Solar Power Equipment: March 2019

Wednesday 27 March 2019

Solar Panels Allow Growth of Crops and Energy Generation

Solar energy is a renewable free source of energy that is plentiful and inexhaustible, but the shortage of suitable locations in some countries is a hindrance when installing solar systems. The solar panel cannot not be a realistic option in countries where there are limited farmlands, according to Jan Ingenhoff, Ph.D., a research professor at the Institute of Advanced Technology, the University of Science & Technology of China (USTC).

An innovative new solar panel system, which would allow plant growth and solar energy generation simultaneously on the same land, developed by Ingenhoff along with fellow-researchers Wen Liu, Ph.D. and their team at USTC could solve this concern. The team developed a new type of solar panel system, which is called the Agriculture Solar Concentrator Photovoltaic.

So, how does it work? Plants do not need 100% of the light sources the sun provides, and the system is based on this concept. Ingenhoff explained that plants need only around 10% of the light, some blue and some red light, and the rest can be utilized for solar energy generation.

The solar-panels are semi-transparent and curved, allowing some light to go through them, which will allow the plants to grow, and also produce solar energy. Furthermore, the panels covered with a film created by several polymer layers placed together to form a dichroitic multilayer film. The system has dual tracking, and can be adjusted for different season i.e. winter and summer.

The research team is currently working on four prototypes installed in China. And, the team is also planning two more installations planned for 2019 and 2020, and they hope to make their system commercially available.

Meanwhile, the Agriculture Solar Concentrator Photovoltaic is used to improve plant growth, especially in drought-stricken regions. And, the team is working on growing the use of their system outside of Asia, and at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado to set up new prototypes and joint actives.

https://www.reonenergy.com/commercial-industrial-c-i-segment/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/solar-farms-produce-power-and-food/

Tuesday 26 March 2019

An Argument on Wind and Solar Power

Emissions of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels is highly contributing to the increase of average global temperatures. It has become a significant problem for humanity during this century, which can curb with switching to zero-carbon energy technologies to generate electricity that would prevent from some of the harms stemming from additional warming.

Based on different arguments, many people concerned about climate change are looking to mandate the installation of solar and wind power as replacements for the coal and natural gas currently used to generate most of the world's electricity.

The question arises here is will this work? No, argues Michael Shellenberger, President of Environmental Progress, over at Forbes. On the other hand, he explains that the inherent variability of solar and wind will perversely "lock-in" fossil fuels making it harder and more expensive to "save the climate."

But why? Because power generators build and maintain a parallel set of fossil fuel plants to generate energy to make up for shortfalls in renewable energy when the wind fades and the sun goes down. Although, it's not the same thing to pay for and build two separate power generation systems, it's closer than many advocates for renewable energy would like to acknowledge.

There is one exception to this necessary fossil fuel lock-in: carbon-free nuclear power. Like conventional fossil fuel generators, nuclear power plants can step in when renewables goes dark, but without emitting the carbon dioxide that is contributing to man-made climate change. However, Shellenberger makes an obvious point i.e. nuclear power is zero-carbon and can supply all the electricity as needed, why build any wind and solar electric power generation at all?

Here comes the case of Germany. While pursuing its famous Energiewende (energy transformation) the country spent $222 billion deploying wind and solar power while simultaneously closing its nuclear power plants. The result is that its carbon dioxide emissions in recent years have been rising instead of falling.

But aren't nuclear power plants much more costly than renewable sources of electricity? While it is true that the costs for wind and solar generation have been plunging, some argue that consumers in Germany are now paying twice what they did for electricity in 2000.

On the other hand, China is building a number of new solar power plants at about one-third the cost as compare to Europe or the U.S. It all depends what mechanics you’re taking to deploy solar power generation projects.

Given the technological and fiscal realities, one can hope that the people concerned about climate change will retract from their argument on wind and solar power generation.

Thursday 21 March 2019

Pioneering Process Could Revolutionize Solar Power Usage

The usage of solar power has taken a new leap after British scientists found a breakthrough of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The altering of the photosynthetic machinery in plants assisted them in achieving this groundbreaking development.

Photosynthesis is an important reaction in which plants convert sunlight into energy. The process breaks down oxygen as a by-product. In addition, the hydrogen is produced when the water split could prove to be a green and unlimited source of renewable energy.

The new study, contributed by scientists of University of Cambridge led by St. John’s College used semi-artificial photosynthesis in the quest of new ways to produce and store solar energy. The researchers used a mix of contemporary technologies and biological components to convert water into hydrogen and oxygen from natural sunlight.

