Solar Panel - Cell Resources and Calculations?

Question

Hi All,

I need some resources for a research project i'm doing on Solar Panels/Cells.
So do you know of any good books or online materials that basically covers how solar cell
work from level 0 to calculating the energy output based on intensity of the light and the area of the panel.

Book titles will be preferable but i'd like to build a strong base before tackling long and complicated formula(s)... so any suggestions?

Your help will be appreciated :)

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

Answer 1

The two wiki links below provide basic explanations that are good starters. They also lead to other information. You do not mention much about the actual project, so I can only guess what level to pitch the answer.



In practical situations you will not be able to work out Solar panel performance by a formula, but by looking up the manufacturer's specification (data sheet). From that you have the power in watts that can be drawn from the panel for "standard sun" which is taken as 1000W/m^2 at a standard temperature, usually 25C. Derate the panel for the temperature when it operates in the sun (50-60C). This means a reduced voltage, which may or may not be of significance.



Determine how many hours a day of "full sun equivalent" are relevant for your region. In the tropics it may be 5 hours. This takes into account the changes in sun angle to the panel over the day or year, as well as the geographic region. There are usually on line charts for this. Greater output can be obtained by tracking the sun, though this is not common.



After that calculate the losses of each step in the process towards providing output from an inverter. These could be cables, charge controller, battery, inverter. There are on line calculators that allow these figures to be estimated, and provide the net output. There are two main groups, grid connected (no battery required) and stand alone systems (with batteries). The charge controller is an important item for efficiency, as it should be able to maximise the power from the panel by adjusting the load for a given illumination (MPPC controller). The V-I curves for a panel (in the data sheet) illustrate that aspect. The maximum power occurs at the knee of this curve.



Using some of the words above for key words in on line searches will help. WIth a better understanding of your needs you can ask further questions.



On points to ponder:

It takes about 6 million tons of arsenic to manufacture enough solar PV panels to power the world, and there is only 1 million tons of known reserves. The efficiency of solar panels maxes out well under 50%. Solar trackers using heat for generators (see Sun Catcher), absorption refrigeration, even solar hot water represent a more effective approach, also offer long term sustainability. So why is everyone so focussed on PV electricity? Is it because it is seen as backyard "doable".

Answer 2

How Solar Cells Work by Scott Aldous Inside This Article 1. Introduction to How Solar Cells Work 2. Photovoltaic Cells: Converting Photons to Electrons 3. How Silicon Makes a Solar Cell 4. Anatomy of a Solar Cell 5. Energy Loss in a Solar Cell 6. Solar-powering a House 7. Solving Solar-power Issues 8. Solar-power Pros and Cons 9. Lots More Information 10. See all Physical Science articles You've probably seen calculators that have solar cells -- calculators that never need batteries, and in some cases don't even have an off button. As long as you have enough light, they seem to work forever. You may have seen larger solar panels -- on emergency road signs or call boxes, on buoys, even in parking lots to power lights. Although these larger panels aren't as common as solar powered calculators, they're out there, and not that hard to spot if you know where to look. There are solar cell arrays on satellites, where they are used to power the electrical systems. You have probably also been hearing about the "solar revolution" for the last 20 years -- the idea that one day we will all use free electricity from the sun. This is a seductive promise: On a bright, sunny day, the sun shines approximately 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of the planet's surface, and if we could collect all of that energy we could easily power our homes and offices for free.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

My guess is that you must pick up everything that have to do with solar power at www.greensunwho.info.