SOLAR THERMAL AND PHOTOVOLTAIC

Technology And Innovation For Sustainable Production 2011/2012

Every day the sun radiates an enormous amount of energy. The sun radiates more energy in one second than people have used since the beginning of time.

But its intensity is law and it depends on wheater conditions

The main scientific and technological challenge is the storage of solar energy flow.

Table of contents* • Solar energy

• Solar Thermal and Concentrating Solar Power

• Photovoltaic

• Types of generators

• Types of cells

• Cell and energy production data (World, Europe, Italy)

• “Conto Energia” and “Scambio sul Posto” systems.

* NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS are asked to take the exam with a good preparation of each of the topics listed above.

A) Solar Thermal

Solar thermal energy (STE) is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy (heat). A solar thermal collector is a solar collector designed to collect heat by absorbing sunlight. The term is applied to solar hot water panels, but may also be used to denote more complex installations such as solar parabolic, solar trough and solar towers or simpler installations such as solar air heat.

A1) Concentrating Solar Power

Concentrating solar

power (CSP) is a form of energy production

technology that concentrates large

amounts of solar energy onto a small

area. Here, the energy density is much higher

than that available from just beam

sunshine and the efficiencies of its

conversion to useful energy (ie electricity or steam) is much higher.

B) Photovoltaic From light to electricity

Photovoltaic (PV) systems convert sunlight directly into electricity, and are potentially one of the most useful of the renewable energy technologies

The heart of a photovoltaic system is a solid-state device called a solar cell.

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Groups of solar cells can be packaged into modules, panels and arrays to provide useful output voltages and

currents to provide a specific power output.

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1) Stand-alone PV system In Oix, La Garrotxa in rural Spain. This system consists of a 900-watt PV array with inverter and batteries. More than 60 rural homes in this mountainous area have been electrified with PV.

TYPES OF GENERATOR/PLANTS

2) Grid-connected photovoltaic power systems

are power systems energised by photovoltaic panels which are connected to the utility grid

small size

medium size

electric power plants

TYPES OF GENERATOR/PLANTS

PV power for off-shore navigational aids eliminates trips to and from shore to

refill generators with fossil fuels.

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Difference between solar cell • monocrystalline • polycrystalline • amorphous thin film

Pv Power Capacity in Europe

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS PRODUCTION

Main manufacturers

What about Italy?

Incentive system for PV Conto Energia

The feed-in tariff scheme was first endorsed by Italy in 2005, then updated with a new

Decree in 2007.

FITs typically include three key provisions:

• guaranteed grid access

• long-term contracts for the electricity produced

• purchase prices based on the cost of generation

Under a feed-in tariff, eligible pv generators are paid a cost-based price for the renewable electricity they produce.

SCAMBIO SUL POSTO

Thanks!