Figure 2-0-33 Solar radiation at the earth’s surface

Solar Radiation Components

Direct Radiation
The radiation doesn’t get absorbed and has not experienced scattering in our
atmosphere, its light travels directly to down to our earth surface

Diffused radiation
This is a radiation from our solar system that is scattered and reach our earth’s surface
Global Radiation
is the sum of wave radiation from our atmosphere moving downward onto a plane
surface on the earth surface. It includes both the direct solar radiation and the diffuse
radiation having a result from send back or scattered sunlight
 Figure 2-0-34 Solar Radiation

Solar radiation Geometry

The Earth's daily movement about the axis through its two celestial poles (North and South) is
perpendicular to the equator, but it is not perpendicular to the plane of the Earth's orbit.
The measure of the tilt of Earth’s axis to a line perpendicular to the plane of its orbit is about
23.5°. The Earth passes alternately above and below this plane making one complete elliptic
cycle every year.

Figure 2-0-35 Solar Radiation Geometry

(Source: cibsejournal.com)
Potential for Solar Energy in La Union
In order to devise a system that uses solar radiation, it is important to study solar
radiation detail. A few facts on the sun and earth are given below:
Sun’s Diameter: 865,00 miles (109 times of Earth)
Mass: 2x1030kg (330,000 times of earth)
Gravity: 274 m/s2 (28 grams)
Surface Temperature: 10,000°F (6,000°C)
At the Earth’s surface, the sun subtends an angle of 32 minutes 0.53°

Figure 2-0-36 Potential PV Electricity Production in Rosario La Union

(Source: https://maps.nrel.gov/gst-philippines)
 Figure 2-0-37 Average monthly sun hours in Rosario, La Union
(Source: Worldweatheronline.com)

 On average September is the sunniest

 On the average July has the lowest amount of sunshine.
This is the monthly total of sun hours in Aringay La Union\
Figure 2-0-38 Annual Peak Sun hours in La Union
(Source: Solar System Philippines)
Solar Photovoltaic Plants

Photovoltaic plants is made up of photovoltaic cells which is a non- mechanised device,

this device transforms solar energy straight to electric power, Photovoltaic effect is the
procedure of making current that comes from photoelectric effect. PV cells is composed
of a positive and on the other hand is negative film of silicon below a slim slice of glass.
Types of Solar Powered Systems
A grid connected system is a system composed of PV modules, wiring, and inverter.
The device called inverter transform the direct current given by the PV modules to
alternating current, moving on the same time the AC output to the AC in the grid.

Figure 2-0-39 Grid Connected System

Stand Alone Systems
standalone solar system is a system that the solar panels are not couple to a grid but
the main use of these is to charge the batteries. the said batteries reserve the power
produced by the solar panels after that and the electrical loads draw their electric power
from the said batteries. Standalone solar power systems is commonly used in areas
that are not grid connected.
 Figure 2-0-40 Stand Alone Systems
(Source: researchgate.net)

Stand Alone Hybrid System

This system creates power like the grid-tie solar system but the major difference is that
this uses batteries to reserve energy. Many of the power sources are used. When
daytime the solar modules create energy, DC to be specific and are put on the battery
or directly to inverter and transform the DC into AC.

Figure 2-0-41 Stand Alone Hybrid System

SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANT TECHNOLOGY

Solar photovoltaic technologies transform our sun’s energy unto electric power energy.
The set of PV cells are electrically arranged to modules and arrays, this can used to
power up the batteries, operate motors, and to charge up any amount of electric loads.
Along with the standard power conversion equipment, PV systems can create
alternating current (AC) that can be used with any commonly appliances, and can work
in parallel with, and coupled to, the utility grid.

Major Components of Solar Photovoltaic Power

Photovoltaic Cell

Figure 2-0-42 Photovoltaic Cell

(Source: Figure 2-0-42 solarcellanatsuga.blogspot.com)
Solar Photovoltaic Cells A single PV cell is a thin semiconductor wafer made of two
layers commonly composed of highly purified silicon. The layers come along with boron
on side A and phosphorous on side B, making surplus of electrons on side A and a
deficit of electrons on the side B. In silicon this voltage is .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 current flows through
the circuit. This PV cell has no bank capacity; it directly stand as an electron pump. The
number of current is known by the amount of electrons that the solar photons knock off.
Solar Photovoltaic Modules
solar PV module is made up of multiple PV cells connected in parallel to increase
current and in series to create a higher voltage.
Types of Solar Photovoltaic Modules
Monocrystalline Solar Panels (Mono-SI)
Monocrystalline Solar Panels (Mono-SI) This type of solar panels is the purest one. You
can simply recognize them from the standard dark figure and the rounded edges.
Silicon’s high purity leads this type of solar panel to be recorded as the highest
efficiency rates, the new ones reaching above 20%. The said panels can have a higher
output, and has a possibility to consume less space, and also can extend lifespan. That
can be an economical factor.

Figure 2-0-43 Monocrystalline Solar Panels

(Source: indiamart.com)
Polycrystalline Solar Panels (Poly-SI)

Polycrystalline or Multicrystalline are a fresh technology. Polycrystalline also make its

first move as a silicon crystal ‘seed’ placed in a vat of molten silicon. Instead to draw the
silicon crystal seed up as with Monocrystalline the vat of silicon is simply allowed to
cool. This is what forms the distinctive edges and grains in the solar cell.
 Figure 2-0-44 Polycrystalline Solar Panels

Thin-Film Solar Cells (TFSC)

Figure 2-0-45 Thin-Film Solar Cells

Thin-film solar cell, type of device that is created to transform light energy into electric
power energy and is made up of micron-thick photon-absorbing material layers
deposited over a flexible substrate. Thin-film solar cells were first introduced in the
1970s by researchers at the Institute of Energy Conversion at the University of
Delaware in the United States. The said technology consistently improved. Numerous
types of thin-film solar cells are widely used because of their relatively low cost and
their efficiency in producing electricity.