HOME CATEGORIES CONTACT ABOUT WRITE FOR US

YOU ARE HERE: HOME / ENERGY / SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS – BASICS

Solar Power Systems – Basics

Last Updated on September 6, 2018 by Amna Ahmad — 1 Comment (Edit)

Sharing is Caring!

How solar power works? Get to know the fundamental of grid-tied solar power, the basic
configuration and application of solar power in real-life.

Outline:

Need for solar power system

Renewable and non renewable energy resources along with climate change
System overview
Sun tracking solar panels
Real life example/applications
Frequently asked questions

Table of Contents 
1. Introduction:
2. Solar Power:
3. Solar Power / Solar Electricity:
4. How to harness solar energy?
5. Solar Panels:
6. DC to AC Inverters:
7. Charge Controller:
8. Battery:
9. Disconnect Switches:
10. Bi-directional Energy Meters:
11. Sun Tracking Solar Power System:
12. Applications:
13. Solar Fans
14. Solar Lights
15. Solar Cooker
16. Frequently Asked Questions:

Introduction:

T
he energy crisis is not a national issue, it is the issue that has been faced by
every human being on this planet. The energy crisis is going to be the biggest
issues throughout the world. Increased demand of energy and hence the
shortfall are because of industrial development, overpopulation,
overconsumption, huge wastage of energy resources, and the use of non-renewable energy
resources (such as oil, coal and gas).

The non renewable energy resources are oil, coal and gas (also termed as fossil fuels). The
fossil fuel deposits are being consumed continuously and hence we have to face the energy
crisis. Besides fossil fuels are finite, they are also the cause of irreversible climate change, and
hence responsible for the environmental degradation.

The simplest solution is to use renewable energy resources . We can overcome the energy
crisis to some extent by using natural resources of energy which are renewable energy
resources. Pakistan is rich in renewable energy resources like solar, tidal and wind energy.

Here we explain some of the basics resources of renewable energy:

Solar Power:
 The energy we obtained from the sun which is in the form of light and other electromagnetic
waves. It is the most abundant source of energy in our planet. Unlike fossil fuels, this source
of energy is sustainable and non-polluting and does not emit greenhouse gases when
producing electricity. The process of producing electricity from solar power absolutely creates
no waste, no emission, no combustion.

Photovoltaic panel to convert solar energy to electricity (Solar Power)

Solar Power / Solar Electricity:

Solar energy is converted into electricity then we called it as solar power.

How to harness solar energy?

The question is how can we harness solar energy and then convert it into electrical energy or
electricity? Photovoltaics is the phenomenon of converting light into electricity. We can
directly convert sunlight into electricity with the help of photoelectric effect. Some materials
have the property of absorbing photons (tiny particles in light) when light incident on the
surface of the material, photons release their energy and hence emission of electrons take
place. This phenomenon forms the basis of solar power system.

There are several parts or components of a solar power system:

 Solar panels
Solar charge controller
DC to AC inverters
Disconnect switches
Meters

Block diagram of a grid-tied solar power system. The inverter is connected to grid station as
well in order to feed back excess electricity

Solar Panels:
Solar panels are also termed as solar electric panels, photovoltaic modules.

These are large flat panels mounted on rooftops, poles or directly placed on the ground with
the help of specialized mounting equipment and wiring. It contains many of individual solar
cells. Solar cells are building blocks of solar panels. Each solar cell has undergone a process
called photovoltaic process when exposed to light.

Voltage ratings: solar panels are come with 12V, 18V, 24V, 42 and 60V power ratings. Solar
panels can be combined into an array for greater output.
DC to AC Inverters:
The electricity produced due to photovoltaic process is DC . We have appliances (like TV,
refrigerators, vaccination cleaners etc) which require AC to work. So we have to convert DC to
AC with the help of inverters. Inverters convert DC (Direct Current) produced by solar panels
into AC (Alternating Current ). Inverters are attached to solar arrays and continuously
converts DC to AC. Excess amount of AC is fed back to the local electric grid, and used later
whenever needed. This configuration is called grid tied inverters . Off-grid inverters are
connected to specific loads and helpful in areas with load shedding problems.

Charge Controller:
It helps to maintain battery charging or discharging function. If there’s a continuous voltage
supply, the battery would overcharge, which may result in damage. The purpose of charge
controller is to control proper charging and discharging of system batteries.

Battery:
It is connected to the charge controller. It stores the DC power from solar panels, to supply
electricity even when there’s no sunlight (during night).

Disconnect Switches:
They are used to disconnect the solar power system from home. In case of a short-circuits
fault or surge from the grid, they immediately disconnect the solar power system from the
mains grid.

Bi-directional Energy Meters:

It maintains check and balance of the energy consumed by the customer. Solar power
systems are installed with this meter to measure the amount of power consumed and it also
measures the amount of power is fed back to the grid.

