Electricity Production Using Solar Energy

Abstract

In this study, a solar-powered development project is used to identify whether it is possible to utilize solar technologies in the electricity production sector. Electricity production from solar energy has been found to be a promising method in the future. Concentrated solar energy can be converted to chemical energy via high-temperature endothermic reactions. Coal and biomass can be pyrolyzed or gasified by using concentrated solar radiation for generating power. Conventional energy will not be enough to meet the continuously increasing need for energy in the future. In this case, renewable energy sources will become important. Solar energy is an increasing need for energy in the future. Solar energy is a very important energy source because of its advantages. Instead of a compressor system, which uses electricity, an absorption cooling system, using renewable energy and kinds of waste heat energy, may be used for cooling.     

Solar energy—A look into power generation,challenges, and a solar‐powered future

Sun is an inexhaustible source of energy capable of fulfilling all the energy needs of humankind. The energy from the sun can be converted into electricity or used directly. Electricity can be generated from solar energy either directly using photovoltaic (PV) cells or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP) technology. Progress has been made to raise the efficiency of the PV solar cells that can now reach up to approximately 34.1% in multi‐junction PV cells. Electricity generation from concentrated solar technologies has a promising future as well, especially the CSP, because of its high capacity, efficiency, and energy storage capability. Solar energy also has direct application in agriculture primarily for water treatment and irrigation. Solar energy is being used to power the vehicles and for domestic purposes such as space heating and cooking. The most exciting possibility for solar energy is satellite power station that will be transmitting electrical energy from the solar panels in space to Earth via microwave beams. Solar energy has a bright future because of the technological advancement in this field and its environment‐friendly nature. The biggest challenge however facing the solar energy future is its unavailability all‐round the year, coupled with its high capital cost and scarcity of the materials for PV cells. These challenges can be met by developing an efficient energy storage system and developing cheap, efficient, and abundant PV solar cells. This article discusses the solar energy system as a whole and provides a comprehensive review on the direct and the indirect ways to produce electricity from solar energy and the direct uses of solar energy. The state‐of‐the‐art procedures being employed for PV characterization and performance rating have been summarized . Moreover, the technical, economic, environmental, and storage‐related challenges are discussed with possible solutions. Furthermore, a comprehensive list of future potential research directions in the field of direct and indirect electricity generation from solar energy is proposed.     

The Oxford Solar House

This paper presents preliminary results from the first nine months of monitoring the Oxford Solar House (OSH) which was built, in particular, to evaluate the potential for photovoltaics to contribute cost effectively to domestic energy supply in the UK. The house was built in a south facing site with good solar access. It has a 4kW PV system integrated into the roof structure and a 5m² solar thermal domestic hot water pre-heat. The house was designed to require a minimum of energy for heating, cooling and lighting, therefore optimizing the significance of the contribution of the solar electric supply. The performance of the PV system is presented, as well as an analysis of the whole design strategy to minimize energy loads.     

太阳能光伏发电技术及其应用

随着现代工业的发展,全球能源危机和大气污染问题日益突出,太阳能作为理想的可再生能源受到了许多国家的重视。目前太阳能光伏发电技术正在迅速发展,应用的规模和范围也在不断地扩大,已成为当今世界新能源发电领域的一个研究热点。本文在介绍太阳能光伏发电基本原理的基础上,详细阐述了太阳能光伏发电的相关重要技术,论述了太阳能光伏发电技术的主要应用方式和应用领域,并分析了太阳能光伏发电技术的应用前景。     

Solar district heating and cooling: A review

Both district heating and solar collector systems have been known and implemented for many years. However, the combination of the two, with solar collectors supplying heat to the district heating network, is relatively new, and no comprehensive review of scientific publications on this topic could be found. Thus, this paper summarizes the literature available on solar district heating and presents the state of the art and real experiences in this field. Given the lack of a generally accepted convention on the classification of solar district heating systems, this paper distinguishes centralized and decentralized solar district heating as well as block heating. For the different technologies, the paper describes commonly adopted control strategies, system configurations, types of installation, and integration. Real‐world examples are also given to provide a more detailed insight into how solar thermal technology can be integrated with district heating. Solar thermal technology combined with thermally driven chillers to provide cooling for cooling networks is also included in this paper. In order for a technology to spread successfully, not only technical but also economic issues need to be tackled. Hence, the paper identifies and describes different types of ownership and financing schemes currently used in this field.     

