Solar Report
Solar Report
of the Center's papers about the process were recently published in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
That means only one percent of the solar power that reaches the device
is currently used to convert water into fuel. Meyer says the process
wouldn't be viable on a commercial scale until technology reached about
10 percent efficiency, which could take a few decades.
Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly
using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar power
(CSP). Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and
tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam.
Photovoltaics convert light into electric current using the photovoltaic
effect.
Photovoltaics were initially, and still are, used to power small and
medium-sized applications, from the calculator powered by a single
solar cell to off-grid homes powered by a photovoltaic array. They are an
important and relatively inexpensive source of electrical energy where
grid power is inconvenient, unreasonably expensive to connect, or
simply unavailable. However, as the cost of solar electricity is falling,
Day is the time of peak load demand and solar energy is easily
available.
Because the equipments involved in solar energy conversion and
storage are relatively long-lasting and require lower maintenance,
the energy infrastructure lasts longer.
Lower cost of running and ROI on grid-tie up.
Relative to traditional thermal power, solar energy produces clean
energy without causing any pollution.
Availability of free solar power in every part of the world, and
can be used almost anywhere.
2. Solar energy for off-grid
Such systems may or may not have a power storage facility in the
form of batteries. Such remote power systems can be installed for
many reasons. This includes the following:
A desire to depend on renewable energy that is free from
pollution and is safe for the environment.
A desire to combine different available options of power to create
a hybrid source of power generation.
A desire for becoming independent from the inconsistent or fault
ridden grid connection.
Availability of power storage systems like batteries.
Absence of overhead wires elimination of power loss during
transmission.
For use in different products and purposes like heating, cooking,
lighting, communication equipments, pumping or in small scale
industry.
Applications
1. Architecture and urban planning
Advantages
Disadvantages
: SOLAR PANEL
A solar cell (also called a photovoltaic cell) is an electrical device that
converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic
effect its electrical characteristics, e.g. current, voltage, or resistance
vary when light is incident upon it and can generate and support an
electric current without being attached to any external voltage source.
Inverter 2 years all India support warranty, Solar panel 25 years process
warranty, Battery 3 Years manufactures warranty
Applications:
1) Solar cells are often electrically connected and encapsulated as a
module.
Photovoltaic modules often have a sheet of glass on the front (sun up)
side, allowing light to pass while protecting the semiconductor wafers
from abrasion and impact due to wind-driven debris, rain, hail, etc.
2) Solar cells are also usually connected in series in modules, creating an
additive voltage.
3) Connecting cells in parallel will yield a higher current shadow effects
can shut down the weaker(less illuminated) parallel string (a number of
series connected cells) causing substantial power loss and even
damaging the weaker string because of the excessive reverse bias
applied to the shadowed cells by their illuminated partners.
Major types:
1. Crystalline silicon: a) mono-crystalline
b) poly-crystalline
c) mono-like-multi silicon
2. Amorphous silicon
3. Cadmium telluride
4. Copper indium selenide/sulfide
5. Gallium arsenide multi junction
Mono-crystalline: Single-crystal wafer cells tend to be expensive,
and because they are cut from cylindrical ingots.
Poly-crystalline: made from cast square ingots large blocks of
molten silicon carefully cooled and solidified .Poly-Si cells are less
expensive to produce than single crystal silicon cells, but are less
efficient.
Working:
The operation of a photovoltaic (PV) cell requires 3 basic attributes:
1. The absorption of light by semiconductor materials (like silicon),
generating either electron-hole pairs or excitants.
Efficiency:
Single pn junction crystalline silicon devices are now approaching the
theoretical limiting power efficiency of 33.7%.
Comparison between poly-crystalline and mono-crystalline:
1) Atomic arrangement:Mono-crystalline silicon (sc-Si) modules have
ordered atomic structure while Poly-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) has more
disordered atomic structure.
2) Efficiency:Mono-crystalline silicon (sc-Si) modules have higher
conversion efficiency about 14% to 20% while poly-crystalline silicon
(mc-Si) modules have lower efficiency about 11% to 15%.
Due to their proven and reliable technology, long life times and
abundant primary resources. Their efficiency is expected to reach 21
percent in the long term.
Circuit diagram:
How to connect multiple solar panels:
fig.
