APPLICATIONS OF SOLAR TECHNOLOGY

APPLICATIONS OF APPLICATIONS OF SOLAR TECHNOLOGYSOLAR TECHNOLOGY

04/22/23 2°C Liceo Scientifico A. Oriani, Ravenna

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Solar thermal collectorsSolar thermal collectors

Solar and photovoltaic cellsSolar and photovoltaic cells

Photovoltaic panelsPhotovoltaic panels

Photovoltaic performancePhotovoltaic performance


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WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY?

• Solar energySolar energy is the radiant light and heat from the sun which has been harnessed from humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies.

• Only a minuscle part of solar energy is used.


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• Solar power technologies provide electrical Solar power technologies provide electrical generation by means of heat engines or generation by means of heat engines or photovoltaics. A partial list of solar photovoltaics. A partial list of solar applications includes space heating and applications includes space heating and cooling through solar architecture, potable cooling through solar architecture, potable water via distillation and disinfection, hot water via distillation and disinfection, hot water, thermal energy for cooking.water, thermal energy for cooking.


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ACTIVE AND PASSIVE ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES

Solar technologies are divided in passive Solar technologies are divided in passive solar and active solar. Active solar solar and active solar. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to panels and solar thermal collectors to convert sunlight into useful outputs. Passive convert sunlight into useful outputs. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun or selecting materials with to the Sun or selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties.properties.


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ENERGY FROM THE SUN The Earth receives 174 petawatts of incoming

solar radiation at the upper atmosphere. Approximately 30% is reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by clouds, oceans and land masses whose temperature rises.

By photosynthesis green plants convert solar energy into chemical energy, which produces food, wood and the biomass from which fossil fuels are derived

From the table of resources it would appear that solar, wind or biomass would be sufficient to supply all of our energy needs.


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SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORSOLAR THERMAL COLLECTOR

is a solar collector specifically intended to collect heat

device for extracting the energy of the sun directly into a more usable or storable

form.


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Typologies

• Flat plat• Evacuated tube• Pool or unglazed• Asphalt Solar Collector • Volumetric thermal collectors


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Flat plat• It’s the most common

type of solar thermal collector

• It’s usually used as a solar hot water panel to generate solar hot water.

• It’s generally used in hotels and homes in sunny climates such as those found in southern Europe.


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Evacuated tube can perform well in colder conditions.

The high temperatures that can occur may require special system design to avoid or mitigate overheating conditions.

Has multiple evacuated glass tubes which heat up solar absorbers.


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Pool or unglazed• It is much like a

flat-plate collector.

• It becomes ineffective when the ambient temperature gets cooler.

• It is used extensively for pool heating.


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Asphalt Solar CollectorIt collects heat using fluidIt collects heat using fluid

circulating through ancirculating through anarray of pipes embedded array of pipes embedded n the surface of a roadn the surface of a road..


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Volumetric thermal collectors• They are the oldest

method of getting heat from the sun.

• They use principle of volume absorption with modern designs that include vacuum insulation.


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AdvantagesVery high temperatures reached

Good efficiency

A larger area can be covered by using relatively inexpensive mirrors

Cheaper than photovoltaic modules


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DisadvantagesConcentrating systems require sun

tracking to maintain Sunlight focus at the collector

Inability to provide power in diffused light conditions

Power output drop drastically in cloudy conditions as diffused light cannot be concentrated passively.

Photovoltaic cells

A solar cell, also called a photovoltaic cell, is used to convert solar energy into

electrical energy


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How do they work?

• Solar cells are made using semiconductors such as silicon ;

• When particles of light are absorbed by the semiconductor, they transfer their energy to some of the semiconductor's electrons.


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Advantages

• Solar cells are also totally silent and non-polluting ;

• Solar cells require very little maintenance, greatly because there are no moving parts that must be maintained;

• Solar cells can last a lifetime.


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Disavantages

• Solar energy systems do not work at night; Solar energy systems do not work at night; • Solar cells are currently costly and require a Solar cells are currently costly and require a

large initial capital investment; large initial capital investment; • For larger applications, many photovoltaic For larger applications, many photovoltaic

cells are needed, corresponding to high cells are needed, corresponding to high investment costs and large land requirements; investment costs and large land requirements;

• The cost effectiveness of a solar energy The cost effectiveness of a solar energy system is dependent upon the location and system is dependent upon the location and climate.climate.


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Usage of solar cells The semiconductor

most widely used in solar cells is single-crystal silicon.

Cells produced by this method are prohibitively expensive for all but the smallest scale or most specialised applications

We have the best performance, with these conditions:

– High noon– Cloudless day – In the equator } The insolation is about:1 Kw/m²

The Real PV performance

12% of the hypothetic

performance

In Earth, the real PV performance is about:

Or with the best commercially

available panelsIs about

20%

Also, to obtain the best PV performance,the solar panels, in Northern Hemisphere are point due sud, whereas, in Southern

Hemisphere are point due north.


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PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY

It is the field of technology and research

related to the application of solar cells for energy by converting sunlight

directly into electricity

SOLAR ENERGY

ELECTRICITY


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From the smallestpart of

photovoltaic energy

The solar cell

To a compositionof solar cells

Solar panels


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Liceo Scientifico “A. Oriani” RavennaLiceo Scientifico “A. Oriani” RavennaInterdisciplinary projectInterdisciplinary project

Subjects involved: English, Physics, Subjects involved: English, Physics, Information TechnologyInformation Technology

Teacher involved: prof.ssa Teacher involved: prof.ssa Siboni Elisabetta andSiboni Elisabetta and

prof.ssa Laurena Petrizziprof.ssa Laurena PetrizziClass II C PNIClass II C PNI

APPLICATIONS OF SOLAR TECHNOLOGY

Documents

solar energy

solar architecture

solar absorbers

passive solar techniques

active solar techniques

thermal energy

solar hot water panel

chemical energy