Solar cooling system using concentrating collectors for office buildings: A case study for Greece

On a European level there is intense research activity to broaden the applications of solar thermal systems beyond their established domains (hot water, space heating support) and to foster their participation in the energy maps of the EU-Member States. Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) systems are expected to play a key role in this effort, especially for achieving the medium and high temperatures needed, for electricity generation, for industrial applications but also for hybridized solar heating/cooling and desalination applications.This paper presents a proposal for implementation of a CST system in the building sector, based on a research carried out in the Laboratory of Environmental and Energy Efficient Design of Buildings and Settlements at the University of Thrace. Specifically, an integrated solar cooling system using parabolic trough solar collectors and double-effect chiller is discussed, used to cover the cooling needs of typical office building in Greece.As it was shown, the use of concentrating solar collectors leads to significantly higher output temperatures that can enable the use of two stage absorption chillers with a higher COP. Alternatively, when low or medium temperature heat is required, the use of CST systems takes less space to cope with it than traditional flat plate collectors. The combination of these parameters can contribute to removing key barriers associated with the broader diffusion of solar cooling technology, enhancing the potential to become more competitive to the conventional air conditioning technologies.     

太阳能光热低温利用发展与研究

太阳能具有分散性强、能流密度低、适合得到中低温热源的特性,太阳能低温热利用是人们最早认识和利用的太阳能转换手段,也是将来太阳能低成本、规模化应用的最重要的领域。本论文针对太阳能集热、太阳能采暖、太阳能干燥、太阳能热泵、太阳能空调、太阳能低温热发电等几个当前太阳能低温热利用的主要技术,介绍了各种技术的应用原理和背景,分析了各种已有技术的研究现状和社会需求,讨论了部分新技术的未来发展方向。同时介绍了中国科学技术大学在该领域的一些研究进展。     

联合太阳能沼气的冷热电供能系统的集成及经济性分析

冷热电联供是一种先进、高效的能源系统,目前在我国应用的主要问题是天然气成本高,导致系统经济性差。太阳能和沼气是非常清洁的可再生能源,在我国来源广泛且廉价。将冷热电联供系统与太阳能、沼气完美地结合起来,集成为联合太阳能沼气的冷热电供能系统。该系统较为合理的组合方式是采用太阳能沼气池作为燃料提供装置,采用微型燃气轮机、余热锅炉、溴化锂吸收式制冷机、蒸汽换热器等作为供电、供冷和供热机组,采用太阳能集热器、换热器等装置为沼气池加热,太阳能不足时采用尾气加热。该系统能够实现能量的梯级利用,提高一次能源利用率,达到综合用能的目的,同时可有效治理环境。以某酒店作为该系统的用户对象,分析其经济性并与常规模式进行对比。结果表明,该系统一次能源利用率为74.8%,而常规模式为62.3%;综合能源价格为0.3398元/(k W·h),而现阶段电网电价约为0.6元/(k W·h);环境与减排评价指标也具有明显优势。     

Solar energy scenarios in Brazil. Part two: Photovoltaics applications

This paper discusses some energy scenarios for photovoltaic applications in Brazil engendered by using SWERA database in order to demonstrate its potential for feasibility analysis and application in the energy planning for electricity generation. It discusses two major different markets: hybrid PV–Diesel installations in mini-grids of the off-grid Brazilian electricity system in the Amazon region, and grid-connected PV in urban areas of the interconnected Brazilian electricity system. The potential for using PV is huge, and can be estimated in tens to hundreds of MWp in the Amazon region alone, even if only a fraction of the existing Diesel-fired plants with a total installed capacity of over 620 MVA would fit to run in an optimum Diesel/PV mix. Most of the major cities in Brazil present greater electricity demand in summertime with the demand peak happening in the daytime period. This energy profile match the actual solar resource assessment provided by SWERA Data Archive, enabling grid-connected PV systems to provide an important contribution to the utility's capacity.     

全球太阳能热利用行业激励政策及对我国的启示

太阳能热利用是一种重要的可再生能源,在我国已经实现了商业化运行。如何支持已实现了商业化运行的太阳能热利用行业,是目前可再生能源政策研究的热点问题。本文研究分析了立法、财政补贴和间接市场等激励政策的适用环境,剖析了欧盟、西班牙、以色列和澳大利亚等国家和地区的现行激励政策,针对我国的产业发展现状,提出了相应的政策建议。     

加快发展河北省太阳能光热发电的建议和对策

太阳能作为一种可再生的新能源,越来越引起人们的关注。我国每年太阳能资源理论储量折合标准煤达17000亿t,而包括风能、水能、生物质能、地热能在内的其它所有可再生能源折合标准煤不到60亿t,太阳能利用潜力巨大。太阳能发电主要有光伏发电和光热发电。太阳能光热发电比光伏发电具有更多的优势。阐述了太阳能光热发电的国内外发展现状,分析了河北省太阳能的资源潜力,并提出了河北省发展太阳能光热发电的建议和对策.     

