Connecting Solar Pannels with Batteries

Connecting Solar Panel in Parallel

The diagram shows two solar PV panels connected in parallel so the voltage is the same. To calculate the power rating for a solar charge controller we need to calculate the current flowing in the circuits. Current is always Power (Watts) divided by voltage (Volts) so in this example solar power system it’s 120 / 12 = 10 Amps

Connecting Solar Panel in Series
This solar panel diagram shows 2 solar panels connected in series which means the combined voltage is 24, which is the sum of both the solar panel’s voltage (12 plus 12) Again we need to calculate the power rating of the charge controller by dividing the Power (Watts) by the voltage (Volts) so In this solar power kit it’s 120 / 24 = 5 Amps. The Steca PR1010 will be fine for this purpose as it’s a 10Amp solar charge controller.
Because it’s a 24 volt solar power system, we will need 2 batteries. Notice that the batteries are also connected in series and the second battery is the opposite way round to the first battery so it’s easier to connect the cables.
When you put batteries in a flash light or torch you invariably put them in with the positive end touching the negative end. This is exactly the same principal because the batteries or solar panels are connected in series to provide a higher voltage for the bulb or solar power system.
It’s also worth noting that because the current in the first 12 volt solar kit is higher, it’s important to pay attention to the size of the wires. 12 Volt solar power or lighting kits that have a high current require much thicker wires between the battery, charge controller and solar power inverter.

Solar Energy in Pakistan

The sun is an enormous power plant, daily it supplies with 90 times more energy than is needed in Pakistan. Pakistan is ideally located to take maximum advantage from solar energy.
The hardware in the form of PV panels already assembled with high quality of cells as well as the hard frame around it, all units are ready to use these cells are very highly efficient, they provide good results even in cloudy days or weak sunlight.

UPS vs Solar Power System

If UPS power Backup System is compared with Solar Pannel based Power Backup system then the only thing which beats the UPS is that UPS needs availability of Electricity to charge the Battery Storage means that is for sure the UPS will collapse after a certain time when regular power is gone for a longer time period however Solar Pannel only needs sunlight to store the battery and Luckily their is no Loadshedding of Sunlight so this is the main reason that Solar Pannel Based Power backup system is used to fill the gap of the energy day by day.

Solar Cell and PhotoVoltic Modules

 

Photovoltaic (PV) Power
PV is emerging as a major power resource, steadily becoming more affordable and proving to be more reliable than utilities. Photovoltaic power promises a brighter, cleaner future for our children.
In 1839, Edmund Becquerel discovered the process of using sunlight to produce an electric current in a solid material, but it wasn’t until a century later that scientists eventually learned that the photovoltaic effect caused certain materials to convert light energy into electrical energy.
The photovoltaic effect is the basic principal process by which a PV cell converts sunlight into electricity. When light shines on a PV cell, it may be reflected, absorbed, or pass right through. The absorbed light generates electricity.
In the early 1950s, photovoltaic (PV) cells were developed as a spin-off of transistor technology. Very thin layers of pure silicon are impregnated with tiny amounts of other elements. When exposed to sunlight, small amounts of electricity are produced. Originally this technology was a costly source of power for satellites but it has steadily come down in price making it affordable to power homes and businesses.

Cells Semiconductor device that converts sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity

Modules PV modules consist of PV cell circuits sealed in an environmentally protective laminate and are the fundamental building block of PV systems

Panels PV panels include one or more PV modules assembled as a pre-wired, field-installable unit

Array A PV array is the complete power-generating unit, consisting of any number of PV modules and panels

Photovoltaic Cell
A single PV cell is a thin semiconductor wafer made of two layers generally made of highly purified silicon (PV cells can be made of many different semiconductors but crystalline silicon is the most widely used). The layers have been doped with boron on one side and phosphorous on the other side, producing surplus of electrons on one side and a deficit of electrons on the other side.
When the wafer is bombarded by sunlight, photons in the sunlight knock off some of excess electrons, this makes a voltage difference between the two sides as the excess electrons try to move to the deficit side. In silicon this voltage is 0.5 volt
Metallic contacts are made to both sides of the semiconductor. With an external circuit attached to the contacts, the electrons can get back to where they came from and a current flows through the circuit. This PV cell has no storage capacity, it simply acts as an electron pump.
The amount of current is determined by the number of electrons that the solar photons knock off. Bigger cells, more efficient cells, or cells exposed to more intense sunlight will deliver more electrons.