The original platform to reach unassisted solar-driven water splitting was developed in Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry at the Reisner Laboratory. The key findings of the research could transform the systems used for renewable energy.

In the past, the scaling process of renewable energy created through artificial photosynthesis for industrial usage did not yield good results. This was due to the catalysts used in the process, which was found to be expensive and toxic. To overcome this limitation the Cambridge researchers used enzymes to create the desired result.

Katarzyna Sokól, lead author and PhD student at St John’s College along with her team decided to reactivate a process in the algae, which has been dormant for quite some time. It is expected that the findings could help other researchers to develop innovative model systems for solar energy conversion.

Sokól reiterated that the research findings could lead to the emergence of more robust solar technology. She added that the method can be used to couple other reactions together to see what can be done, learn from the reactions and then develop a synthetic, more robust solar energy technology.

The model is reportedly the first to use hydrogenase and photosystem II successfully to develop semi-artificial photosynthesis driven purely by solar power. Nature Energy journal also published this breakthrough research.

Monday 18 March 2019

The Common Misconceptions about Solar Energy

Solar Energy is excelling fast in today’s energy market; however, there are some common misconceptions about it. Here is a roundup of the things that people get wrong about it.

Solar PV systems are inconsistent to cut energy costs

The solar systems when installed properly can be more dependable than utility companies can. Off-grid systems are invulnerable to power outages, and as there are no moving parts on solar systems, they are more reliable.

In fact, solar technologies can provide power to many critical systems inclusive of railroad crossing signals, aircraft warning lights, and navigational buoys. Dust and debris can affect efficiency, which requires regular maintenance. In addition, solar panels can be damaged excessively when stressed by snow, hail, and high winds.

Quality of solar products

The solar products in emerging markets found an entry as a cheap and low-quality product. And, the off-grid families who have invested in the solar products featured with low-quality find that the products break down quickly, most often after only a couple of months of usage, which results in loss of trust. Fortunately, the energy access industry has matured and there is an import of high-quality solar products into the emerging markets, which has helped in changing the consumer perception of solar products.

Battery glitches may be root to solar product failures

In the case, a solar product is not working properly, it could be due to the battery. The average lifespan of solar panels in off-grid lighting products is usually around 20+ years, and batteries tend to have a lifespan of around 2-5 years. Therefore, educating the consumer and distributor regarding the battery and solar panel maintenance, the most common source of product failure would be very helpful.

Maintenance of solar products

Solar panels need maintenance even though they are stationary. Frequent cleaning of the panels to remove dirt from the surface to prevent the blocking of sun’s rays is helpful. Apart from which, solar panel owners can ensure that panels are not partially or fully shaded during various times during the day.

Breaking myths associated with solar energy is necessary, which can create a change in perspectives and help in maintaining trust for solar.

Sunday 17 March 2019

Scientists Reveal a Solar Panel That Makes Hydrogen

Energy researchers find hydrogen a clean and renewable source of energy. The search has been so far is to find a way to use the energy available in volumes at a cheap cost.

The question arises is can solar panels convert sunlight into clean-burning zero-emissions hydrogen to keep us all warm both at home and work?

The answer is yes! It is very near to reality, as Bioscience engineers at KU Leuven, located in Flanders, Belgium, announced that they created a solar panel that uses sunlight to make hydrogen from the moisture in the air. The device can produce up to 250 litres of hydrogen gas per day and this is a world record.

The team led by Professor Johan Martens from the Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, part of the bio-engineering faculty of KU Leuven, are working on this for a decade. They have developed a device that can turn sunlight and water vapor into hydrogen gas in a sustainable way. The device looks like an ordinary solar panel. The engineers attached a flask with water to the device so that they could see the hydrogen bubbles escape. Initially, the hydrogen produced was quite little. Recently, a demonstration on a cloudy day, observers saw a large quantity of hydrogen bubbles appeared as soon as the demonstration panel moved into the sunlight.

Martens stated that it was a mix of chemistry and physics. He also added that they initially had a 0.1 percent yield, but after ten years of work, they could see the hydrogen molecules coming up in bubbles. Researcher Jan Rongés said that over an entire year the panel could produce an average of 250 litres (66 gals) per day. An array of twenty such panels can produce sufficient heat and electricity to get through the winter in a very well insulated house and still have excess electricity.

Meanwhile, the panels are a long way from commercial production. However, a new prototype was installed at the nearby home of Leen Peeters, an engineer who has turned her home into a living lab. If the prototype solar panels work well on the house as they do in the lab, they would be ground-mounted in her neighborhood.

