Unit II - HES
Unit II - HES
Unit II
HISTORY
SOLAR CELLS HISTORY
□ 1839: Photovoltaic Effect Is Discovered
□ French scientist Edmond Becquerel first discovered
the photovoltaic effect in 1839. This process occurs when light is
absorbed by a material and creates electrical voltage. Most modern
solar cells use silicon crystals to attain this effect.
□ 1873–1876: Selenium’s Photoconductivity Is Discovered
English electrical engineer Willoughby Smith discovered
the photoconductivity of selenium, meaning it becomes
electrically conductive when it absorbs light. Three years later,
William Grylls Adams and Richard Evans Day learned that
selenium could produce electricity from light without heat or
moving parts that could easily break down. This discovery proved
that solar power was easy to harvest and maintain, requiring fewer
parts than other energy sources — such as coal-fired plants
□ 1883: First Solar Cell Is Created
□ New York inventor Charles Fritts created the first solar
cell by coating selenium with a thin layer of gold. This
cell achieved an energy conversion rate of 1–2%.
Most modern solar cells work at an efficiency of 15–
20%.
□ 1887: The Photoelectric Effect Is Observed
□ German physicist Heinrich Hertz first observed
the photoelectric effect, where light is used to free
electrons from a solid surface (usually metal) to create
power. Contrary to expected results, Hertz found this
process produced more power when exposed to
ultraviolet light, rather than more intense visible light.
Albert Einstein later received the Nobel Prize for further
explaining the effect. Modern-day solar cells rely on
the photoelectric effect to convert sunlight into power.
□ 1953–1956: Silicon Solar Cells Are Produced
Commercially
□ Physicists at Bell Laboratories discovered that silicon is
more efficient than selenium, creating the first
practical solar cell — now 6% efficient. This discovery
led to solar cells capable of powering electrical
equipment. In 1956, Western Electric began selling
commercial licenses for its silicon PV technologies,
but the prohibitive costs of silicon solar cells keep
them from widespread market saturation.
□ 1958: Solar Energy Is Used In Space
□ After years of experiments to improve the efficiency and
commercialization of solar power, solar energy gained
support when the government used it to power space
exploration equipment. The first solar-powered
satellite, Vanguard 1, has traveled more than 197,000
revolutions around Earth in the 50 years it has been in
orbit. This application paved the way for more
research to decrease costs and increase production.
□ 1970s: Research Drives Costs Down
□ As oil prices rose in the 1970s, demand for solar
power increased. Exxon Corporation financed research
to create solar cells made from lower-grade silicon and
cheaper materials, pushing costs from $100 per watt to
only $20–$40 per watt. The federal government also
passed several solar-friendly bills and initiatives and
created the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL) in 1977.
□ 1982: The First Solar Parks Are Created
□ Arco Solar built the first solar park — basically a solar power
plant — in Hesperia, California, in 1982. This park
generated 1 megawatt, or 1,000 kilowatts per hour, while
operating at full capacity. This could power a 100-kilowatt
lightbulb for 10 hours. In 1983, Arco Solar built a second
solar park in Carrizo Plains, California. At the time, it was
the largest collection of solar arrays in the world, containing
100,000 PV arrays that generated 5.2 megawatts at full
capacity. While these plants fell into disarray with oil’s
return to popularity, they demonstrated the potential for
commercial solar power production.
□ 1994-–1999: Photovoltaic Conversion Reaches New
Levels
□ In 1994, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
developed a new solar cell from gallium indium
phosphide and gallium arsenide that exceeded 30%
conversion efficiency. By the end of the century, the
laboratory created thin-film solar cells that
converted 32% of the sunlight it collected into
usable energy.
□ 2005: DIY Solar Panels Become Popular
□ As technology and efficiency of solar cells have
increased, residential solar power has become more
popular. DIY solar panels started hitting the market in
2005 and have become more prevalent with each
new year. Today, there are many ways to make your
own solar panels, from putting together a solar panel
kit to planning a solar array.
□ 2015: Flexible Printed Solar Panels Hit the Market
□ Solar cells as thin as paper can now be manufactured
using an industrial printer and made into products such
as roof tiles or shingles. They have 20% power
conversion efficiency, and a single strip can produce up
to 50 watts per square meter, making the cost of
residential solar energy lower than ever. This is also
great news for the 1.3 billion people in developing
countries, as the strips are flexible and inexpensive to
produce.
□ 2016: Sunless Solar Power Is Discovered
□ A research team from the University of California, Berkeley,
and the Australian National University discovered new
properties of nanomaterial. One of these properties is called
magnetic hyperbolic dispersion, which means the material
glows when heated. If combined with thermophotovoltaic
cells, it could turn heat into electricity without the need for
sunlight.
□ Solar power has come a long way in the past 200 years, from
observing the properties of light to finding new ways to
convert it into power. This technology shows no signs of
slowing down — if anything, it is advancing at an
unprecedented rate. Stay up to date on the latest solar news
and advances to decide if solar power is right for you
FUTURE VISION
□ All buildings will be built to combine energy-efficient
design and construction practices and renewable energy
technologies for a net-zero energy building. In effect, the
building will conserve enough and produce its own
energy supply to create a new generation of
cost-effective buildings that have zero net annual need
for non-renewable energy
□ Photovoltaics research and development will continue
intense interest in new materials, cell designs, and novel
approaches to solar material and product development.
It is a future where the clothes you wear and your mode
of transportation can produce power that is clean and
safe.
□ The price of photovoltaic power will be competitive
with traditional sources of electricity within 10 years.
□ Solar electricity will be used to electrolyze water,
producing hydrogen for fuel cells for transportation
and buildings.
India’s Solar Power
□
ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
□ The electromagnetic spectrum encompasses all types of
radiation . The part of the spectrum that reaches Earth
from the sun is between 100 nm and 1 mm. This band is
broken into three ranges: ultraviolet, visible, and infrared
radiation. Ultraviolet contains wavelengths between
100-400 nm. Visible light falls within the range of 400-
700 nm, and infrared light contains wavelengths from
700 nm to over 1 mm 1. In the visible light
spectrum, the colors are determined by length.
the Longerwavelengths appear red while
wavelengths are blue/violet as they range closershorter
to
the ultraviolet spectrum 5.
SOLAR RADIATION
DEFINITIONS
□ Solar irradiance is the amount of radiant flux on an
area, and is measured in watts per meter squared
(W/m²) .
□ Insolation is the amount of solar radiation that is
received by a planet. Some of this energy is absorbed or
reflected by the atmosphere, if there is one, and some
reaches the surface.
SHORT WAVE RADIATION
LONG WAVE RADIATION
SOLAR RADIATION
MEASUREMENT OF SOLAR RADIATION
EQUIVALENT HOURS OF FULL SUN
SOLAR IRRADIANCE
□ Total solar irradiance is defined as the amount of radiant
energy emitted by sun over all wavelengths , not just
visible light , falling each second on 1 sq.m
perpendicular plane outside earth’s atmosphere.
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□ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_q6LRgKpTw
Working Mechanism
IV CHARACTERISTICS OF PV CELL
□ https://www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operati on/iv-curve
IV characteristics of solar cell
IV CHARACTERISTICS OF PV CELL
Current mismatch for two cells in series can be quite serious and quite common.
The Isc of the combination is limited to the Isc of the lowest cell.
SHADING
IMPACT OF SHADING
□ https://www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/modules-and-arra ys/shading
HOT SPOT HEATING