Sun Tracking Solar Power System:

Sun tracking solar panels used to track solar energy and move automatically to get most of
the energy form sun. This is an advancement made in traditional solar power system. Instead
of a stationary solar panel, it includes a rotating system, that rotates solar panels with sun.
Direct exposure to sunlight increases the efficiency upto 25%.
Applications:
As I discussed above there are solar panels available in market that can power your
home/office appliances. Besides commercial power consumption it is equally helpful in
domestic purposes.I listed a few solar powered devices that are cost effective and energy
efficient.

Solar cooker
Solar fans
Solar lights

Solar Fans
Here’s a solar powered attic fan that expels moist and warm air and provides fresh air to your
home. It runs on 12V DC motor. You can place solar panel anywhere on your roof. Place it in
the sunniest location of the roof to get maximum efficiency.

Solar power fans

Solar Lights
These are pole mounted lights with adjustable solar panels. The attached solar panel gathers
light during day time and charges the battery. During night it automatically turns on and can
illuminate upto 8 hours.

Solar street light

Solar Cooker
Solar cookers are used to cook food using solar energy. This is quite old now. It is safe and
hassle-free cooker, portable, weighs 22 lbs only.
 Solar Cooker

Frequently Asked Questions:

How does solar system work at night?

It is obvious, solar power systems work best during sunniest part of the day. However at
night, when there’s no sunlight, the efficiency of solar panels significantly drops. Solar power
systems equipped with batteries that gather and store energy throughout the day. This energy
uses during the night hours.

Are solar panels can generate electricity with moonlight?

As you know, solar cells do not produce or generate its own energy/light. The moonlight
results from the reflection from sunlight. The intensity of moonlight is much lesser than
sunlight.

Solar panel can generate electricity with any light of appropriate wavelength (400 nm to 1129
nm). Electricity generates from moonlight would be approximately 300 times lesser than that
produces from sun.
 How solar does a solar power system work in a rainy day?

Solar panels can work with or without direct sunlight. In direct sunlight, they are most
effective. Solar panels can still produce electricity when there’s a rainy weather or light is
blocked by clouds. Rain may affect the efficiency of solar panels, on the other hand, it helps to
clean your panels.

What is the efficiency of solar power system?

The efficiency of solar power system is described in terms of the sunlight incident to solar
cells, and the ability of solar cells to convert it into electricity. In these days the efficiency of
solar panels are upto 22%. The efficiency depends on the following factors

It depends on the climate, more sunshine more output

The position of solar panels, sun tracking solar panels help in positioning according to the
sunshine
It should be cleaned, otherwise it is not going to produce maximum output

Sharing is Caring!

Filed Under: Energy

Tagged With: Photovoltaics, Renewable Energy, Solar Power

RELATED POSTS

Solution to Energy
Crisis in Pakistan

Power System: Basic

Structure and Basic Energy
Functioning Resources for
Electrical Energy
Generation
 About Amna Ahmad
Amna Ahmed is a passionate writer. She has been an educational blogger since 2012. She
belongs to Karachi, Pakistan. She has completed her B.E. electronics engineering from a
reputable institution in 2011. She loves electronics and loves to read and write anything related
to electronics. She is good at writing literature reviews, lecture notes, technology reviews. She
blogs at Basic Electronics Guide .

« 10 Must Learn Electrical Engineering Software for Every Electrical Engineer

Overcurrent Relay: Theoretical Concepts & Design In Simulink »

Trackbacks
Basic Energy Resources for Electrical Energy Generation | EE Power School says:
November 1, 2018 at 10:52 AM Edit
[…] (i) Solar Energy […]

Leave a Reply
Logged in as Muhammad Sarwar. Log out?

Comment
POST COMMENT

SUBSCRIBE

Receive latest articles in your Inbox!

E-Mail Address

SUBSCRIBE

SEARCH

Search the site ...

CATEGORIES

BSEE (2)

Education (1)

Energy (5)

FYP (2)

General (1)

Power (1)
 Simulations (2)

Softwares (2)

Tutorials (6)
MATLAB (1)

Wind (1)

RECENT POSTS

Single Line Diagram of a Power System

January 15, 2019

10 Best Electrical Engineering

Universities in Pakistan January 13, 2019

Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine: Working

Principle November 12, 2018

NEMA Enclosure Ratings for Electrical

Equipment November 5, 2018

Wind Energy System for Electricity

Generation: All You Need to Know
November 1, 2018

FOLLOW US

ABOUT EE POWER SCHOOL PARTNERS

EE Power School provides a platform for learning
Electrical Power Engineering. Feel free to learn,
Mechanical 360
contribute and share. Happy Learning.
Doksi
Scholarship Forum

NEVER MISS A POST

Receive latest articles in your Inbox!

E-Mail Address

SUBSCRIBE

© 2018 EE Power School · Powered by Muhammad Sarwar · About · Write for Us · Sitemap ·
Privacy Policy · Contact · Log out