9.h
As per our
battery
specification
we need approx 25Ah current rating and 4*12V voltage rating
so when charging the battery we connect 2-2 panels in series and
combination to parallel as shown in diagram,
Now we got approx 36.68V voltage and 10.9A current which can charge
our battery in approx 2 hrs 15 min
And when we have to run motor via panel we connect all the panels in
parallel that will give approx 21.8A current and 18.34V voltage that will
give 400W rating approx.
Specification:
Specification:
Model: SL100TU18P
Power: 100W
Voltage: 18.34V
Current: 5.45A
Efficiency: 14.12%
Power Tolerance: -3% to +3%
Operating Temperature: -40 to 85*C
Cost:
Quantity: 4 panels
Total cost: Rs 12280 INR approx
New Nanoparticles to Make Solar Panels More Efficient and Cheaper
A new class of nanoparticles is capable of converting sunlight more
efficiently into electricityeven when exposed to airThe researchers are
very confident that these solid, stable, light-sensitive nanoparticles will
help them create cheaper and more flexible solar cells. These
nanoparticles are called colloidal quantum dots. The nanoparticles have
a great potential to revolutionize the solar panel industry by offering
more cost-efficient solar panels for homes and businesses.
Colloidal quantum dots can be used to create less expensive infrared
light emitting diodes, infrared lasers, solar cellsand next-gen gas
sensors.The study, published in Nature Materials this week, was led by
Professor Ted Sargent and ZhijunNing.
"The field of colloidal quantum dot photovoltaics requires continued
improvement in absolute performance, or power conversion efficiency.
The field has moved fast, and keeps moving fast, but we need to work
few years, purchasing large copper wiring and cables is quite expensive.
(that's why pennies are made of mostly zinc today).
A new material for solar panels could make them cheaper, more efficient
A unique solar panel design made with a new ceramic material points
the way to potentially providing sustainable power cheaper, more
efficiently, and requiring less manufacturing time. It also reaches a fourdecade-old goal of discovering a bulk photovoltaic material that can
harness energy from visible and infrared light, not just ultraviolet light.
Scaling up this new design from its tablet-size prototype to a full-size
solar panel would be a large step toward making solar power affordable
compared with other means of producing electricity. It would also help
the nation toward its goal of creating a national power grid that receives
one-third of its power through wind and solar sources.
Part of the reason solar panels have low efficiency is that the particles
collected from the sun enter the solar cell and spread out in all
directions. Getting them all to flow one direction typically requires
layers of different channeling material. Each time the particles pass
between these layers some get lost, decreasing the energy efficiency of
the solar cell. The teams new design uses fewer layers to limit loss and
uses ferroelectric material to use up less energy channeling the particles.
It took more than five years to model and design a material with this
combination of properties. The material uses perovskite crystals made
with a combination of potassium niobate and barium nickel niobate. It
has shown significant improvement over todays classic ferroelectric
material. The new material can absorb six times more energy and
The parent materials bandgap is in the UV range, Spanier said, but adding just 10
niobate moves the bandgap into the visible range and close to the desired value for e
conversion.
The first component needed is one or more Solar Panels. They
electricity and charge the batteries. A very small system could get
couple 80 watt panels but figure at least 4 to 8 for a small to medi
am currently using only 6 panels to completely power this Solar Ho
The Power Inverter is the heart of the system. It makes 120 volts AC from the 12
stored in the batteries. It can also charge the batteries if connected to a generator
line.
Summary
To summarize, there are four basic components: the Solar Panels, a Charge Contr
Storage Batteries. You will of course need the proper wires & cables to connect ev
eye on things would be nice. Depending on system size, costs vary widely from a
more. Much more information is available in the remaining tutorials. For more
the Advanced Tutorial section. And don't miss our new interactive Design Tools.
include the Solar Panels which generate the electricity, the Charge Controller to control battery
Inverter that makes 120 volts AC from the batteries to run your appliances, the storage batte
xcess power for use when the sun is weak or not available, and AC generators for back-up powe
ss the proper wire sizes used to connect the components together and meters & monitors to tra
ce and usage.
is an important parameter of PV modules. Module efficiency shows what part of the solar energ
odules surface is converted into electrical power.
power of the module however is not the real power the module can generate.
power output of the module is always less than the rated power, due to the following factors
dust cause losses when accumulated on the surface of a photovoltaic module. Dirt and dust partic
sunlight and thus reduce the power output. The content of dirt and dust in the air may vary with l
ally the highest in urban environment. Certainly in regions with heavy rainfall dirt losses tend to
fficiency denotes what part of the input DC power is converted into AC power. The percentage i
alues of inverter efficiency between 90% and 95% are widely assumed in practice.