Rongé states that with hydrogen gas, the risks of accidents is equal to natural gas. Professor Martens is reportedly excited to see the prototype panels get a full real-world trial. He stated that they want to develop something sustainable that would be affordable and used anywhere in the world. He and his team are quite optimistic and they reiterate that ‘the sky’s the limit’.

https://solar-energy-in-pakistan.blogspot.com/2019/03/floating-solar-energy.html

https://solar-energy-in-pakistan.blogspot.com/2018/11/solar-windows-for-smart-future.html

Monday 11 March 2019

Floating Solar Energy

Solar energy is the high demand alternative source of energy, which is evident with the shifting to renewable energy sources for power generation being on the rise. And, Pakistan today is poised as the fastest growing market for renewable energy in the world. And the recent relief by the government in taxation is the testament of the bright future of solar energy industry in the country. It is seen that the present regime boasts of an ambitious renewable energy target for the next five years. This is making great strides, which is clear with the emerging floating solar traction.

Floating photovoltaic (PV) power plants featured with high compactness is installed on bodies of water, eliminating the need for large open spaces. And, with the possibility of being built over dams, they have a competitive advantage over the conventional land-based power plants. Pakistan has quite a few large water sources, which offer a great opportunity for floating solar. The country is putting considerable efforts into reducing its reliance on fossil fuels as well as tackling the exponentially rising air pollution in major cities—making Karachi and its vicinity one of the most viable grounds for the clean energy revolution.

It has installed several solar and wind power projects on land in the rural areas of Sindh, with land acquisition and electricity evacuation to national grid being major activities on the critical path duration wise. The growing adoption of clean electricity generation and unavailability of land have been identified as the most-prominent factors impelling the implementation of floating solar panel technology in the region.

A floating PV plant has unique edifice. The plant has a floating structure, which support the heavy load of the solar panels, whilst having the buoyancy to afloat on water simultaneously. It is hold through mooring (a permanent structure), which prevents it from movement. It also cut down the need to connect to the shore. The underwater cabling is designed to be shock-and-leakage proof and is considered an important link between the grid and the solar panels. While the technology gives an edge to floating PV power plants, find below some advantages:

Higher energy output: The floating PV systems in comparison to their conventional counterparts generates around 10% to 12% more energy because they are lesser prone to dust when installed on the water bodies.
Water Savings: The floating PV plants reduce the loss of water. In the context of cleaning floating PV systems, the water used to clean the plants goes back directly into the water body.

Amid the benefits, there are challenges, but with technological innovations, the floating PV plants will lead the country to a more greener and sustainable future.

For More:

https://www.reonenergy.com/commercial-industrial-c-i-segment/

https://megaawaisbuttblog.tumblr.com/post/182634155798/economic-impacts-of-going-solar

https://solar-energy-in-pakistan.blogspot.com/2018/10/future-of-solar-energy.html

Sunday 10 March 2019

New Synthetic Solar Panel Material to Take More Heat

New synthetic material will play an important role in making solar energy more cost-effective, efficient, and reliable in the solar energy industry. In the context of replacing fossil fuels, solar power plants is required to have the capabilities and efficiency to meet the electrical output of non-renewable energy sources. Taking innovative steps and development of new products that can absorb and exchange heat at higher temperatures can be the game-changer.

The solar panels in solar power plants are massive in comparison to their panel counterparts used on hybrid cars. These panels absorb thermal energy first and then convert that heat into a fluid-filled converter called the heat exchanger. And, a liquid version of carbon dioxide (CO2), supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2), is said to be the medium in the energy conversion. So, the hotter the fluid, it produces more electricity production. Researchers have stated about the new technology that uses sCO2 as the medium fluid, lower electricity and manufacturing costs, and promise a greater efficiency for future power plants.

Dorrin Jarrahbashi, an Assistant Professor in the mechanical engineering department at Texas A&M University stated that the current metal materials used to construct the heat exchangers in sCO2 energy cycles are stable up to 5500C. And, if the heat rises above this level, the components will begin to break down rapidly losing effectiveness. Researchers created a new composite material to resolve this problem. The material is made of ceramic and tungsten, a refractory metal known to withstand temperatures of over 7500C. The leap in the absorption of heat can increase the efficiency of generating electricity in integrated solar and sCO2 power plants by 20%.

The durability of the composite material and its low production cost would not only enhance energy output, in fact it will also help reduce the expense of constructing and maintaining power plants. Jarrahbashi, in this regard, stated that using the material for manufacturing heat exchangers is an important step towards direct competition with fossil fuel power plants and a large reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, the applications for the composite material are numerous with its chemical, thermal and mechanical characteristics. The implications of this innovation stretch far into the future of research and industry.