The aim of this paper to review the applications of photovoltaic panels in different areas in different manner.Off grid,grid connected and hybrid method of application are most widely used.Depending upon locations and requirement of power,they are used.The benefits of solar power is described here in brief.

1. JOURNAL OF INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH IN
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ISSN: 0975 – 6779| NOV O9 TO OCT 10 | VOLUME – 01, ISSUE - 01 Page 101
APPLICATIONS OF PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER :
A REVIEW
PROF. R. D. PARMAR
Lecturer, Electrical Engineering Department, C.U.Shah Polytechnic, Surendranagar,
Gujarat, India
raghuvir_dhirubha@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT: The aim of this paper to review the applications of photovotaic panels in different areas in
different manner.Off grid,grid connected and hybrid method of application are most widely used.Depending
upon locations and requirement of power,they are used.The benefits of solar power is described here in brief.
Keywords : Grid connected,off grid,hybrid,photovoltaic
1. INTRODUCTION:
Photovoltaic power generation has been most useful
in remote applications with small power
requirements.As PV power becomes more affordable,
the use of photovoltaics for grid-connected
applications is increasing. However, the high cost of
PV modules and the large area they require continue
to be obstacles for using PV power to supplement
existing electrical utilities. An interesting approach to
both of these problems is the integration of
photovoltaics into building materials.
2. PV APPLICATIONS:
2.1 GRID-CONNECTED APPLICATIONS
In grid-connected application, the DC power from
solar cells runs through an inverter which converts
DC power into AC power and feeds back into the
distribution system.Whenever the solar PV supply
exceeds the building’s demand,excess electricity will
be exported into grid. When there is no sunlight to
generate PV electricity at night,power grid will
supply all of the building’s demand.Grid-connected
systems have demonstrated an advantage in natural
disasters by providing emergency power capabilities
when utility power was interrupted. Although PV
power is generally more expensive than utility-
provided power, the use of gridconnected systems is
increasing. This is the most popular type of solar PV
system for homes and businesses in the developed
world.There are two options.A. In countries with an
attractive feed-in tariff for solar electricity all
electricity generated will be fed after the inverter
directly into the grid. The electricity is thereby sold
to the utility. The amount of electricity fed into the
grid will be measured by a meter in order to get the
correct payment from theutility.B In countries
without an attractive feed in tariff for solar electricity
the electricity is in the first place used to cover the
electricity demand in the house. By this the electricity
bill can be reduced. Only if there is no or not enough
demand within the house, the surplus electricity will
be fed into the grid.
2.1.1 Advantages of Grid-Tied Solar Systems
1. Less installation and mainteneance cost
Grid-connection will allow you to save more money
with solar panels through better efficiency rates, net
metering, plus lower equipment and installation
costs.Batteries, and other stand-alone equipment, are
not required for a fully functional grid tied solar
system and add to costs as well as maintenance. Grid-
tied solar systems are therefore generally cheaper and
simpler to install.
2. The utility grid is a similar to a virtual battery
Electricity has to be spent in real time. However, it
can be temporarily stored as other forms of
energy,e.g. chemical energy in batteries. Energy
storage typically comes with significant losses.The
electric power grid is in many ways also a battery,
without the need for maintenance or replacements,
and with much better efficiency rates. In other words,
more electricity (and more money) goes to waste
with conventional battery systems.
2.1.2 Equipment for Grid-Tied Solar Systems
Standard grid-tied solar systems requires following
components: Grid-Tie Inverter or Micro-Inverters :
(A) Grid-Tie Inverter: Solar inverter regulates the
voltage and current received from solar panels. Direct
current (DC) from solar panels is converted into
alternating current (AC), which is the type of current
that is utilized by the majority of electrical
appliances.
In addition to this, grid-tie inverters synchronize the
phase and frequency of the current to fit the utility
grid.The output voltage is also adjusted slightly
higher than the grid voltage in order for excess
electricity to flow outwards to the grid.
(B) Micro-Inverters: Micro-inverters go on the back
of each and every solar panel, as opposed to one
central inverter that typically takes on the entire solar
array.Micro-inverters are certainly more expensive,
but in many cases yield higher efficiency rates.Home
owners who are suspect to shading issues should
definitely look into if micro-inverters are better in
their situation.
(C) Power Meter :Most homeowners will need to
replace their current power meter with one that is
compatible with net metering. This device, often