must be avoided since even small shadows could severely reduce the performance of a PV modul
nsists of cells, and when gets shaded, any cell turns into a heat-dissipating resistor boosting dram
ature of the PV module. This results not only in unexpected reduction of the output voltage, but
the life cycle of cells and modules. When mounted on the roof, PV modules could easily underp
ding caused by trees, chimneys and other roof protrusions that can hard to eliminate.
ure is one of the most important factors to be considered when designing a PV system. Tempera
all the three main electrical parameters of a PV module voltage, current and power. When the
er, the output voltage goes down and visa versa when the weather gets colder, voltage goes up.
nt with power when temperature goes up, output power increases too.
ontrollers
d the Charge Controller tutorial to see why this device is necessary to protect the batteries
and supply them with the proper amount of energy to promote long battery life. The popul
ycle of PWM charge controllers is fully explained and shown visually on a multi-color chart. <
verters
r Inverter tutorial will cover the 3 basic types of power inverters so you can decide which one i
power inverter converts your storage battery power into the 120 volts AC that runs your applia
of your solar energy system. Unless you only run 12 volt DC appliances you will need a power
ur AC. <details>
atteries
torage Batteries to store energy you would only have power when the sun was shining or the
ng. Here we discuss 4 major categories of batteries for solar power systems. The batteries in yo
mportant. The care & feeding section of this tutorial is a must read to ensure long battery life
ce. <details>
rators
argest Solar Energy System would not have enough power for many consecutive days of no su
tutorial will tell you what size generator you'll need and the best techniques to use when char
nd/or supplying power to extra large appliances. <details>
Cables
t dangerous overheating or inefficient tranfer of power, the wires and cables in a solar power sy
y sized. This tutorial provides a convenient chart to determine wire size based on solar panel pow
stance between the solar panels and the batteries. For safety and good performance of your so
u will have to use the appropriate size wires when connecting the components of your system. <
Monitors
al explains the importance of monitoring your solar energy system. With the included voltage
determine the basic level of charge on your batteries using just a simple voltmeter. Taking prop
ries will ensure good system performance. <details>
Wiring Diagrams
w to use series and parallel wiring techniques to obtain exactly the power and voltage you want u
olt batteries. Series wiring, parallel wiring and using series/parallel combinations show you ho
ry bank into any configuration you need using simple pictorial diagrams. <details>
al shows a color coded map of the United States that displays the daily average hours of solar
. This information will assist you in calculating the number of solar panels you will need for
tem. Also included in this tutorial is a short explanation of Watts, WattHours, and AmpHours and
<details>
all together
k at a simple animation of all these components working together. This will give you an overv
equipment needed for a solar alternative energy system. <details>
Unless you plan on using battery power for everything, you will need a Power Inverter. S
modern conveniences all run on 120 volts AC, the Power Inverter will be the heart of your Sol
not only converts the low voltage DC to the 120 volts AC that runs most appliances, but
batteries if connected to the utility grid or a AC Generator as in the case of a totally independ
power system.
r inverters :
ensive and least desirable type. The square wave it produces is inefficient and is hard on many
sually fairly inexpensive, 500 watts or less, and use an automotive cigarette lighter plug-in. Don
wer inverters for a home system.
e power inverters :
most popular and economical type of power inverter. It produces an AC waveform somewhe
wave. Modified Sine Wave inverters, sometimes called Quasi-Sine Wave inverters are not real
ost demanding applications and even most computers work well with a Modified Sine Wave inv
e appliances that use motor speed controls or that use timers may not work quite right with a
more and more consumer products are using speed controls & timers, I would only recommend
ons such as a camping cabin.
wer inverters :
ower inverter produces the closest to a pure sine wave of all power inverters and in many ca
y company itself. It will run practically any type of AC equipment and is also the most expens
s are computer controlled and will automatically turn on and off as AC loads ask for service. I
I use a True Sine Wave power inverter myself and find that its automatic capabilities makes it se
e Xantrex 2500 watt power inverter I use has a search feature and checks every couple of seco
wers up automatically. You just flick on a light switch (or whatever) and it works. When you tur
for example, the power inverter shuts down to save battery power.