Thermo-economic analysis and sizing of a PV plant equipped with a compressed air energy storage system

Photovoltaic (PV) farms are widely used around the world to provide required electricity. Compressed air energy storage (CAES) system has been already proposed for energy storage applications in large scales. In this work, employing a CAES unit equipped with an ancillary solar heating system for a large scale PV farm in Brazil is proposed. A PV farm with 100 MWp (megawatt peak) capacity is proposed to be built in the most suitable point within Brazil. The sizing of the CAES unit and the solar heating system, which has not been investigated, along with selecting the best power sales strategy for the power plant, which has been always a challenge for renewable energy source power plants, are carried out emphasizing energy-economic considerations. In order to prove the proficiency of the proposal, the performance of the power plant and energy storage unit is assessed over a sample year. In order to have a comprehensive economic analysis, Net Present Value (NPV) method is employed and all the possible uncertainties in the system have been taken into account.     

Energy performance of water hybrid PV/T collectors applied to combisystems of Direct Solar Floor type

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) modules in buildings allows one to consider a multifunctional frame and then to reduce the cost by substitution of components. In order to limit the rise of the cell operating temperature, a photovoltaics/thermal (PV/T) collector combines a solar water heating collector and PV cells. The recovered heat energy can be used for heating systems and domestic hot water. A combination with a Direct Solar Floor is studied. Its low operating temperature level is appropriate for the operating conditions of the mono- or poly-crystalline photovoltaic modules which are selected in that study. However, for a system including a glass covered collector and localised in Mâcon area in France, we show that the annual photovoltaic cell efficiency is 6.8% which represents a decrease of 28% in comparison with a conventional non-integrated PV module of 9.4% annual efficiency. This is obviously due to a temperature increase related to the cover. On the other hand, we show that without a glass cover, the efficiency is 10% which is 6% better than a standard module due to the cooling effect.Moreover, in the case of a glazed PV/T collector with a conventional control system for Direct Solar Floor, the maximum temperature reached at the level of the PV modules is higher than 100 °C. This is due to the oversize of the collectors during the summer when the heating needs are null, i.e. without a heated swimming pool for example. This temperature level does not allow the use of EVA resin (ethylene vinyl acetate) in PV modules due to strong risks of degradation. The current solution consists of using amorphous cells or, if we do not enhance the thermal production, uncovered PV/T collector. Further research led to water hybrid PV/T solar collectors as a one-piece component, both reliable and efficient, and including the thermal absorber, the heat exchanger and the photovoltaic functions.     

Development of solar thermal technologies in China

Solar energy is receiving much more attention in building energy systems in recent years. Solar thermal utilization should be based on integration of solar collectors into buildings. The facades of buildings can be important solar collectors, and, therefore, become multifunctional. In addition, solar collectors can be used to enhance the appearance of the facade when considering their aesthetic compatibility. Currently, installation of collectors on the south tilted roofs, south walls, balconies or awnings of buildings are the feasible approaches for integration of solar collectors into buildings. The most well known solar energy demonstration projects in China are introduced in this paper, which cover different integrated approaches, and solar heating and cooling systems. In China's cities, the process of rebuilding apartment roofs from flat to inclined offers the ideal opportunity to carry out solar renovation in combination with roof-integrated collectors. It can be seen from the demonstration projects over the last twenty years, that, solar cooling systems were mainly used in public buildings for either absorption or adsorption. Besides, nearly all solar cooling systems are multifunctional. They have been used to supply heating and hot water in other seasons for the purpose of high solar fraction. In the 11th Five-year research project (duration 2006–2010), the government has encouraged solar energy researchers to study, develop, and break through the key technologies involved in the integration of solar thermal technologies with buildings.     

