2. CONTENT
• General facts
• Function of Photovoltaic power plants
• Function of Concentrated power plants
• Geographical use
• Proportion
• Functioning and production
• Basic components
• Principle of operation
• Performance based on location
• Development of efficiency
• Feasibility
• Production in different countries
• Use and sustainability
• Consumption
• Advantages/ Disadvantages
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3. FUNCTIONOF PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS
• also named pva
• sunlight into electric energy
• more in Germany
• used on rooftops and also on free fields
• main part: 2 pieces of silicone (1 negative charged, 1 positive)
• when light particles collide electrons flow & get attracted to positive charge
• as electrons travel from silicone to silicone direct current created → energy
produced
• won electricity only possible to use for batteries, transformer exists
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4. FUNCTIONOF CONCENTRATED POWER PLANTS
• also called concentrated/concentrating solar power, (concentrated solar
thermal),CSP
• use of mirrors/lenses to concentrate sunlight
• light converted into heat → energy generated
• to find in arid regions with high solar irradiation (e.g. Sevilla )
• more effective
• but used in more large way
• higher costs for
• uses mirrors/ lenses to concentrate area of
sunlight
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7. BASIC COMPONENTS
• n-doped silicon, p-doped silicon
• P-n junction
• anti-reflective coating
→ prevents reflecting of sunlight
• glass → protection of solar cell
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8. PRINCIPLEOF OPERATION
• sunlight shines on the cell
• Photons separate electrons of the boron molecules in the p-doped layer
• Electrons move up crossing the p-n-junction, are pushed through the cable
• The lamp lights up
• Electrons reach the metal at the bottom of the cell
• Enter the p-doped layer
• Connect with the boron
• Are separated again
circuit is created
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9. PERFORMANCE BASED ON LOCATION
• a solar cell is able to produce more if the sun is higher in the sky but will
produce less in cloudy conditions/when the sun is lower in the sky
• in northerly European latitudes, yields are significantly lower (175kWh annual
energy yield in southern England)
• in Austria, southernGermany, Switzerland about 1000Wh per year
• in general southern Europe has got better values than northern Europe
• there are high differences between north and south in winter
• Summer days: north and south more or less equal
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10. DEVELOPMENT OF EFFICIENCY
• Aim: make PV cells and modules cheaper so more people decide to use it
• Two approaches to increase conversion efficiency:
• 1)Select semiconductor materials with appropriate energy gaps to match solar
spectrum
• optimizes optical, electrical and structural properties
• 2)Innovative device engineering
• more effective charge collection
• better usage of solar spectrum
• Different efficiency classes and their development:
• 1) ultra high efficiency (η>30%)
• theoretical efficiency of two-junction cells: ca. 36%
• theoretical efficiency of three-junction cells: up to 45%, still in progress
• 2)high efficiency (η>20%)
• biggest development: efficiencies of 22-24%
• 3)multicrystalline silicon and thinfilm solar cells (η=12-20%)
• good opportunities for low-cost
• advances in conversion efficiency
• 4)moderate efficiency (η>12%)
• easy to fabricate
• also low-cost option
• conclusion: huge progress in each efficiency class over the last few years
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11. FEASABILITY
What you have to consider:
• panels must be in a place that receives enough sunlight to get enough
power
• land lease agreements as well as zoning laws, certificates or permits
• let solar power experts verify the profitability:
they need to review interconnections, budget projections and
estimate the return of an investment
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12. PRODUCTION IN DIFFERENT COUNTRYS
• production in Europe more sustainable than in China
• main producing countries of solar cells: Malaysia, China and USA
• import from these countries via ship
• production in Slovenia, no clear results
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13. Consumption
In Germany:
• 40TWh (terawatt hours) solar energy in 2017, 7.2% of all net electricity consumption
• on sunny days it provides 35% of the momentary electricity demand
• Germany doesn‘t have much solar energy, but a good subsidizing framework, can
compete on the market
leading country for using solar energy
Average of solar energy use in all countries: 2%
Also using much solar energy: Spain
Italy
Japan
US
Czech Republic
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14. ADVANTAGES/ DISADVANTAGES
Advantages
• Renewable
• No pollution in the process of
generating electricity
• No smog, acid rain or contribution to
global warming
• No fuel requirement
• More sustainable than conversial
techniques
• Operates silently, no realease of
offensive smells
Disadvantages
• Initial costs
• Large areas of installation
• Efficiency relies on quality of sun
• Pollution
• installation, transportation,
manufactering process
• Rare materials are used
• Silicon, indium, platinium
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