Sine Wave inverter (sometimes called a Quasi Sine Wave inverter) is nearly half the price o
recommend using a True Sine Wave inverter if you want to supply automatic power to a norma
evices. Also, most appliances run more efficiently and use less power with a True Sine Wave inv
power inverter.
erters
to normal Utility company power and just want to add some Free Sun Power electricity to red
a totally independent system, it is possible that a Grid Tie power inverter will suit your needs. W
ectricity that your solar panels produce will reduce the amount supplied by the utility compan
are producing more power than you are using, you can actually sell the extra power back to the
much smaller battery bank can be installed just to cover short term outages from a few minutes t
e frequent long term power outages and don't need back-up power, then you will not need any
mpany never fails? :)
siderations
s connected directly to the batteries and the main AC breaker panel to supply power from the
out Wires & Cables for more info on the necessary wire size for installing one or use our new W
onverts the low voltage DC to 120 volts AC. Power Inverters are available for use on 12, 24, or
Power Inverters can also charge the batteries if connected to the AC line. Alternatively, the AC
ator in the case of a stand-alone solar power system. When using a AC Generator to charge the
AC Generator power to the loads via a relay. This way the AC Generator not only charges t
wer while it is running. If your Generator is at least 5000 watts, you can charge your batterie
me.
distances between components. Also, our new Wire Size Calculator tool will calculate wires size
Summary
on a budget, a 2000 to 3000 watt Modified Sine Wave power inverter will do the job for aroun
$1000 more for a True Sine Wave power inverter if you want to be able to run anything and
her quality Power Inverters are computer controlled and once set-up, can control your 120
uto-start compatible AC Generators; all automatically.
vide real home power, A True Sine Wave inverter is really your best choice. The extra cost, in th
mance and reliability. For a small seasonal use cabin, a Modified Sine Wave inverter would prob
ULK : During the Bulk phase of the charge cycle, the voltage gradually rises to the Bulk l
ally 14.4 to 14.6 volts) while the batteries draw maximum current. When Bulk level voltag
hed the absorption stage begins.
BSORPTION : During this phase the voltage is maintained at Bulk voltage level for a spec
(usually an hour) while the current gradually tapers off as the batteries charge up.
LOAT : After the absorption time passes the voltage is lowered to float level (usually 13.4 to
s) and the batteries draw a small maintenance current until the next cycle.
onship between the current and the voltage during the 3 phases of the charge cycle can be show
ph below.
ge Controller is installed between the Solar Panel array and the Batteries where it automatically
on the batteries using the 3 stage charge cycle just decribed. The Power Inverter can also c
it is connected to the AC utility grid or in the case of a stand alone system, your own AC Gener
Summary
using four 75 to 80 Watt solar panels, your charge controller should be rated up to 40 amps. Ev
anels don't normally produce that much current, there is an 'edge of cloud effect'. Due to this ph
n my four 6 amp panels (4*6=24) pump out over 32 amps. This is well over their rated 24 amps m
stage 40 amp Charge Controller will run about $140 to $225 depending on features like LCD dis
o 80 watt solar panels you would need two 40 amp Charge Controllers to handle the power or
our system voltage to 24 volts and still use just one 40 amp Charge Controller. Check out Batte
for details on how to set-up your system voltage and see the actual wiring diagrams you
y Bank Designer which will display the required wiring with just 4 clicks!".
t the components of a Solar Energy System, you will need to use correct wire sizes to ensure lo
d to prevent overheating and possible damage or even fire. Below is a chart showing the required
engths to connect the solar panels to theCharge Controller. Use these numbers for a 12 volt
3% or less voltage drop.
The top row represents the Wire gauge size, the left column the number of amps the solar
rated at, and the grid cells show the distances in feet between the Solar Panels and th
Controller.
ple: If you have 3 solar panels rated at 6 amps each, mounted 30 feet from the Charge Controller
ve down the chart to 18 amps (3 panels * 6 amps), and across to 32.5 (closest to 30), and then up
would need at least #4 gauge wire (awg) to move 18 amps 30 feet with a minimum voltage drop
ceptable loss.
't find the exact numbers, choose either a larger gauge wire (smaller number) or select a distan
actual distance.
his chart is an approximate distance reference and is a little conservative. For a much more acc
e our new Wire Size Calculator tool. It can calculate wire size using 3%, 4%, or 5% losses plu
24, or 48 volt systems.
