Lecture # 1

Photovoltaic Based Energy Systems

Topics to Cover:

 What do you mean by PV Based Energy

Systems?
 Renewable Energy Sources
 Comparison of PV with Renewables
 Conventional Sources vs Renewables
 What do you mean by PV
based Energy Systems:
 Systems which are Energy Based:
 A system has some inputs and outputs such that it
will take the information from the input (source),
processes it according to the end-user specification
and deliver it to the output (end-user).
 Since we are talking about the energy based system,
the input of the system is the energy source and the
responsibility of the system is to deliver it to the
output in the refined form according to the needs of
the user.
 What do you mean by PV
based Energy Systems:
 Systems which are Energy Based:
 Main responsibility of the system is to process the
energy in such a methodological way that it will not
only increase the efficiency of the energy source by
operating it under maximum power, but at the same
time, delivered it to the user/load according to its
needs.
 What do you mean by PV
based Energy Systems:

 Form of Energy – Electrical

 It depends upon the source. Since the source of the
system is photovoltaic which converts sunlight into
electricity. Therefore, the energy form is Electrical.
 What do you mean by PV
based Energy Systems:
 Photovoltaic Sources
 Photovoltaic source converts the sunlight into direct
current (electricity) as a result of photovoltaic effect
occurred in the material of photovoltaic source. It is
available in the form of panels in the market.
 Photo means Photons (Light Particles)-> Investment
from Nature
 Voltaic means Volt Effect (Unit of Volt is V, which is
known as Electromotive Force) -> Investment from
Humans
 What do you mean by PV
based Energy Systems:
 Panels – Technical Word is Module
 It is available in the form of panels in the market.
 Units of Energy - Electrical Energy
 Since the unit cost of electrical energy is expressed in
dollars/rupees per kilowatt-hour. So, we use the
electrical energy in the form of kWh.
 http://www.rapidtables.com/electric/kWh.htm
What do you mean by PV
based Energy Systems:
Consistency, Utilize available Power,
Maximum Power Point Operation

Not Consistent Consistent

Balance the Cycle
Optimal Conditions –
Maximum Power

Not Consistent
 What do you mean by PV
based Energy Systems:
 Power Processing
 In PV energy systems, Power Processing is required.
 Power Processing means Controlling the Flow of
Power (Power Electronics)
 Means/Devices: The flow of power can be controlled
through Switching Devices i.e. Transistors, Mosfets
etc.
 One can view Transistor as a two-way world. One
is the Power Interface World (Collector-Emittor,
Drain-Source) and other is the Control-Logical
World (Base, Gate).
 What do you mean by PV
based Energy Systems:
 Power Processing
 Means/Devices: Switching Devices
 Gate World is controlled by logical decisions, which
require sophisticated computations. For that
millions of transistor may be required.
 Millions of Transistors are required to control
the power interface of Single Transistor.
 Need Assistance: Devices cannot control the flow
alone, they need assistance from circuit elements like
Capacitors, Inductors and diode etc.
Inductor in the circuit will prevent the sudden
change in current i.e. Time to avoid short-circuit.
Capacitor will prevent the sudden change in voltage.
 What do you mean by PV
based Energy Systems:
 Power Processing
 Means/Devices: Switching Devices
 Switching Frequency: Directly link with Size of
the component.
 Commercial Aerospace plane applications have a
line frequency of 400 Hz as opposed to our normal
grid line Frequency of 60 Hz.
 What do you mean by PV
based Energy Systems:
 Power of Solar
 Solar Energy: One
estimation is that the
total solar
flux/radiations incident
at sea level is
approximately 1.2 x
1017 W. According to
2012, the world
population is 7 Billion
i.e. 7,000,000,000 i.e.
7 x 109. The solar
power per person is
nearly 17.2 MW.
 What do you mean by PV
based Energy Systems:
 Power of Solar in Pakistan
 Pakistan has currently a demand of roughly
20,000 MW. So, even if we manage to collect
the Solar Power of 1163 Persons, we can fulfill
the load required by the Pakistan. But, its not
such an easy task as it looks in numbers
because even a state-of-the-art technology of
current-era is not capable of catching that.
However, current technology has enough
sophistication that it can fulfill the demands
with its low efficiency as the sun provides the
free energy on such a massive scale
 Renewable Energy Sources
 Definition of Renewable
 A source of energy that is not depleted by use.
 Main Source of Renewables
 Sun is the main source of all renewable energy
resources.
 Working of Sun:
 Solar radiations i.e. Sun can be considered as two way
source: Light Source and Heat Source
 The motion and gravitational potential of the sun, moon
and earth.
 Renewable Energy Sources
 Types of Renewable Sources
 Photovoltaics (Sources: Sun (Sunlight) i.e. Solar PV)
 Solar Thermal (Sources: Sun (Heat) i.e. Solar Collectors)
 Wind (Sources: Sun and Earth)
 Biomass (Sources: Sun and Earth)
 Marine – Ocean Tidal Waves (Sources: Motion of Sun,
Earth and Moon)
 Hydro (Sources: Sun and Earth)
 Renewable Energy Sources
 Contribution – Till 2010

