SMART TASK 1

PROJECT- SOLAR PV

Submitted by-Shubham Arora

(MBM engineering college Jodhpur)
Email- Shubhamarora9399@gmail.com
Q1. What are the different types of renewable energy? Elaborate the most
commercially feasible options.
Answer-Renewable energy, often referred to as clean energy, comes from natural sources or processes
that are constantly replenished. For example, sunlight or wind keep shining and blowing, even if their
availability depends on time and weather.While renewable energy is often thought of as a new
technology, harnessing nature’s power has long been used for heating, transportation, lighting, and
more. Solar energy , wind energy , hydro power energy , geothermal energy , tidal and wave energy are
some common example of renewable energy

TYPES OF COMMERCIALY FEASIBLE RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

SOLAR ENERGY

Humans have been harnessing solar energy for thousands of years—to grow crops, stay warm, and
dry foods. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, “more energy from the sun
falls on the earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year .”
Today, we use the sun’s rays in many ways—to heat homes and businesses, to warm water, or
power devices.Solar, or photovoltaic (PV), cells are made from silicon or other materials that
transform sunlight directly into electricity. Distributed solar systems generate electricity locally for
homes and businesses, either through rooftop panels or community projects that power entire
neighborhoods.

Wind Energy

Wind Energy captures the natural wind in our environment and converts the air’s motion into
mechanical energyThe mechanism used to convert air motion into electricity is referred to as a
turbine. A turbine is a large structure with several spinning blades. These blades are connected to
an electro-magnetic generator that generates electricity when the wind causes the blades to spin.
wind is that it is a clean and renewable form of energy. Its production of electricity has no direct
carbon emissions or air pollutants and does not consume water. Wind also has relatively low
operations and maintenance costs after initial construction.

HYDRO POWER

Hydropower or hydroelectricity refers to the conversion of energy from flowing water into
electricity. It is considered a renewable energy source because the water cycle is constantly
renewed by the sun.Hydropower is the largest contributor of all renewable energy sources and
accounts for 6.7% of worldwide electricity production and also Hydropower is an abundant, low
cost source of power (where applicable), despite high upfront buidling costs.

It is also a flexible and reliable source of electricity compared to other renewable options, as it
may stored and used later

Q.2 Explain the process flow of Solar PV Power Plant, What are the different types of
machines used in the project, explain their functions.

Answer: The sun delivers its energy to us in two main forms: heat and light. Solar PV systems are
used to convert sunlight directly into electricity When the PV modules are exposed to sunlight,
they generate direct current (“DC”) electricity. An inverter then converts the DC into alternating
current (“AC”) electricity, so that it can feed into one of the building’s AC distribution boards
(“ACDB”) without affecting the quality of power supply.

A solar pv have following major parts

1. PV modules : Photovoltaic solar panels absorb sunlight as a source of energy to generate

direct current electricity. A photovoltaic (PV) module is a packaged, connected assembly of
photovoltaic solar cells available in different voltages and wattages. Photovoltaic modules
constitute the photovoltaic array of a photovoltaic system that generates and supplies solar
electricity in commercial and residential applications. The most common application of solar
energy collection outside agriculture is solar water heating systems.

2. PV Junction Box:The PV junction box has a simple, but important role: housing all the electric
bits on a solar panel and protecting them from the environment. Wires connect to diodes inside,
providing an easy way to link panels together.A junction box has bypass diodes that keep power
flowing in one direction and prevent it from feeding back to the panels.

3. PV inverter : Inverters play a crucial role in any solar energy system and are often considered
to be the brains of a project, whether it’s a 2-kW residential system or a 5-MW utility power
plant. An inverter’s basic function is to “invert” the direct current (DC) output into alternating
current (AC). AC is the standard used by all commercial appliances, which is why many view
inverters as the “gateway” between the photovoltaic (PV) system and the energy off-taker.

4. Solar monitoring system: Monitoring and control of photovoltaic systems is essential for
reliable functioning and maximum yield of any solar electric system. The simplest monitoring of
an inverter can be performed by reading values on display - display (usually LCD) is part of
almost each grid-connected inverter. Most important inverter and grid related parameters are
available on LCD screen in such case. Values like PV array power, AC grid power, PV array current
are usually available

5. Transformer: Transformers are critical components in solar energy production and

distribution. Historically, transformers have “stepped-up” or “stepped-down” energy from non-
renewable sources. There are different types of solar transformers including distribution,
station, sub-station, pad mounted and grounding. All solar transformers have specialized needs
that impact costs.

Solar-power systems also have special design issues. Because the largest solar inverter size is
about 500 kilovoltampere (kVA), designers are building 1,000 kVA solar transformers by placing
two inverter connected windings in one box. The transformer must have separate windings to
accept completely separate inputs. Design issues also stem from running cables long distances to
convert from DC to AC.

Q3. What is Solar Resource Assessment? How it’s done on a particular site?
Answer : Solar radiation is the main fuel and resource for solar energy systems. The availability
of radiation directly determines the revenue of solar energy power plants. Knowledge of this
resource is crucial to determine economical viability.Solar-resource assessment is the
characterization of solar irradiance available for energy conversion for a region or specific
location over a historical time period of interest.In otherword we can say that determination of
solar radiation at a given site is called as Solar resource assessment.

There are various methods to measure solar irradiance but we generally use two main methods
as discuss below

1. Global Solar Irradiance – Pyranometer:

The primary instrument used to measure global solar irradiance is the pyranometer, It measures
the sun’s energy received from all directions ( steradian) in the hemisphere, above the plane of
the instrument. Global solar irradiance is the sum total of direct solar radiance and diffused solar
irradiance.

