DOCSLIB.ORG

Photovoltaic System

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Photovoltaic System Phase 1.1 Energy Projects McKinstry Essention, Inc., Contractor Puget Sound Solar LLC, Subcontractor Daniel J. Evans Library Photovoltaic System Evergreen State College Phase 1.1 Energy Projects Photovoltaic System Submittals McKinstry Essention, Inc., Contractor Puget Sound Solar LLC, Subcontractor Contents 3: System Description 4: Production calculations 7: Array location 8: Roof plan 9: Array Details 10: Schematic Diagrams 11: Panel ‘A’ details 12: Equipment schedule 13: Product cut sheets 28: Structural load charts O&M’s: Contact list Warranties Drawings SMA Inverter manual Sunny Web Box manual Unirac RapidRac Manual Evergreen PV installation manual Photovoltaic System Description This photovoltaic system consists of (44) Evergreen Solar polycrystalline ES-A 205 watt modules installed in four rows on a Unirac RapidRac ballasted mounting system, facing due south on the fourth floor roof of the Daniel J. Evans Library. The DC electricity generated is converted to, and synchronized with, the AC power in the building at 208 volts via two Sunny Boy SB5000US inverters, and fed into the building power system through an equipment distribution panel on the fourth floor. Any interruption of utility power to the building will cause the inverters to shut off, per UL 1741. When utility power is restored, after a five- minute wait, the inverters will resume operation automatically. The performance of the system is monitored through the Sunny Web Box, a communication device that generates a web page that can be viewed by any computer connected by network to the Web Box, and by anyone on the world wide web via the Sunny Portal, a free service of SMA. The system is self-regulating and normally requires no attention. SMA inverters automatically wake up each day and disconnect from the grid each night. PV mounting at low elevation angles, such as with the RapidRac usually leads to some accumulation of atmospheric dust and particulates at the lower edge of the modules. Due to the Library’s location in a forested area, dust will not be as much of a factor as will pollen. Some gentle cleaning may be needed from time to time. The system is designed to be in service for decades of clean energy production. 3 System Design and Production Calculations The roof of the Daniel J Evans Library offers excellent solar access but there are some obstacles on the skyline. The orientation of the building is 25 degrees East of South, so the clock tower only causes negligble shading. The other skyline object is the HVAC enclosure at the southwest corner of the fourth floor roof. This only causes minor shading near the end of the day from November through January, the darkest time of year. The tree line adds to the late-year losses. The sun chart below shows the extent of shading. The net loss to this shading is about 2% of the total possible production. The attached RETScreen model predicts an average production of 9.9 mWh/yr. 4 RETScreen® Solar Resource and System Load Calculation - Photovoltaic Project Site Latitude and PV Array Orientation Estimate Notes/Range Nearest location for weather data Olympia, WA See Weather Database Latitude of project location°N 47.0 -90.0 to 90.0 PV array tracking mode- Fixed Slope of PV array ° 10.0 0.0 to 90.0 Azimuth of PV array ° 0.0 0.0 to 180.0 Monthly Inputs Fraction of Monthly average Monthly Monthly average Monthly month daily radiation average daily radiation solar used on horizontal temperature in plane of fraction surface PV array Month (0 - 1) (kWh/m²/d) (°C) (kWh/m²/d) (%) January 1.00 1.03 3.5 1.24 - February 1.00 1.69 4.9 1.94 - March1.00 2.78 6.3 3.03 - April1.00 3.96 8.7 4.15 - May 1.00 5.01 11.9 5.11 - June1.00 5.59 14.9 5.63 - July 1.00 5.88 17.2 5.96 - August1.00 5.06 17.3 5.26 - September1.00 3.79 14.4 4.11 - October1.00 2.22 9.8 2.54 - November1.00 1.19 6.1 1.42 - December1.00 0.88 3.6 1.08 - Annual Season of use Solar radiation (horizontal) MWh/m² 1.19 1.19 Solar radiation (tilted surface) MWh/m² 1.26 1.26 Average temperature°C 9.9 9.9 Load Characteristics Estimate Notes/Range Application type - On-grid Return to Energy Model