A critical review of photovoltaic–thermal solar collectors for air heating

Integrated photovoltaic–thermal solar collectors have become of great interest in the solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) research communities. Solar thermal systems and solar PV systems have each advanced markedly, and combining the two technologies provides the opportunity for increased efficiency and expanded utilization of solar energy. In this article, the authors critically review photovoltaic–thermal solar collectors for air heating. Included is a review of photovoltaic thermal technology and recent advances, particularly as applied to air heaters. It is determined that the photovoltaic–thermal (PV/T) air heater is or may in the future be practicable for preheating air for many applications, including space heating and drying, and that integrated PV/T collectors deliver more useful energy per unit collector area than separate PV and thermal systems. Although PV/T collectors are promising, it is evident that further research is required to improve efficiency, reduce costs and resolve several technical design issues related to the collectors.     

太阳能光伏光热一体化系统的实验研究

为提高太阳能的利用率同时得到可资利用的热水和电力，将小型贮能式光伏系统与家用平板型太阳能热水器结合起来，把光优电池组件层压在热水器的扁盒式铝合金集热板上，构成一套光优光热(PV／T)一体化系统，并在合肥地区进行了自然循环模式下的光电光热性能测试。实验结果表明，在晴朗或多云的天气条件下实验系统日平均热效率可达40％，日平均发电效率约9．5％，系统综合性能效率多在60％以上，比单独的光伏或热水系统效率有显著提高。     

Solar absorption cooling in Spain: Perspectives and outcomes from the simulation of recent installations

In spite of the fact that Spain is one of the EU countries with the highest solar resource on annual basis, the huge seasonal variation in solar radiation availability and the relatively short period with heating demand, make it difficult to reach significant contributions of solar energy to the buildings heating energy demand. This compromises the economic viability of big solar collector areas per capita, and introduces technical difficulties for the dissipation of the excess solar energy available in the summer months. On the other hand, in a large part of the Spanish territory, in other to reach adequate comfort conditions in our buildings, the energy demand for cooling is more important or of the same order than the heating demand. Cooling energy demand is now experiencing a fast growing rate as this comfort requirement becomes internalized. Domestic air conditioning equipments based on vapour compression cycles are being used to reach comfort conditions in some of the rooms of buildings that were designed without taking into account cooling requirements. In spite of their so far small contribution to the total building sector energy demand, these equipments are already imposing important constraints on the environment and the electricity distribution system. Solar absorption cooling arises as an interesting alternative, which at the same time allows reaching a higher solar contribution to the heating demand. However, solar cooling installations present several peculiarities with respect to the more known DHW or even heating installations, which require to incorporate a more detailed approach and additional considerations in the design and performance evaluation processes. Besides, some limitations still persist in solar absorption systems, which could make them loose their market potential for the benefit of other solar cooling options. In this paper, we present some conclusions arising from the experience gained in detailed TRNSYS dynamical simulation of some of the first commercial solar heating and cooling installations recently implemented in Spain, and analyse their perspectives in comparison with other solar cooling options.     

基于光伏组件的太阳能资源观测

鉴于太阳能资源的测量和评价是太阳能开发利用的重要基础,按照光伏电池两种主要安装方式(倾斜固定和太阳跟踪),利用单晶、多晶和非晶三种典型的光伏组件设计进行了太阳能光伏资源观测试验,获得了各季节典型晴天条件下各类型光伏组件辐照度的日变化特征和倾斜面光伏组件一年中月均每日可发电量的极大值、极小值及其月份。通过对比各类型光伏组件在太阳跟踪器上和纬度倾斜面上光伏辐照度变化,得出跟踪光伏组件日均光伏曝辐量与倾斜光伏组件日均光伏曝辐量的相比较优势。根据光伏组件的观测结果推算出各类型光伏组件的光伏反演辐照度,与气象辐射观测用总辐射表的总辐射辐照度趋势非常一致,在太阳能光伏主要利用时段相对误差基本在10%以内。     

Employment impacts of solar energy in Turkey

Solar energy is considered a key source for the future, not only for Turkey, also for all of the world. Therefore the development and usage of solar energy technologies are increasingly becoming vital for sustainable economic development. The main objective of this study is investigating the employment effects of solar energy industry in Turkey. Some independent reports and studies, which analyze the economic and employment impacts of solar energy industry in the world have been reviewed. A wide range of methods have been used in those studies in order to calculate and to predict the employment effects. Using the capacity targets of the photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) plants in the solar Roadmap of Turkey, the prediction of the direct and indirect employment impacts to Turkey's economy is possible. As a result, solar energy in Turkey would be the primary source of energy demand and would have a big employment effects on the economics. That can only be achieved with the support of governmental feed-in tariff policies of solar energy and by increasing research-development funds.