• DRE systems will only continue to grow more reliable and affordable as
technological improvements and innovative business models enable them
to spread to new markets.
• DRE systems stand at the centre of efforts to induce a paradigm shift
towards poverty eradication, green economies and, ultimately, sustainable
development.
Commercially available Small Scale Solar PV Applications

Portable Lanterns Home Lighting Home Loads like Street Lights

Systems Fans and TV

Water Pumps Solar Agro

Sprayer
Solar PV Application: Home Lighting
 Commercially available Solar Thermal Application:
Water Heating

• A solar water heater consists of a collector to collect solar energy and an insulated
storage tank to store hot water.
• The solar energy incident on the absorber panel coated with selected coating transfers
the heat to the riser pipes underneath the absorber panel.
• The water passing through the risers get heated up and is delivered to the storage tank.

1. Flat Plate Collectors (FPC) based Solar 2. Evacuated Tube Collectors (ETC) based
Water Heaters Solar Water Heaters
Commercially available solar drier for Agricultural Products

Agricultural products can be dried in a special tower

that uses a solar collector to heat air and channel it
through perforated trays of crops, which dries them and
carries the moisture out through the top.
 Commercially available Space Heating system

• Passive solar design involves using specific shapes, angles, and building materials to maximize the
amount of solar energy allowed into the interior of a building during cold months.
• Materials, such as concrete and stone, are used to absorb the sun’s energy and store it, releasing it
into the home at night after the sun has set. The thermal energy is released to the building slowly
over time, providing warmth throughout the night.
 Commercially available Clean Cook stoves

• These Types of Cook Stoves are cheaper in • They flame can be regulated by the help of a
comparison to Force Draft Cook Stoves. regulator.
• The Flame can be Regulated only by • Can be used for lighting and Mobile
adjusting the firewood Charging
• Cannot be used for any purpose other than
Heating
• These Cook stoves are costlier than Natural
Draft Cook Stove
 Commercially available Bio Gas Plants
Biogas typically refers to a mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of organic
matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas can be produced from raw materials such as
agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste or food
waste. Biogas is a renewable energy source and in many cases exerts a very small carbon
footprint.
Commercially available Small Wind Turbine

Small wind turbines are low cost, low maintenance and dependable alternative
energy generators which can be installed in short time in very little space and
virtually without any additional infrastructure.
Small Hydro End of Lesson 2 Biomass Gasifier