#12
#10
#8
#6
#4
#3
#2
#1
#1/0
22.7
36.3
57.8
91.6
146
184
232
292
369
15.2
24.2
38.6
61.1
97.4
122
155
195
246
11.4
18.2
28.9
45.8
73.1
91.8
116
146
184
9.1
14.5
23.1
36.7
58.4
73.5
92.8
117
148
7.6
12.1
19.3
30.6
48.7
61.2
77.3
97.4
123
6.5
10.4
16.5
26.2
41.7
52.5
66.3
83.5
105
5.7
9.1
14.5
22.9
36.5
45.9
58.0
73.0
92.0
5.1
8.1
12.9
20.4
32.5
40.8
51.6
64.9
81.9
4.6
7.3
11.6
18.3
29.2
36.7
46.4
58.4
73.8
3.6
5.8
9.3
14.7
23.4
29.4
37.1
46.8
59.1
3.1
4.8
7.7
12.2
19.5
24.5
30.9
38.9
49.2
2.6
4.2
6.6
10.5
16.7
20.9
26.5
33.4
42.2
2.3
3.6
5.8
9.2
14.6
18.4
23.2
29.2
36.9
ng the Batteries
ies are last. They will also require very large cables like the large battery cables
he full current to the loads and also the full charging current flow thru the entire
ank. Connect all the batteries with large high quality cables. Check out
y Wiring Diagrams tutorial for examples of Series and Parallel wiring
s that allow the use of battery voltages of 2, 4, 6, or 12 volts. Our newBattery
igner tool will show you how to connect the batteries for these various voltage
Your budget
Once you have chosen your type of PV module, you will find out how to
calculate how many PV modules you need to install and the overall cost
of your solar system.
Then you are going to find out:
How to calculate your solar energy production costs
How much you can save by a PV system over its guaranteed life
cycle
The payback period of your system.
If your stand-alone system contains an inverter, it should be replaced
after 12-15 years of operation. So, if a stand-alone system has a lifespan
of 25 years, the cost for inverter replacement should be included in the
maintenance cost.
We assume that the battery cost for the first 5 years is included in the
system cost.
If battery cost of $1 per Ah is assumed, for the next 25 year of the
system lifecycle the costs for a battery bank of 470 Ah would be:
470 Ah x (25 years x 5) x $1/Ah = $2,350.
Such a cost distributed over 25 years of operation will result in the
following average battery maintenance costs per year:
$2,350 x 25 years = $94.
Furthermore we could assume an MPPT charge controller with
estimated price of $700.
MPPT charge controllers come with a typical warranty of 5 years. We
could assume that you would need at least one additional charge
controller for replacement.
Hence, the price of the additional MPPT charge controller average
annual maintenance costs would be:
$700 x 25 years = $28
The total average annual maintenance cost of an off-grid system
comprising a battery, an inverter and a MPPT charge controller would
be:
Total average annual maintenance costs =
= Average annual inverter maintenance costs + Average annual charge
controller maintenance cost + Average annual battery maintenance
costs = $34 + $94 + $28 = $156
Solar panels are the main building units of solar electric systems. To
find out whether solar panels would save you money means to estimate
your investment in a solar electric system.
Such a task starts with calculating solar electricity production costs.
It is important to calculate the cost of electricity produced by your PV
system. After estimating the cost you can decide whether it is worth
purchasing a solar system or not.
You could arrive at approximate estimate of hardware cost of your
equipment by taking available prices on solar power equipment on
internet.
No one however could tell you the exact prices of installation cost
except your potential local installer. Have in mind that installation cost
are about up to 30-50 % of overall system cost and one varies by
location.
How to evaluate your system correctly with included installation cost?
The best approach is:
Step 1: Decide what type of system you are going to buy /grid-tied,
grid-tied with battery backup, etc.).
Step 2: Contact your potential installers and to ask them for expected
overall cost per Watt for the system type you have chosen.
Step 3: Multiply expected overall cost per Watt installed ($/Wp) by
system size in Watt installed (Wp). Thus you calculate total system cost
without operational expenses for the systems period of operation
(system lifespan).
If the annual energy target is 7,000 kWh, then the daily energy target is:
If you know your daily energy target and the average annual PSH
(Perfect Sun Hours) value for your area, you can calculate the amount of
peak power you need to install on your roof:
Installed peak solar power = Daily energy target/(SLF*PSH)
SLF is the System Losses Factor, a.k.a system efficiency ,which takes
into account system losses or system inefficiency. For a grid-tied system
system efficiency is assessed usually between 70% and 80%. This
means that we lose (20-30)% of the energy in the system and our panels
must have higher installed peak power so as to compensate for those
loses.For an off-grid system the system efficiency is somewhere
between (50-60)%.
