Department of energy doe sunshot initiative is a collaborative national effort to dramatically reduce the cost of solar energy before the end of the decade. Solar power, despite its recent rapid growth in adoption, and the enthusiastic support it receives both from the scientific establishment and energy investors, remains a very small proportion of total energy consumption see fig. Four basic functions are performed by a typical solar system. Introduction to photovoltaic solar energy miro zeman delft university of technology 1. Introduction on solar energy and solar power plants. Solar energy engineering is a 21chapter text that provides ample information concerning all forms and topics of solar energy. A general introduction to the financing of developing local renewable energy resources is presented. Most of the earths surface receives sufficient solar energy to permit lowgrade heating of water and buildings, although there are large variations with latitude and season. The energy extracted from solar radiation by solar cells is vital to expanding our source of energy. Assigned reading for tonight chapter 9 on renewable energy technologies assigned reading for thursday, march 5 and tuesday, march 10 chapter on solar energy.
Solar power is an immense source of directly useable energy and ultimately creates other energy resources. Related to some of the issues mentioned above, where renewable energy offers a constant and sustained supply such as hydroelectric, wave power, solar and biofuels, energy prices are likely to remain stable and in turn, keep the economy stable 20. Whether you are looking for general insight in this green technology or your ambition is to pursue a career in solar, introduction to solar cells is an excellent starting point. Please see lecture video for example images of each type of solar technology.
The solar cell traps all the electrons released by the silicon and pushes them in one direction, which creates an electric current. Students will examine atoms as the basic building blocks of matter, including electrons, protons, and. Detailed examples of pv systems to power both large and small dwellings are included. Solar energy presents an introduction to all aspects of solar energy, from photovoltaic devices to active and passive solar thermal energy conversion, giving both a detailed and broad perspective of the field.
Contents 2 3 4 space and water heating 6 greenhouse heating 7 solar electric photovoltaic systems 11 additional sources of information arming, particularly dairy farming, can be a very energyintensive industry. In alisons free solar energy course, learn about solar technology, how solar technology can be used and how to encourage the use of solar power. This handbook describes three major types of bonds. Solar energy represents the largest energy input into the terrestrial system. Sustainable energy science and engineering center photovoltaic effect. Balasubramanian viswanathan, in energy sources, 2017. The most critical advancement in the development of solar technology has been photovoltaics, a solar energy system that uses semiconductors to directly convert solar radiation into electricity. In many cases, energy produced from renewable sources is already cheaper than that produced by. Solar to heat solar to electricity solar to heat solar to fuels electricity.
Photovoltaics is the process of converting sunlight directly into electricity using solar cells. Introduction to renewable energy resources mechanical engineering 496alt alternative energy larry caretto march 3, 2009 project proposals due tonight. It turned out to be a premonition, since, 80 years later and electricity is being supplied to millions of human beings in the world from renewable energies such as solar. Solar energy has some advantages, the main one being that all chemical and radioactive polluting byproducts of socalled thermonuclear reactions are retained in the sun itself and only pure radiant energy is transmitted to the earth. Introduction to solar cells horizon energy curriculum.
The physics of solar cells by jenny nelson, imperial college press, 2003. These include solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, and biomass. While early solar technologies consisted of smallscale photovoltaic pv cells, recent technologies are represented. Under these conditions, solar energy can be considered nonpolluting. A benefitcost analysis on taylor county solar facility in georgia sara jo viraldo catherine a. The challenges that need to be addressed to make solar energy viable and competitive on a large scale. Generating electrical energy solar tech satellites heat water solar dryer uses of solar energy 4. How solar panels work introduction in this lesson, students will learn that sunlight is the underlying component of energy use.
Introduction on solar energy and solar power plants mande blog. Foster shengyuan zhang mpa candidates evans school introduction with the announcement of the clean power plan in august 2015, the united states made a commitment to tackle. Humanity has now declared its readiness to accelerate the transition to a lowcarbon economy, conscious of the. This energy is in the form of solar radiation, which makes the production of solar electricity, light, heat water and many more things possible. Alternative sources of energy are being sought out constantly and solar energy has already been a primary source as solar cells have been in existence for many years. Every hour, the sun beats down with enough power to provide global energy for an entire year. Imagine solar cells installed in cars to absorb solar energy to replace the traditional use of diesel and gas.
Solar energy has received considerable attention in recent years with the increasing serious issues of resource and environment. Using the same principle, cell phones can also be charged by solar energy. Energy and the environment includes bibliographical references and index. Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the sun that is harnessed using a range of everevolving technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, solar architecture, molten salt power plants and artificial photosynthesis it is an essential source of renewable energy, and its technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or. Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the sun that is harnessed using a range of everevolving technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, solar architecture, molten salt power plants and artificial photosynthesis. Learn solar energy basics from the state university of new york. It is aimed at the beginner involved in solar energy or a related field, or for someone wanting to gain a broader perspective of solar. Various photovoltaic pv solar cell technologies are currently being developed in three. The course is a tour through the fundamental disciplines including solar cell history, why we need solar energy, how solar cells produce power, and how they work. You will learn to compare solar energy to other energy resources and explain how solar panels, or photovoltaics pv for short, convert sunlight to electricity. Chapter 1 deals with the scope and advantages of solar energy and serves as an introduction to the rest of the chapters. Its worth mentioning also that solar modules wattage output rating is based on what the modules produce under laboratorycontrolled conditions, called standard test conditions stc. Pdf on apr 15, 2017, saurabh kumar rajput and others published solar energy fundamentals, economic and energy analysis. In chapter 21, which is the last chapter of the regular text, we discuss solar fuels, which allow to store solar energy on the long term in the form of chemical energy.