Photovoltaic Modules
A PV module consists of many PV cells wired in parallel to increase current and in series to produce a higher voltage. 36 cell modules are the industry standard for large power production.
The module is encapsulated with tempered glass (or some other transparent material) on the front surface, and with a protective and waterproof material on the back surface. The edges are sealed for weatherproofing, and there is often an aluminum frame holding everything together in a mountable unit. In the back of the module there is a junction box, or wire leads, providing electrical connections.

Types of PV Modules

Monocrystalline Silicon Panels: Monocrystalline (or single-crystal) silicon solar panels have a return electricity rate of anywhere from 14% to 18%. These panels are made from one continuous sheet of silicon that has pieces of metal nailed to the edges to increase the conductivity and to excite the electrons.
Monocrystalline panels are more expensive than some of the other types of solar panels that you can buy but they are also more effective, so in the long run you’re better off buying these panels if you can afford the up front cost.

Polycrystalline Silicon Panels: Polycrystalline (or multi-crystal) silicon panes have an electricity return rate of about 12%-14% so they are less efficient than monocrystalline silicon solar panels. These panels are made up of lots of individual PV cells that have metal conducting materials nailed to the sides that will help excite the electrons and also connect the cells together.
Polycrystalline silicon panels are the cheapest solar panels to produce so they are usually the cheapest for consumers to buy. The maintenance costs of polycrystalline silicon panels is lower than the maintenance cost of monocrystalline solar panels because if one of the cells on a polycrystalline panel is damaged you can have the individual cell replaced without having to replace the entire panel.

String Ribbon Silicon Panels: String ribbon silicon panels are made in a similar way to the polycrystalline silicon panels and have about the same electricity return rate. The difference between string ribbon silicon panels and polycrystalline silicon panels is that the PV cells in a string ribbon panel are made of strips of silicon attached to metal bars that connect the strips to form a cell. Using strips of silicon to form the cell instead of using one solid square of silicon make the production cost of string ribbon silicon panels a bit lower than the production cost of polycrystalline silicon panels.

Amorphous Silicon Panels: Amorphous silicon panels have the lowest electricity return rate of any type of solar panels. Traditionally amorphous silicon solar panels have an electricity return rate of between 5%-6%. That’s because these panels aren’t made with crystalline silicon. They are composed of a piece of semi conductive metal, like copper, with a thin silicon film over the top that is attached to some metal pieces.
These panels are very cheap to produce but when you’re buying solar panels for home use you need to consider the long term efficiency of the type of panel that you’re buying. Unfortunately, though cheap to begin with they do not produce much energy, therefore amorphous silicon panels are not going to be cost effective in the long run.

Photovoltaic Panels
PV panels include one or more PV modules assembled as a pre-wired, field-installable unit. The modular design of PV panels allows systems to grow as needs change. Modules of different manufacture can be intermixed without any problem, as long as all the modules have rated voltage output within 1.0 volt difference.
Solar panels generate free power from the sun by converting sunlight to electricity with no moving parts, zero emissions, and no maintenance. The solar panel, the first component of a electric solar energy system, is a collection of individual silicon cells that generate electricity from sunlight. The photons (light particles) produce an electrical current as they strike the surface of the thin silicon wafers. A single solar cell produces only about 1/2 (.5) of a volt. However, a typical 12 volt panel about 25 inches by 54 inches will contain 36 cells wired in series to produce about 17 volts peak output. If the solar panel can be configured for 24 volt output, there will be 72 cells so the two 12 volt groups of 36 each can be wired in series, usually with a jumper, allowing the solar panel to output 24 volts. When under load (charging batteries for example), this voltage drops to 12 to 14 volts (for a 12 volt configuration) resulting in 75 to 100 watts for a panel of this size.
Multiple solar panels can be wired in parallel to increase current capacity (more power) and wired in series to increase voltage for 24, 48, or even higher voltage systems. The advantage of using a higher voltage output at the solar panels is that smaller wire sizes can be used to transfer the electric power from the solar panel array to the charge controller & batteries. Since copper has gone up considerably in the last few years, purchasing large copper wiring and cables is quite expensive.

