Designing a Solar Photovoltaic System
How to design a PV System
There are seven basic steps required in designing the best solar electric system.
There are seven basic steps required in designing the best solar electric system.
The crux of any solar electric system is the solar panel, of which many types exist. Solar panels are the important pieces in the solar electric system for harnessing the sunrays to generate electricity. There will be more electricity generated with stronger sunrays. The solar panels still generate electricity, albeit small amounts, in the shade.
While the electricity supplied by the mains is an alternating current of high voltage, the solar electric system generates a direct current of low voltage. For any electrical equipment to be run on the mains supply from the solar system, an inverter is required to convert the direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) and step up the voltage to mains level. The market currently offers many types of inverters for this function with different qualities.
Electrical Equipment
Solar paneled electricity is rarely used to work electrical equipment directly as the amount collected varies with the sunlight power. Hence, the inconsistent electricity amount is unsuitable for powering most electrical appliances.
The Source of Solar Power
The sun’s center is full of intense nuclear activity, which generates massive amounts of radiation, and which, in turn, generates light energy called photons. Though bundles of photons are weightless on their own, they have very high momentum and energy levels.
The stand-alone or off-grid system
This is the most popular solar installation throughout most of the world. It is commonly used for many of our daily applications, such as powering a home, shed, or even a pocket calculator. The basis of a stand-alone solar system is that its power is generated solely by solar power, which it stores in a battery to be used when required.
Voltage is the electrical difference that can occur between two poles of electric current. The common AA battery is an excellent example of how the difference in electricity, or voltage, is measured at the positive and negative poles. The standard measurement of voltage is volts, usually indicated by the letter “V”.
Grid Tie- vs Stand-alone Systems
A Brief Introduction to Electricity
In order to better understand how solar power works, you must first have a basic understanding of electricity and all that is related to it, such as current, voltage, energy and power. Once you have grasped the basics of electricity, you will better understand how solar power systems function, which will further increase your confidence as you go about the task of determining the right choices and resources for installing an appropriate solar electric system for your home, office or business.
Where does Electricity come from
The U.S Department for Energy has declared that in the whole process from “oil well to the service station,” the average efficiency of car fuels is only 83 percent. This process includes transporting the crude oil to the refinery for refining, and transporting the refined oil to the gas station.
By dividing the average fuel emissions by 0.83, or multiplying the figure with 1.205, you can estimate the “well to wheel” emissions of cars that use gasoline, petrol or diesel.