Solar Power Introduction

Principle of Renewable Energy Systems:

• Renewable energy is energy from sources that are constantly being formed 

• Types of renewable energy includes: 

Solar energy

Wind energy

The power from living things: biomass 

The power from moving water: hydro/micro-hydro and tidal waves Earth’s heat 

• Remember, all sources of energy, including renewable sources, affect the environment. 

Solar Energy - Power from the Sun: 

Before discussing the solar energy aspects let us see the geographical aspects of sun 

The diameter of the sun is 1.39*10^4 km and the black body temperature of sun is around 5777 K 

• Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun. 

• Direct solar energy is used every day, like when the sun shines on a window and heats the room 

• Solar energy can also be used indirectly to generate electricity in solar cells Passive solar heating/cooling 

• Passive solar heating is the use of sunlight to heat buildings directly 

• In the Northern Hemisphere, south facing windows receive the most solar energy 

• Therefore, passive solar buildings have large windows that face south 

• Trees – A house shaded by trees is a much cooler house during the summer. Also, keep in mind that during the winter, the leaves are gone off the deciduous trees, so the winter sun can still shine into the home. 

• Natural ventilation – Natural ventilation requires pressure differences to move fresh air through a building. 

• An average household could reduce its energy bills by using any of the passive solar features Active solar heating • Active solar heating is the gathering of solar energy by collectors that are used to heat water or heat a building • Solar collectors, usually mounted on a roof, capture the sun’s energy • A liquid is heated by the sun as it flows through solar collectors • The hot liquid is then pumped through heat ex changers, which heats water for the building.

solar power introduction

TOPICS COVERED: 

Introduction to Energy Conversion.

Principle of Renewable Energy Systems.

Technical and Social Implications.

Solar Radiation, Therm o electric Conversion, Principles of Solar Energy collection.

Characteristics and principles of different types of collectors and their efficiency.

Solar energy applications, water heaters, air heaters, solar cooling, solar cooking, solar drying and power generation, solar tower concept, solar pump.

Introduction to Photo voltaic cells, photo voltaic array and photo voltaic module.

Maximum power point tracking system.

Introduction to Energy Conversion: Life on the planet earth is the manifestation of energy. The origin of fire, heat and light, the movement of earth on its axis, the sun and so many other things are related to energy. The term energy can be described as the capacity to do work. We have various forms of energy like kinetic energy, potential energy, heat energy, chemical energy, radiant energy, electrical energy, nuclear energy etc. the table below is the simple conversion from one form to other.

Kinetic energy: The energy of an object in motion is called kinetic energy. If the mass of an object is m and the object is moving with a velocity v then it's kinetic energy in joules is expressed as K.E= ½ m (v^2) where m in kg and v in m/s. 

Potential energy: The energy which a body possesses as a result of its position in earth's gravitational field is called potential energy and is expressed as P.E= m*g*h, where m is in kg and g is the acceleration due to gravity in (m/s^2) and h is the height in meters.

Heat energy: Heat is an intrinsic energy of all the combustible substances. It is the kinetic energy of all molecules. Heat energy for example can cause gases to expand, drive engines and raise the temperature of water. Chemical energy: chemical energy is tied up in fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Fossil fuels are used to generate electricity and power vehicles and railway engines. Chemical energy in the food helps us to sustain our life.

Radiant energy: Solar radiation is the manifestation of radiant energy that is received on earth. Radio waves, X-rays, infrared and ultra violet electromagnetic radiation contain radiant energy.

Electrical energy: Electrical energy arises out of the arrangement of movement of electrons to produce heat, magnetic field and electromagnetic radiations. It is a highly versatile form of energy, and can easily be converted to other forms of utilization.

Nuclear energy: Matter can be changed in to energy when larger atoms are split in to smaller ones (atomic fusion) or when smaller ones combine to form larger atoms (atomic fusion). Albert Einstein established that the amount of energy produced, when matter disappears, is govern by the equation E=m*c^2 where E represents the energy generated, m is the loss in mass of the system and C is the velocity of light. This equation explains the energy released when uranium 235 nucleus undergoes fission in a nuclear reactor. It is also the basis when a deuterium and tritium fuse in a thermo-nuclear reaction to release huge amount of energy.