Photovoltaic Array
A PV Array consists of a number of individual PV modules or panels that have been wired together in a series and/or parallel to deliver the voltage and amperage a particular system requires. An array can be as small as a single pair of modules, or large enough to cover acres.
12 volt module is the industry standard for battery charging. Systems processing up to about 2000 watt-hours should be fine at 12 volts. Systems processing 2000 – 7000 watt-hours will function better at 24 volt. Systems running more than 7000 watt-hours should probably be running at 48 volts.

Photovoltaic Module Performance
The performance of PV modules and arrays are generally rated according to their maximum DC power output (watts) under Standard Test Conditions (STC). Standard Test Conditions are defined by a module (cell) operating temperature of 25o C (77 F), and incident solar irradiant level of 1000 W/m2 and under Air Mass 1.5 spectral distribution. Since these conditions are not always typical of how PV modules and arrays operate in the field, actual performance is usually 85 to 90 percent of the STC rating.
Today’s photovoltaic modules are extremely safe and reliable products, with minimal failure rates and projected service lifetimes of 20 to 30 years. Most major manufacturers offer warranties of twenty or more years for maintaining a high percentage of initial rated power output. When selecting PV modules, look for the product listing (UL), qualification testing and warranty information in the module manufacturer’s specifications.

Benefits of Solar Energy

Advantages of Solar System

When it comes to the future, solar energy is looking strong. People are now realizing that in the long term, Solar Energy provides a financially viable option. The upfronts costs might be high, but in the long term, everyone can save money by using Solar Energy.
Today, the declining cost and increasing efficiency of solar energy technology has given rise to practical applications on earth – from powering personal electronic devices, homes and factories to generating utility-scale power.
The first commercial use of photovoltaic cells nearly 50 years ago was powering communications satellites in near-earth orbit. Solar Energy provides a huge advantage for satellites because they can be launched into orbit without the added weight of a fuel supply.
Saving money is something that everyone is looking to achieve when it comes to solar energy. The great advantage of solar energy is that it utilizes a free energy resource; the sun. By utilizing the power of the sun, solar energy systems can create electricity. In fact, even if extra energy is produced, this can actually be sold to utility providers at a profit. Solar energy does not just save people money, but it can also make them money too.
A lot more people these days are focused on doing what is right for the environment. This includes things like producing energy. Power plants use a lot of non-renewable energy resources to provide our homes with power. Solar energy systems do not damage the environment in any way, so are good for the future of the planet.
One of the major advantages of solar energy is the lack of maintenance that is required in the long term. The systems do need slight maintenance every now and then, but in the long term, the costs are minimal. This means that once the initial investment has been made, there is little that a owner of a solar energy system really needs to do.
The cost of solar cells is decreasing and the efficacy of these cells is increasing. Moreover the process of generating electricity by using bio fuels is getting expensive and hard. The reason is that production of the essential bio fuels like coal oil and gas are limited to the few countries. This is the reason why most of the underdeveloped countries of the world are switching to the solar power plants. These power plants generate electricity at lower cost as compared to the bio fuels. These solar power plants can support the personal as well as industrial applications. Solar energy can support the launch of satellite into the orbit. This helps to lower the weight of satellite by replacing its fuel with solar heat. The solar energy power plants are really simple to install without indulging into the hassle of wires. Solar energy is free and it is everywhere, this attribute has given it an edge over the other types of energy applications.

Disadvantages of Solar System

Solar Energy is fast becoming the most popular way to power the home. There are literally hundreds of advantages, which most manufacturers will focus on. Not everything to do with solar energy is actually positive though. There are actually quite a lot of disadvantages when it comes to producing Solar Energy.
One of the main disadvantages when it comes to Solar Energy is the fact that the intial setup costs are extremely high. Buying a Solar Energy system can cost in the region of thousands. For a lot of people, this simple means that they are priced out of the market. For others, it means is takes years for them to start gaining based on their initial investment. Over time, this will change, as the cost of energy rises and the cost of materials to produce Solar Energy systems reduces.
Another thing to consider when using Solar Energy to produce electricity, is that the systems tend to take up a lot of space. In order to produce a lot of energy, sometimes a whole garden area or roof of a property will need to be used in order to get enough Solar Energy.
Of course, this also relies on the position and strength of the sun, which changes on a daily basis. This means that on days when the sun is blocked or not as strong, then the Solar Energy systems will not produce much in terms of energy. This is one of the major disadvantages of Solar Energy that a lot of people do not think of.

