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Solar Power Systems. Energy from the Sun. Solar Energy. Practical Uses of Solar Energy. Solar Water Heaters. Photovoltaic Development. Russell Ohl 1940. Edmund Becquerel 1839. Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin, and Calvin Fuller 1953. William Grylls Adams 1876. Space Race Saves PV.
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Photovoltaic Development Russell Ohl 1940 Edmund Becquerel 1839 Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin, and Calvin Fuller 1953 William Grylls Adams 1876
Space Race Saves PV Vanguard I Satellite 1958 One Watt Telstar Satellite 1962 14 Watts
From Novelty to Real World Applications Buoys and Lighthouses Offshore Oil Platforms RR Crossings Rex, GA 1974
Diode current 5 External circuit – Diode Amps (e.g. , battery, BV V - Isc A ( e 1 ) lights) + I 0 Diode Volts 0.0 0.6 Electrical Properties of a Solar Cell I – V Curves
Terms • Solar Irradiance (density), average 1 kW per square meter at noon on a clear day at sea level • Solar Insolation: hours per day that solar panel delivers rated voltage, varies seasonally • STC: standard test conditions, 25° C, 1 kW per square meter irradiance & AM 1.5 • AM: Air Mass, density & clarity of air sunlight passes through to reach the modules
PV Panel Ratings Nameplate (STC) Rating Field Rating
The PV Cell & Panel Families Polycrystalline Panel Monocrystalline Panel Thin Film Panel
PV Panel Arrangements • 36 Cells in Series Make a 12V-Class Panel (Voc 19V) 9 cells x 4 cells is a common configuration • Two 12V-Class Panels in Series Make a 24V-Class Array (Voc 38V) • 60 Cells (5x12) in Series Make a 30.2V Nominal Panel (Voc 36.8V)
PV Systems Utility Intertie Stand alone direct connected
20 panel 2.5 kW PV System Santa Rosa CA TOU Meter DC Disconnect & Inverter
Metering Data TOU rate 31¢/kwh Noon to 6PM (peak solar production); non-peak rate 11¢/kwh
PV Mounting Systems • Does your site location need to meet special building requirements? • What is the maximum wind speed that it must be designed for? • What is the maximum snow loading that it must be designed for? • What structures best use the soil type in your area? • Can you drive piers directly into the ground or do you need concrete? This will require a geotechnical study of the site and can result in a significant cost savings. • Can you use a ballasted system? • What height does your system need to be to avoid being covered by snow, or vegetation? • If you decide to track, what are the lowest temperatures that system will see?
Tracker A: Individual drive for each row. Electric screw jack drive Backtracking controller Variable spacing between rows Height can be modified by user Site welding required Tracker B: Single drive for multiple rows Electric screw jack drive Backtracking controller Height limited by size of support columns and Drive support. Fixed row spacing Site welding required Site needs to be flat and level
Tracker C: Single drive for multiple rows Electric screw jack drive Backtracking controller Height limited by size of support columns and Drive support. Fixed row spacing Site welding required Site needs to be flat and level Tracker D: Single drive for multiple units Electric screw jack drive Backtracking controller Height limited by size of support Fixed row and column spacing Site welding required Site needs to be flat and level
A 2 AXIS C 2 axis B 2 AXIS
Your roof top is valuable real estate, without the permitting problems associated with brownfield installations Rack PV roof mounting system Accepts most standard PV Roof loading dependent on tilt angle From 2 lbs/ft 2 with penetrations to a ballasted system with no penetrations.
Examples of Roof Top Installs Phizer = KW 337 Tilt Angle 5 deg. Number of Modules 1,372 California Residence 2.5 kW, 20 panels
PV ARRAY 10 strings in parallel form an array 14 modules in series forms one string Combiner box DC Circuit Combiner Inverter Input
Grid Tie Inverters The grid tie inverter must synchronize its voltage & frequency with that of the grid. A typical modern GTI has a fixed unity power factor. Grid-tie inverters are also designed to quickly disconnect from the grid if the utility grid goes down. This requirement ensures that in the event of a blackout, the inverter will shut down to prevent harm to line workers who are sent to fix the power grid. Peak power tracking voltage: This represents the DC voltage range in which the inverter will operate. The designer must configure the strings so that during the majority of the year, the voltage of the strings will be within this range. This can be a difficult task since voltage will fluctuate with changes in temperature. Most grid-tie inverters include a maximum power point tracker on the input side that enables the inverter to extract an optimal amount of power from its intended power source.
Prewired System with Inverter, Transformer & Fused Combiner Boxes
Concentrated Solar Power CSP
Rick Downer – POWER Engineers Inc. IEEE IAS April 18, 2011