Solar
Photovoltaic
S stems
Systems
Neal M. Abrams,, Ph.D.
Department of Chemistry
SUNY ESF
A Focus on Energy Use
1.8x1012 Watts ((continuously)
y)
6x109 persons
3 100W light bulbs per
person
U.S. – 25% of total
15 100W light bulbs per
person
36 kWhr/day/person
Solar energy 1%
Conventional
hydroelectric
power 45%
Geothermal 5%
Wind energy 2%
Biomass 47%
U.S.
U
S Energy
E
Consumption
Where are the people?
Where is the power?
p
Current Supplies
pp
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Annual Energy Review 2009
How
much
do we
need?
Where
are the
watts?
Area required for all US electricity production (~100 x 100 miles)
(39,000 miles2)
Is PV the complete solution?
Advantages
Disadvantages
Vast, renewable, free fuel
Diffuse fuel source
No emissions
emissions, no combustion,
combustion
High
g installation costs
offset by financial incentives
source
no radiation
Low operating costs
No Moving parts
High
g reliability
y
Modular
Point of use capability
Poor reliability of system
components (inverters, etc.)
Lack of efficient energy storage
The Magic
g in the Panel
Photons in sunlight hit the
solar panel and are
absorbed creating a dc
source (a battery)
Cover glass
e-
An array of solar panels
converts solar energy into
usable DC electricity.
Inverters convert the DC to
grid.
60 Hz AC to feed the g
anti-reflective
coating
front contact
n-layer
p-layer
back contact
Photovoltaic types
yp and benefits
Silicon
Single crystal silicon (c-Si)
Multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si)
Amorphous silicon (a-Si)
Thin-film
Thin film
Silicon
Cadmium telluride, CdTe
Copper indium gallium diselenide , CIGS
Very efficient in diffuse light conditions
Dye-sensitized
Efficiency:
y How high?
g
Maximum measured efficiencies under lab conditions as of 2008
% Efficien
ncy
30
20
10
0
Cell type
Anatomyy of PV cell
Cover glass
e-
anti-reflective
anti
reflective
coating
front contact
n-layer
p layer
p-layer
back contact
PV System Components
Array – Set of PV cells that
t i ll sit
typically
it on a rooff or a pole
l
Interver – Converts PV DC
voltage to AC voltage with very
lo loss
low
Batteries – Provide backup
power for off-grid use
In a net metering system,
batteries can still be used for
backup power
Electric meter – Connects the
PV array to the grid to support
net metering.
Can spin backwards!
Anatomyy of a PV Installation
PV Production Payback
y
Current silicon PV technology requires 4 years to generate the energy
required to produce it.
Third-generation PV cells require only 2 years.
Alternatives
Other semiconductors: GaAs, GaInP, CdTe, CIGS
Thin films and amorphous cells
Solar concentrators
Dye-sensitized
Recycling Panels
The problem of recycling is yet
to be solved
Numbers will continue to
increase
Materials:
Glass,aluminium frame, EVA
copolymer
l
ttransparentt
hermetising layer,
photovoltaic cells,
installation box,, p
protective
foil, assembly bolts
Pure silicon is the most
valuable product
E. Klugmann-Radziemska, P. Ostrowski,
Renewable Energy 35 (2010) 1751–1759
Costs todayy and benefits tomorrow
The value of a cost in the
Would you rather get $100 now
or over 5 years?
Would you save it or spend it?
Which is more prudent?
C t
Cost
P d ti
Production
Num
mber of Mo
odules
250,000
200,000
150 000
150,000
Imports
29
Exports
27
25
Number of
Companies
23
21
100,000
19
50,000
0
1998
17
15
2000
2002
2004
Year
2006
2008
Number of Com
mpanies
future is not equal
q
to the same
cost today.
The Growing Solar Industry
The solar market grew 20% in 2009, in spite of the economic downturn!
Source: Solarbuzz
Cushioning the blow
Federal Financial Incentives
Residential
Federal tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, with no upper
limit
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index#s1
Commercial
A tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot available on new or
existing commercial buildings that save at least 50% of the heating
and cooling energy of a building that meets ASHRAE Standard
90.1-2001. Partial deductions of up to $.60 per square foot can be
taken for measures affecting any one of three building systems: the
building envelope, lighting, or heating and cooling systems.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax
p
gy
g
_credits.tx_comm_buildings
g
Cushioning the Blow
State incentives
40-45% deduction of installed cost
installer eligibility required
Residential
Low-interest financing –or –
10% deduction ($3
($3,000
000 maximum)
Additional incentives for income-qualified homeowners
Commercial
Several development incentives
Other issues
People, places, and politics
Building infrastructure
Permits: Electrical and structural
Neighborhood
g
restrictions
Beauty and the bulb
Finding installers
Maintaining incentive programs
Light, people, and politics
Sunniest place in Germany has 1250
kWh/m2 per year
Syracuse has 1358 kWh/m2 per year
(horizontal average)
Germany: 8800 MW of PV
USA: closing in on 1000 MW of PV
Germany has 2.47 times as much area
of land and water as NY
Population of Germany: 82
82,422,299
422 299
Population of NY:
18,976,457
Is it worth it???
nyserda.cleanpowerestimator.com/nyserda.htm
PV development
p
Our Ever Leaking Sun
When there’s a HUGE
solar energy spill, we just
call it a “nice
nice day”!
day !
0