Global

USA
 Renewable Energy Sources
 Advantages
 Clean Technology
 Energy demand is expected to be escalated by 56% from
2010 to 2050 [1-2], which may pile up the carbon dioxide
emissions from 31.2 to 45.5 billion metric tons in 2040 [1-
3].
 Sustainability
 The reserves of raw material, i.e. fossil fuels of
conventional sources are reducing with every passing year
[4].
 Renewable Energy Sources
 Advantages
 Sustainability
 Renewable Energy Sources
 Advantages
 Locally Available
 Increasing Cost-Effectivness
 In the early days of solar cells in the 1960s and 1970s,
more energy was required to produce a cell than the cell
could deliver the energy before its expired i.e. Energy pay
back time is negative. Since then, the dramatic
improvements in efficiencies and manufacturing processes
of solar cells, the energy pay back time is reduced to 5-8
years (Ideally) in 1996. Now a days, the commercial PV
modules/panels can survive upto 20 to 25 Years.
 Renewable Energy Sources
 Energy Mix
 Renewable sources are steadily gaining position in the
global energy mix [6], primarily in power sector.
According to [3], the percentage contribution of
renewable sources in electricity supply is 21%, which
is expected to rise up to 31% by 2035 [6-7].
 Renewable Energy Sources
 Energy Mix – Power Sector
53% 47%

PV
 Comparison of PV with
Renewables
 Output Form of Energy
 Photovoltaics (Electrical Energy)
 Solar Thermal (Thermal Energy)
 Wind (Mechanical Energy)
 Biomass (Thermal Energy)
 Marine – Ocean Tidal Waves (Mechanical Energy)
 Hydro (Mechanical Energy)
 Comparison of PV with
Renewables
 PV Advantages
 PV systems are easy to install, have almost negligible
maintenance costs and requires less balance of systems, such
as: 1) PV system is almost mechanically free unlike wind
turbines, 2) Compared to biofuels and wind turbines, PV
panels are silent and create almost zero pollution, thus more
suitable for house roof tops and urban area applications and
3) Since dams and wind turbines are installed with the proper
evaluation of the surrounding area, PV panels just need to be
setup where there is sunlight. Apart from these advantages,
there are numerous applications where only PV system can be
worked out as the renewable energy source as shown in Fig.
[8].
 Comparison of PV with
Renewables
 PV Advantages
Conventional Sources vs
Renewables
 The stake of Renewable Sources is on the Storage Systems.
Like Batteries are not the environmental friendly device.
 Conventional Sources vs
Renewables
 Power of Oil
15 Rs/kWh: 15 x 3.63 = 54.5 Rs
10 Hrs: 0.363 x 10 = 3.63 kWh
363 W = 0.363 kW

Stationary Bicycle
@ 14 km/h

1 kWh = 860420 Cal, On Average Human consumes 2000 to 4000 Cal

 Conventional Sources vs
Renewables
 Power of Oil
Chemical Process of Adult Male produces an average of 100 W surplus
heat.
Human produce 100 W of useful work
during long period of time.

1 Wildly Dancing Human produces 400 W of

Thermal Energy.
 Conventional Sources vs
Renewables
 Power of Oil
During Short-Periods, Human Athletes can
generate 800 – 1000 W.

Roughly, 1 kWh = 1 Day of Hard Physical Labor

1 Liter of Petrol = 9.1 kWh
1 Barrel of Oil (42 Gallons of Crude Oil) = 12 Years of Human Labor