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called a net meter or a two-way meter, is capable of
measuring power going in both directions, from the
grid to your house and vice versa.
2.2 OFF-GRID APPLICATIONS
The majority of photovoltaic power generation
applications are remote, off-grid applications. These
include communication satellites, terrestrial
communication sites, remote homes and villages, and
water pumps. By locating power generation at the
point of power consumption, distribution losses are
eliminated (about 12% for a rural electric utility).
The practice of locating small power sources near the
sites of end users is called “distributed generation.”
2.2.1 Advantages of Off-Grid Solar Systems
1. No access to the utility grid
Off-grid solar systems can be cheaper than extending
power lines in certain remote areas.
2. Become energy self-sufficient
For some people, this feeling is worth more than
saving money. Energy self-sufficiency is also a form
of security and feel like independent. Power failures
on the utility grid do not affect off-grid solar systems.
On the flip side, batteries can only store a certain
amount of energy, and during cloudy times, being
connected to the grid is actually where the security is.
You should install a backup generator to be prepared
for these kinds of situations.
2.2.2 Equipment for Off-Grid Solar Systems
Typical off-grid solar systems require the following
extra components:
1) Solar Charge Controller: Solar charge controllers
are also known as charge regulators or just battery
regulators. The last term is probably the best to
describe what this device actually does: Solar battery
chargers limit the rate of current being delivered to
the battery bank and protect the batteries from
overcharging. Good charge controllers are crucial for
keeping the batteries healthy, which ensures the
lifetime of a battery bank is maximized. If you have a
battery-based inverter, chances are that the charge
controller is integrated.
2) Battery Bank: Without a battery bank (or a
generator) it’ll be lights out by sunset. A battery bank
is essentially a group of batteries wired together.
3) DC Disconnect Switch: AC and DC safety
disconnects are required for all solar systems. For
off-grid solar systems, one additional DC disconnect
is installed between the battery bank and the off-grid
inverter. It is used to switch off the current flowing
between these components. This is important for
maintenance, troubleshooting and protection against
electrical fires.
4) Off-Grid Inverter: An inverter is needed to
convert DC to AC for all electrical appliances
running on AC power.Off-grid inverters do not have
to match phase with the utility sine wave as opposed
to grid-tie inverters. Electrical current flows from the
solar panels through the solar charge controller and
the bank battery bank before it is finally converted
into AC by the off-grid-inverter.
5) Backup Generator: It takes a lot of money and big
batteries to prepare for several consecutive days
without the sun shining (or access to the grid). This is
where backup generators come in.
In most cases, installing a backup generator that runs
on diesel is a better choice than investing in an
oversized battery bank that seldom gets to operate at
it`s full potential. Generators can run on propane,
petroleum, gasoline and many other fuel
types.Backup generators typically generates AC
power, which can be sent through the inverter for
direct use, or it can be converted into DC for battery
storage. Rural electrification means either small solar
home systems covering basic electricity needs or
solar mini grids, which are larger solar electricity sys-
tems providing electricity for several households.
There are two types of OFF GRID PV systems.
(A) Off-grid domestic systems : Such systems
provide electricity to households and villages that are
not connected to the utility electricity network.They
provide electricity for lighting, refrigeration and other
lowerloads,have been installed worldwide and are
often the most off-grid communities.
They are typically around 1 kW in size and generally
offer an economic alternative to extending the
electricity distribution network at distances of more
than 1 or2 km from existing power lines. Defining
such systems is becoming more difficult where, for
example, mini-grids in rural areas are developed by
electricity utilities.
(B) off grid non domestic installations : They
provide power for a wide range of applications, such
as telecommunication, water pumping, vaccine
refrigeration and navigational aids. These are
applications where small amounts of electricity have
a high value, thus making PV commercially cost
competitive with other small generating sources
2.3 HYBRID: A solar system can be combined with
another source of power- a biomass generator, a wind
turbine or diesel generator to ensure a consistent
supply of electricity. A hybrid system can be grid
connected, stand alone or grid support. These are
sometimes hybrid systems that include an engine-
driven generator to charge batteries when solar power
is insufficient. Such system needs rechargeable
batteries to store electricity for use under conditions
when there is little or no output from solar PV system
The use of photovoltaics as the sole source of
electrical power requires the use of batteries or other
storage. The cost of electrical storage prevents PV
generation from replacing conventional power
generation. PV systems with electrical storage are
only feasible for low-power, remote applications.
For remote applications requiring more power,a
hybrid system may be practical. This may consist of
photovoltaic cells and a diesel generator charging a
bank of batteries. In such a hybrid system, the PV
cells reduce the amount of fuel to be transported to
the site. The batteries also reduce the runtime
required of the generator, and charging the batteries

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during generator runtime permits the generator to be
operated in a more efficient load range.
2.3.1 Advantages of Hybrid Solar Systems
1. Less expensive than off-gird solar systems
Hybrid solar systems are less expensive than off-grid
solar systems. You don`t really need a backup
generator, and the capacity of your battery bank can
be downsized. Off-peak electricity from the utility
company is cheaper than diesel.
The introduction of hybrid solar systems has opened
up for many interesting innovations. New inverters
let homeowners take advantage of changes in the
utility electricity rates throughout the day.
Solar panels happen to output the most electrical
power at noon – not long before the price of
electricity peaks. Your home and electrical vehicle
can be programmed to consume power during off-
peak hours.Consequently, you can temporarily store
whatever excess electricity your solar panels in
batteries, and put it on the utility grid when you are
paid the most for every kWh.The concept will
become increasingly important as we transition
towards the smart grid in the coming years.
2.3.2 Equipment for Hybrid Solar Systems
Typical hybrid solar systems are based on the
following additional components:
1) Battery-Based Grid-Tie Inverter :Hybrid solar
systems utilize batter-based grid-tie inverters. These
devices combine can draw electrical power to and
from battery banks, as well as synchronize with the
utility grid.
2) Charge Controller
3) Battery Bank
4) DC Disconnect (additional)
5) Power Meter
REFERENCES:
1.‘‘Photovoltaic power generation” – Prepared by
Thomas penick and Bill Louk, December 4, 1998
2.‘‘Trends in photovoltaic applications” Survey
report of selected IEA countries between 1992 and
2009 by International Energy Agency
3 U.S. Energy Information Administrations (EIA),
4 Edison Electric Institute.Author: Mathias Aarre
Mæhlum
5 Retrieved from European photovoltaic industry
association, www.epia.org
6 Retrieved from Greenpeace international,
www.greenpeace.org
7 Renewable systems interconnection study :
‘‘Distributed photovoltaic systems design and
technology requirements” by Chuck Whitaker,Jeff
Newmiller,Miachel Ropp,Benn Norris,February 2008
8 ‘‘ D.P.R. for Grid interactive roof top solar
photovoltaic power plant” at sewa bhawan, CEA,
December 2009
9 “Designing sustainable off grid rural electrification
projects – principles and practices”, -operational
guidance for World Bank group staff, November
2008
REVIEW PAPER PUBLISHED ON : 06/10/2010