Major Advantages Include

• The first and Main Benefit of Solar Energy specially in Pakistan is to overcome the issue of Load Shedding with Absolutely free and Reliable source of Energy and that is SUN
• It is absolutely noiseless.
• It is absolutely clean (green power)
• Maintenance free and can be installed in any house / building
• Runs fully independently and easy installation for every one.
• Solar performance guarantee for almost 30 years.

 

 

 

 

Solar Energy

 

Solar is the Latin word for sun—a powerful source of energy that can be used to heat, cool, and light our homes and businesses. That’s because more energy from the sun falls on the earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year. Sun is a part of solar system and it completes its rotation around the earth in 365 days. When the sunrays travel a long way from sky to earth they carry with them the heat and light of sun. Our earth is capable of absorbing this heat. 30% of the solar energy is sent back while the remaining 70% is consumed by the oceans, rivers, land and clouds. This solar energy is also responsible for rain. It is this energy which completes the water cycle for us. The water vapors accumulate in the air and when they are carried to some higher altitude, these vapors compress themselves to clouds and they shower rain. We receive 3, 85,000EJ energy every year which is sufficient to meet the energy requirement of solar projects.
Due to emerging issue of load shedding and generating power by going Green the Solar Energy is the basic solution of it and scope of solar energy is now not limited for drying clothes or fruit , now with the help of solar energy Electricity can be generated and daily use of electricity by a family can be fully meet with solar energy. A variety of technologies convert sunlight to usable energy for buildings. The most commonly used solar technologies for homes and businesses are solar water heating, passive solar design for space heating and cooling, and solar photovoltaics for electricity.
Businesses and industry also use these technologies to diversify their energy sources, improve efficiency, and save money. Solar photovoltaic and concentrating solar power technologies are also being used by developers and utilities to produce electricity on a massive scale to power cities and small towns.

 



Going Green with Solar Energy
The use of fuels like oil and gas in homes, cars and industry has brought us to the problem of global warming. The extreme production of harmful gases like carbon monoxide has destroyed the ozone layer hence we receive both the harmful and harmless sunrays. The extreme pollution in our planet has disturbed the smooth working of our echo system. This has resulted in lower rainfalls and dries weather. The use of sun to support industrial processes can help us overcome the worst situation of global warming. It can also help us stop destroying our fertile land from the harmful waste resulting from industrial processes. The governments all over the world are supporting the solar power projects especially in the under developed countries. The south Asian countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are planning major solar power projects to utilize the beneficial solar energy.



Electricity Generation from Sunlight
Electricity today has become essential for our survival. However with the passage of time the cost of production and consumption has also increased. This has forced mankind to look for the alternative ways to generate electric current. The heat from the sun is converted to electricity using Photovoltaic. The use of Photovoltaic was limited to very small applications like solar calculators. However now this mechanisms is used to generate electricity in very large power houses of up to 14MW. This is an economical way to produce electricity however every solar power house requires a strong backup support usually form wind power houses. However for the purpose of using Photovoltaic at home one can maintain a backup system by using batteries.


How Solar Power Works or How Solar Energy Works
The light and heat generated by sun can be conserved for diverse energy and power applications. Solar energy source of energy is under the phase of development and experimentation. Solar energy valuable energy is capable of providing heating, ventilation and fuel alternatives. Sun is an abundant energy resource and most of all it comes with the environment friendly package. Hence it is a common thought now that this energy source would lead towards its way to the end of this century.



Chemical Reaction in the Sun
The sun is the ruling star in of our solar system. This useful star provides us comfort, energy and growth. It is the presence of sunlight that we are able to grow plants and cultivate our barren land. Hydrogen consumed during nuclear fusion present in the sun generates radiant energy. This process helps the solar rays to reach earth in the form of very small energy packets called photons. These photons are absorbed by our oceans and land. When the sunrays reach to earth they interact with the oceans and rivers. The heats present in the sunlight facilitate the process of evaporation. It is in this process that water vapors, winds and cyclones are produced. If we implant aerodynamic wind mills in the way we can generate electricity from this process as well.