You will learn to compare solar energy to other energy. Solar cell operation ntype csi ntype csi depletion region. Pdf a student introduction to solar energy kedar nimbalkar. Mar 21, 2020 solar energy, radiation from the sun capable of producing heat, causing chemical reactions, or generating electricity. This course gives you an introduction to the fundamentals of solar power as it applies to solar panel system installations. Currently, solar energy is recognized as one of the most promising options to address the issue 1,2. Today it is a rapidly growing and increasingly important renewable alternative to conventional fossil fuel electricity generation, but compared to other electricity generating technologies, it is a relative newcomer, with the first practical photovoltaic devices demonstrated in the 1950s. Fortunately, solar energy can supply and supplement many farm energy. The solar energy is the energy obtained by capturing heat and light from the sun. The term renewable energy should not be confused with alternative energy, which describes sources of energy outside the regular forms. A solar thermal energy collection system or solar system for short is defined as a set of equipment that intercepts incident solar radiation and stores it as useful thermal energy to offset or eliminate the need for fossil fuel consumption.
Solar cells are used on spaceships like the international space station pictured below, but are also used on earth in places that get lots of sunlight throughout the year. Apr 19, 2017 solar energy is the energy provided by the sun. The concerns related to cost and availability of fossil fuels, effects of climate change due to use of fossil fuels are the primary drivers behind the usages of these technologies. For example, fossil fuels, plant matter from a past geological age, is used for transportation and. Solar cells are used on spaceships like the international space station pictured below, but are also used on earth in places that get.
Despite its relatively low power density, this resource could potentially satisfy the. A 100 watt solar panel will produce twice as much energy as a 50 watt solar panel at the same location during the same period of time. Solar combined with power from the electricity grid the grid provides reliability and enables the pump to be operated in a flexible way to meet changing requirements. However, people also harness the suns energy in many other different ways. Non non non nontracking tracking tracking tracking. It is an important source of renewable energy and its technologies are broadly characterized as. Most solar panels used today have an average life expectancy of between 2040 years. Truefalse the energy from the sun is completely transformed into electrical energy by using a solar panel.
It takes an average of eight minutes for energy to travel from the sun to the earth. This was the headline in the new york times on 4 april 1931. In chapter 20 we introduce different concepts related to solar thermal energy. At the start, a chapter considering solar radiation, basic principles applied to solar energy, semiconductor physics and light absorption brings the reader to an. The sunshot solar outreach partnership solarops is a u. This book provides an introduction to all aspects of solar energy, from photovoltaic devices to active and passive solar thermal energy conversion is presented, giving both a detailed and a broad perspective of the field. Among the most common devices used to capture solar energy and convert it to thermal energy are flatplate collectors, which are used for solar heating applications.
Because the intensity of solar radiation at earths surface is so low, these collectors must be large in area. Solar energy, with a focus on photovoltaics, which is the technology that allows. Alternative methods of solar energy are discussed in part v. Available at 18003408242 organizations american solar energy society 2400 central ave. In one hour the earth receives more energy from the sun than the world consume in one year. The increase in energy use in the 20th century can be. Even in sunny parts of the worlds temperate regions, for instance, a. Solar energy has experienced an impressive technological shift. Is solar power a costeffective energy alternative to. Renewable energy is a term used to refer to forms of energy that are naturally obtained from the environment and from sources that can be replenished naturally.
The other form of obtaining solar energy is through thermal technologies, which give two forms of energy tapping methods. The utilization of solar energy as an alternative energy to overcome crisis energy, especially oil, happened since 1970 s get a quite big attention from various countries all over the world. The photovoltaic effect the ability to create an electrical current using solar rays was initially discovered in 1839 by alexandre becquerel. In 2012, around 60% of all pv gressive feedin tariffs to promote and accelerate the modules were produced in china. Is solar power a costeffective energy alternative to traditional energy. Solar energybased technologies have seen remarkable development in the last decades. Despite its relatively low power density, this resource could potentially satisfy the global energy demand on its own. Department of energy under award number deee0003526.
Scientists have used solar energy to power spaceships since 1958. Humans, like all other animals and plants, rely on the sun for warmth and food. Introduction to photovoltaic pv systems solar gain. Pdf an introduction to the renewable energy resources. Solar energy in one form or another is the source of nearly all energy on the earth. Among all the types of infrastructure for harvesting solar energy, solar tower power plants have the most widespread potential because they generate energy at the. A self study guidebook on the exciting world of solar electricity. Solar energy refers to sources of energy that can be directly attributed to the light of the sun or the heat that sunlight generates bradford, 2006. Introduction to solar panels angled for maximum solar exposure, large groups of solar panels collect light to convert the suns energy into electricity.
1158 103 236 1148 601 259 642 1008 1154 1352 125 731 812 1560 1187 483 423 127 535 237 894 1309 76 907 673 827 162 1392 1433 252 124 521 1359 1161 1252