If your daily energy target is in Wh, then you obtain the peak solar
power in Wp (watts-peak). If daily energy target is in kWh, you obtain
the peak solar power in kWp (kilowatts-peak).
PSH is abbreviated from Perfect Sun Hours and refers to the number of
hours per day during which the solar irradiance equals 1,000 W/m2. PSH
are measured in kW/m2/day and it can be found by using solar maps.
If your daily energy target offset is 7.7 kWh, the area you live has an
average annual PSH = 4.5 hours, and you assume system efficiency =
75% 0r SLF= 0.75, then the needed total peak installed power is:
7.7 kWh / (4.5 hours x 0.75) = 2.28 kWp or
This is the installed peak solar power needed to generate the required
energy target.
At this stage it is important to assess how much area you need to install
the solar array. Based on your energy needs, you can determine whether
the area of your roof would be enough to fit all the panels needed. Here
we dont talk about a specific panel model but rather about solar panel
type monocrystalline, polycrystalline or thin-film.
The area required for installing the solar array, so that your PV system
would meet the energy offset target, depends on:
Peak power installed on the roof (in kWp or Wp)
The kind of modules you use (monocrystalline, polycrystalline,
thin-film).
To estimate the area you need to install the required peak power, you
should use the following table:
How to estimate the area you need to install the required solar peak
power
The required roof area is calculated by the formula:
Total area needed =
= Installed solar power in kWp x Area needed for 1 kWp
a) If your target peak power is 2.28 kWp, and you decide to
use monocrystalline solar modules, the area you need is:
2.28 kWp x 7 m2 = 15.96 m2 or 2.28 kWp x 75 ft2 = 171 ft2
b) In case you prefer to use polycrystalline solar modules, the area you
need is:
2.28 kWp x 8 m2 = 18.24 m2 or 2.28 kWp x 86 ft2 = 196.08 ft2
c) Should you decide to buy thin-film solar modules, the area you need
is:
2.28 kWp x 15 m2 = 33.87 m2 or 2.28 kWp x 161 ft2 = 367.08 ft2
Finally, to find out how many solar panels you need, you should
divide the total installed power by the rated power of a single panel you
are going to buy, and round the result up to the nearest integer.
For example, if you have chosen to buy panels of 160 Wp rated power
each, the number of panels required is:
2,280 Wp / 160 = 14.25, which should be rounded up to 15.
Please, have in mind that such a number is reasonably exact for
budgeting purposes only.
The reason is that solar panel output power changes with temperature
and solar energy deviation. Such power output deviation forms the
operating window of a solar panel.
Direct shadows can dramatically bring down the power yield of any PV
system. Often however and this is valid especially if you live in an
urban area it is not possible to find an unshaded place around your
house.
There are two main types of solar electric systems grid-tied and offgrid. More info about these main solar system types you can find
by Clicking Here.
Here are the limitations of grid-tied systems:
Can generate electricity as long as your utility is on. In case of
power outage, a grid-tied system cannot generate electricity
regardless of whether the sun is shining or not.
A grid-tied system (unless its provided with a battery backup) can
only generate electricity in daylight. A grid-tied system with battery
backup however is always related with higher both initial and
maintenance costs.
A grid-tied electric system must match various rules, regulations
and standards for solar power installations. Such rules and
regulations are specific for the region and the country where you
live.
Launching a grid-tied system is always related to applying for
permits and preparing lots of mandatory documents in order to meet
the necessary objectives. What is more, you are dependent on your
local utility grid about electricity sell/buy prices and net-metering.
Here is a list of the limitations of off-grid systems:
Unless your building is located too far from utility grid, it is not
cost-effective to replace the utility grid with a stand-alone PV
system.
Due to solar radiation variability a PV system does not deliver
maximum performance all the year round. In winter months it is
Image credit
CAR PORTS AND GARAGES
One of the most effective and simple ways of using solar power to
charge up your electric car is to install solar panels on the roof of your
garage, or to build a special car port with panels installed on the roof.
This means that any electricity generated by those solar panels goes
straight into powering the car rather than being drawn off to be used in
other areas of the house instead. Assuming you have the space, building
a car port is very quick as most of them come in modular kits which are
simply slotted together. This option is ideal for someone who works
through the day and then wants to charge their car overnight, but perhaps
not a good choice for people who work shifts, or who need to use their
car more in the evenings than during the day.