2.Direct normal Solar Irradiance – Pyrheliometers :

The direct normal component of the solar irradiance can be measured by an instrument called
Normal Incidence Pyrheliometer (NIP). This device have a thermopile pyranometer placed at the
end of a long tube that is aimed at the sun. A two-axis tracking mechanism is incorporated to
maintain the sun’s disc within the acceptance cone of the instrument.

3.Diffused Solar Irradiance:

Pyranometers can also be used to measure the diffuse component of the global horizontal
radiation. It can be done by providing a "shadowing" device just large enough to block out the
direct irradiance coming from the sun’s disc.

4. EXPLAIN THE LOSSES THAT OCCUR IN SOLAR PV PROJECT, EXPLAIN IN STEPS FROM RADIATION
TO GENERATION .
Answer: When power actually delivered to athe solar power grid is less than power consumed by the
pv cells than the solar pv system goes under loss

The solar power plant losses occers mainly due to

1. Voltage drop in dc cables and protecting diodes

2. Due to PV cells opreting out of standard test condition
3. Operation volatge out of maximum power point
4. Spectrum and angle of incidence
5. accumulation of dust and soil particles over the solar panels called as soiling
6. Inverter efficiency
7. Losses of irredance
8. Mismatch losses are caused by the interconnection of solar cells or modules which do not have
identical properties or which experience different conditions from one another.
5. List down with proper meaning 20 news terms or words you learned while

doing module-1, related to Solar PV

Answer: I have many new terms by this task sone of them are

1. Absorber — In a photovoltaic device, the material that readily absorbs photons to generate charge
carriers (free electrons or holes).
2. Activated shelf life — The period of time, at a specified temperature, that a charged battery can be
stored before its capacity falls to an unusable level.
3. Azimuth angle — The angle between true south and the point on the horizon directly below the sun.
4. Bypass diode — A diode connected across one or more solar cells in a photovoltaic module such that
the diode will conduct if the cell(s) become reverse biased. It protects these solar cells from thermal
destruction in case of total or partial shading of individual solar cells while other cells are exposed to
full light.
5. Capacity factor — The ratio of the average load on (or power output of) an electricity generating unit
or system to the capacity rating of the unit or system over a specified period of time.
6. Captive electrolyte battery — A battery having an immobilized electrolyte (gelled or absorbed in a
material).
7. Cell barrier — A very thin region of static electric charge along the interface of the positive and
negative layers in a photovoltaic cell. The barrier inhibits the movement of electrons from one layer
to the other, so that higher-energy electrons from one side diffuse preferentially through it in one
direction, creating a current and thus a voltage across the cell. Also called depletion zone or space
charge.
8. Charge factor — A number representing the time in hours during which a battery can be charged at a
constant current without damage to the battery. Usually expressed in relation to the total battery
capacity, i.e., C/5 indicates a charge factor of 5 hours. Related to charge rate.
9. Charge rate — The current applied to a cell or battery to restore its available capacity. This rate is
commonly normalized by a charge control device with respect to the rated capacity of the cell or
battery.
10. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) — A method of depositing thin semiconductor films used to make
certain types of photovoltaic devices. With this method, a substrate is exposed to one or more
vaporized compounds, one or more of which contain desirable constituents. A chemical reaction is
initiated, at or near the substrate surface, to produce the desired material that will condense on the
substrate.
11. Cleavage of lateral epitaxial films for transfer (CLEFT) — A process for making inexpensive gallium
arsenide (GaAs) photovoltaic cells in which a thin film of GaAs is grown atop a thick, single-crystal
GaAs (or other suitable material) substrate and then is cleaved from the substrate and incorporated
into a cell, allowing the substrate to be reused to grow more thin-film GaAs.
12. Cloud enhancement — The increase in solar intensity caused by reflected irradiance from nearby
clouds.
13. Combined collector — A photovoltaic device or module that provides useful heat energy in addition
to electricity.
14. Concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) — A solar technology that uses lenses or mirrors to concentrate
sunlight onto high-efficiency solar cells.
15. Concentrating solar power (CSP) — A solar technology that use mirrors to reflect and concentrate
sunlight onto receivers that convert solar energy to heat. This thermal energy is then used to
produce electricity with a steam turbine or heat engine driving a generator.
16. Concentrator — A photovoltaic module, which includes optical components such as lenses (Fresnel
lens) to direct and concentrate sunlight onto a solar cell of smaller area. Most concentrator arrays
must directly face or track the sun. They can increase the power flux of sunlight hundreds of times.
17. Conduction band (or conduction level) — An energy band in a semiconductor in which electrons can
move freely in a solid, producing a net transport of charge.
18. National Electrical Code (NEC) — Contains guidelines for all types of electrical installations. The 1984
and later editions of the NEC contain Article 690, "Solar Photovoltaic Systems" which should be
followed when installing a PV system.
19. National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) — This organization sets standards for some
non-electronic products like junction boxes.
20. P-I-N — A semiconductor photovoltaic (PV) device structure that layers an intrinsic semiconductor
between a p-type semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor; this structure is most often used
with amorphous silicon PV devices.

6. Are you satisfied with your knowledge of Basics of Solar PV? If yes then

explain the gist of it.

Answer: I am less satisfied with my knowledge due to my Gate classes and test series i not give my
100% dedication but I enjoyed the whole task as well i improve my knowledge .

I will try to give my 100% in next task and submit a better report