Solar Power at Malosky Staduimby Scott Norr, ECE Department

Photo Courtesy of Tom Ferguson

5.8 kW Array: 4 Rows of 7 Panels

Photo Courtesy of Tom Ferguson

Each Panel: 208 Watts, 29 Volts, 7.25 Amps

Photo Courtesy of Tom Ferguson

5 kW Sunny Boy InverterSolar Array produces Direct CurrentInverter chops the DC up and creates Alternating CurrentInverter synchronizes the AC with the building power system

Photo Courtesy of Tom Ferguson

Weather Station at Malosky

Weather Station Funded by:

Website In Development to Publish Datawww.d.umn.edu/solar

LIGHT EMITTING DIODEDiode Doped to Emit Photons as Electrons

Cross the Diode Junction

Physical DescriptionSilicon is doped(impurities added) to establish

Donors and AcceptorsDonors and Acceptors combine in Depletion

Region

LED: Electric Current Creates LightDiode Junction is Voltage Dependent

Reversible: Light Creates Electricity

Image Courtesy of Brandon Eberle, ECE Student Researcher

Future Work at Malosky

Concentrated PhotoVoltaics (CPV)A Manufacturer has developed a mirrored

plastic film with a very high incidence of optical reflectivity.

Cost is projected to be about 10% that of a Solar Panel

So, the surface area exposed to sunlight could be doubled or quadrupled for 10%

to 20% increase in cost

More Sun = More Electricity

Drawbacks:Concentrating Sunlight also means

Concentrating Heat (Infrared Radiation)Solar Panels are less efficient at higher

operating temperaturesPossible to “tune” the mirrored film to reflect less of the Infrared Wavelengths?

Research Questions:Are CPV systems suited to Northern Latitude

locations?How much concentration (2X, 4X or more?) is

the best fit for Duluth climate?What is the optimal concentraion, balanced

against the rise in temperature?What is the optimal spectral reflectivity of the

mirrored film?

3M/UMD/Minnesota Power Research GroupPursuing Federal and State Funding

to answer those questionsShould know in a few months