Image credit
One of the major advantages in using solar power, whether generated
from panels on the houses roof or on the garage, is the huge cost
savings. When you plug your electric car into the National Grid to
charge it up at night, the electricity costs on average 3 every time you
charge it. Cost for charging it from solar energy you have generated
yourself is nothing. Charging up your electric car isnt completely free
though, as you have to factor in both the cost of building your new car
port or installing the solar panels on your roof, then installing the special
kit needed to turn your home into a charging point, which costs around
1,500. If you happen to live near a supermarket or other charging
location, or if your employer provides one at work, it probably isnt
worth the added investment required to have a charging point at home
too. As with all new technologies, prices are dropping all of the time
though so it is always important to work through the figures thoroughly
before making any buying decision.
Again, the decision will come down to whether you have any charging
points close to home or work, how convenient they are to use, and how
often you will need to charge your car. There are lots of electric car
websites which allow you to enter your postcode and see what facilities
are available in the local area. Rapid charging points are few and far
between, but are bound to increase as the number of electric cars on the
road starts to rise. If you live in a very rural area, you may have to wait
some time though.
Once your cars battery is fully charged up, the car will be able to do
between 80 and 100 miles before needing charged again. New research
into lithium batteries is well underway in the US, and early indications
are that a new generation of batteries may soon be able to extend this
range to 200 or more miles between charges.
COST
Each 1,000 watts of PV solar panel produces about 1,000 kilowatt hours
of electricity per year. The typical home in Western Washington uses 900
to 1,000 kilowatt hours per month, Wade said. To be completely net zero
that home would need an array that produced 10 to 12 kilowatts. The
median size of a solar system for a PSE customer is 4 to 5 kilowatts, he
said.
winter and all the year round. It should be noted however that for system
performance tilt angle is less critical than orientation.
In our Solar Silver Package ebook Save Money On Electricity: Solar
Panels And Solar Power Systems Basics Exposed you can find all the
details you need about tilt angles of a solar panel array.
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Q: How many solar panels do I need?
A: As mentioned above, the area needed to install solar panels depends
on:
Your energy needs, i.e your daily energy target
Available solar energy at your location
Type of solar panels used (that is, solar panels efficiency)
The number of solar panels depends on the needed area and on panel
size. You can easily get the number of panels required by dividing the
area by the typical panel size which is 16 square feet (or 1.5 square
meters).
Our Silver and Gold Package calculators estimate the area (both in
square meters and square feet) you need for installing solar panel array
generating your daily energy needs for the three main types of solar
systems grid-tied without backup, grid-tied with backup and off-grid.
In summary by the Solar Gold Package you can estimate:
By our Silver Package calculators you can size, evaluate and estimate
the cost of your solar system. Those calculators evaluate the three main
types of solar systems: grid-tied without backup, grid-tied with backup
and off-grid one.
By using our Gold Package calculators you can also make a technoeconomic forecast about the financial profitability of your solar
system and all the possible savings related to it. Furthermore the Solar
Gold Package helps you get prepared for solar vendor selection, solar
installers visit to your home, and also be warned against some common
tricks of solar vendors/installers, thus saving you any unpleasant
surprises
Charge controllers important battery managers
Charge controller is a device preventing batteries from overcharging
and overdischarging. One of the most common problems of batteries is
that they cannot be discharged excessively or recharged too often. A
charge controller controls the charge by managing properly the battery
voltage and current.
Charge controllers are intended to protect the battery and to deliver it
as longer life as possible, while keeping the photovoltaic system
efficiency. It should be noted that charge controllers only control DC
loads. AC loads are to be controlled (and disconnected, if needed) by an
inverter.
The key functions of charge controllers are:
Protecting the battery from overcharging by limiting the charging
voltage
Protecting the battery from deep and/or unwanted discharging. The
charge controller automatically disconnects the loads from the
battery when battery voltage falls below a certain depth of discharge
value
Preventing the reverse current through PV modules at night
Providing information about battery state of charge
The main charge controller types available today are PWM (Pulse Width
Modulation) and MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) ones. MPPT
charge controllers are more expensive but they can boost the
performance of the solar array. PWM charge controllers are less
expensive but they can extend battery banks lifecycle at the expense of