Solar Energy Working
If we store sunlight for constant 20 days we can replace a yearly reserve of coal, natural gas and oil. The energy present in the earth’s outer atmosphere is about 1300 Watts, which reduces to 1000Watts when it finally reaches the earth. The solar energy works only if we store it. Solar energy collectors are now implanted to store this energy. These are large flat black containers which are covered by glass. These solar energy collectors are placed ate the roof tops or in large barren land which is specifically allocated to solar energy consumption. The collector contains pipes which carry liquid in them. The liquid is a mixture of alcohol and water. This process either heats the water or air (the air is carried through the radiators to the building).the working of solar energy is also dependent upon how we utilize and transform it.


Conversion of Solar Energy
The solar energy is converted to chemical energy when plants use it to perform the process of photosynthesis. Hence solar energy works by utilizing its light and heat effectiveness. The solar energy is converted into thermal solar energy by directly converting the heat from the sun into thermal energy. When the power of the sunrays is converted into the electricity with the help of chemical reaction in the solar cells, it is an example of Photovoltaic conversion of energy. It is important to understand here that solar energy works naturally to facilitate the growth of plant and the working of our echo system. However now there are many artificial ways to make use of the solar energy. This solar energy works for us humans if we store it using different storage devices like the panels, solar cells and scheffler reflectors. Simple examples of solar cooker will explain how this solar energy works? Solar cooker is comprised of metal foil. This metal foil is capable of storing heat. When we place this solar cooker under sun for an entire day .it stores enough heat in it for the purpose of cooking food later in the evening. These solar cookers were invented to prevent immense deforestation in the rural areas. These cookers are an inexpensive and environment friendly way to cook food. The reason for environment friendliness is that these cookers do not generate harmful gases like carbon monoxide.


Why We Prefer Solar Energy, Reasons to Use Solar Energy
If we observe our environment which is the most abundant and free resource available to us, the answer is solar energy. Hence it is a natural alternative to fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal. The energy from the fossil fuels and water is used to generate electricity at large. The scarcity and wastage of these resources have made them expensive to use. Therefore solar energy is the low cost and safe alternative to the other fuels. There are many reasons to use solar energy like expensive fossils and bio fuels, global warming and development in solar energy utilization.


Expensive Bio Fuels
Solar energy is a renewable energy source which is relatively inexpensive. The reason for its being getting famous is its availability and abundance. While in the case of other bio fuels like oil and gas which are limited to the ownership of few countries this natural resource is free. These countries have monopoly over these resources and it is over their will that the prices of these biofuel like coal and oil fluctuate in the international market. Hence if we work on developing solar energy power plants we can save sufficient amount of tax imposed on importing oil and other biofuels. Development of power house using bio fuels is also an expensive project. All one need is to deploy solar grids. However the solar power project requires minimum initial investment. The deployment of solar grids is scaleable because the more you deploy solar grids the more you produce electricity.


Global Warming and Solar Energy
The use of fuels like oil and gas in homes, cars and industry has brought us to the problem of global warming. The extreme production of harmful gases like carbon monoxide has destroyed the ozone layer hence we receive both the harmful and harmless sunrays. The extreme pollution in our planet has disturbed the smooth working of our echo system. This has resulted in lower rainfalls and dries whether. The use of sun to support industrial processes can help us overcome the worst situation of global warming. It can also help us stop destroying our fertile land from the harmful waste resulting from industrial processes. The governments all over the world are supporting the solar power projects especially in the under developed countries. The south Asian countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are planning major solar power projects to utilize the beneficial solar energy.


Development and Research in the field of Alternative Fuels
The research in the field of alternative fuels has helped scientist to discover renewable energy projects. One such solar project which was initiated in the red sea recently was the experiment of solar ponds. The red is rich in salt content. It is deep and contains heaps of salt. This presence of salt is utilized to store solar heat in it. The temperature in lower salt layers reaches to 90 degrees Celsius which is sufficient to process heat and water. Such developments and more in this field are economical this is another reason why we should switch to alternative energy sources. The solar energy is helpful in generating tax free electricity at home that is why now end users have deployed batteries which support solar electricity generation. Solar energy is of many uses like water treatments, cooking and ventilation. The awareness about using solar cookers in rural areas has also helped to decrease the cut down of trees for cooking purposes. The solar vehicles do not emit harmful gases like other vehicles. hence all in all the profusion and simplicity to use the solar energy has gave us innumerable reasons to use it as a renewable energy source alone or in combination with wind and geothermal energy sources.