sheet Version 3.2 © Minister of Natural Resources Canada 1997 - 2005. NRCan/CETC - Varennes 11/3/2008; TESCpv.xls 5 RETScreen® Energy Model - Photovoltaic Project Training & Support Site Conditions Estimate Notes/Range Project name Evergreen State College See Online Manual Project location Olympia, WA Nearest location for weather data - Olympia, WA Complete SR&SL sheet Latitude of project location °N 47.0 -90.0 to 90.0 Annual solar radiation (tilted surface) MWh/m² 1.26 Annual average temperature °C 9.9 -20.0 to 30.0 System Characteristics Estimate Notes/Range Application type - On-grid Grid type - Central-grid PV energy absorption rate % 100.0% PV Array PV module type - poly-Si PV module manufacturer / model # Evergreen Solar/ ES-240 See Product Database Nominal PV module efficiency % 13.0% 4.0% to 15.0% NOCT °C 45 40 to 55 PV temperature coefficient % / °C 0.40% 0.10% to 0.50% Miscellaneous PV array losses % 4.0% 0.0% to 20.0% Nominal PV array power kWp 9.02 PV array area m² 69.4 Power Conditioning Average inverter efficiency % 94% 80% to 95% Suggested inverter (DC to AC) capacity kW (AC) 8.5 Inverter capacity kW (AC) 9.0 Miscellaneous power conditioning losses % 2% 0% to 10% Annual Energy Production (12.00 months analysed) Estimate Notes/Range Specific yield kWh/m² 143.1 Overall PV system efficiency % 11.3% PV system capacity factor % 12.6% Renewable energy collected MWh 10.561 Renewable energy delivered MWh 9.927 kWh 9,927 Excess RE available MWh 0.000 Complete Cost Analysis sheet Version 3.2 © Minister of Natural Resources Canada 1997 - 2005. NRCan/CETC - Varennes 11/3/2008; TESCpv.xls 6 Evergreen State College PV Array Location McKinstry Essention, Inc., Contractor – Puget Sound Solar LLC, Subcontractor Daniel J. Evans Library Level 5 7 ROOF PLAN Evans Library Roof Plan Level 5 (Fourth Floor Roof Plan) 8 Array Plan Detail 9 Panel ‘A’ One Line PV System Schematic Diagram 10 Panel ‘A’ Location and Detail 11 Photovoltaic Equipment Schedule Evergreen State College Phase 1.1 Energy Projects McKinstry Essention, Inc., Contractor Puget Sound Solar LLC, Subcontractor Item Quantity Description PV Modules 44 Evergreen Solar ES-A 205 Inverters 2 SMA SB5000US Panel 'PV' 1 Square D QO312L125GRB Panel 'PV' c.b. 2 Square D 2-pole 30A QO230 Panel 'A' c.b. 1 ITE 60A 208V 3-pole QP Q360 Lockable Disconnect 1 Square D HU362RB Ballasted Mount 44 Unirac RapidRac Frame w/mount Ballasted Mount 11 Unirac RapidRac Frame only Monitoring 1 Sunny Web Box Interface 2 Sunny Boy RS-485 modules 12 NEW ES-A SERIES 200, 205 & 210 W photovoltaic panels Best power tolerance available A range of high quality String Ribbon™ solar panels offering exceptional performance, cost effective installation and industry-leading environmental credentials made with our revolutionary wafer technology. • No power below nameplate Never pay for power you’re not getting • Get up to 5W more than nameplate* For enhanced field performance • Industry’s lowest voltage per watt rating Delivers the most cost-effective installs • UL4703 certified cables For use with the highest efficiency transformer-less inverters • New extended length cables Eliminates home-run wiring • New lockable connectors** Complies with the latest codes for accessible arrays • Most extensive range of mounting options Allows installs virtually anywhere and anyhow • Smallest carbon footprint of any manufacturer For the greenest of the green • 100% cardboard-free packaging Minimizes job site waste and disposal costs • 5 year workmanship and 25 year power warranty *** Born in the USA *Maximum power up to 4.99 W above nameplate rating; **Locking sleeve not supplied with the panel. ***For full details see the Evergreen Solar Limited Warranty available on request or online. 13 This product is designed to meet UL 1703, UL 4703, UL Fire Safety Class C, IEC 61215 Ed.2 and IEC 61730 Class A standards. String Ribbon is a patented technology and registered trademark of Evergreen Solar, Inc. Electrical Characteristics Mechanical Specifications Standard Test Conditions (STC)1 PANEL ID LABEL ES-A-200 ES-A-205 ES-A-210 -fa2* -fa2* -fa2* 2.2 4.9 2 mp P 200 205 210 W 3.1 2.3 JUNCTION BOX tolerance P -0/+4.99 -0/+4.99 -0/+4.99 W (IP65) 8x ø.16 PANEL GROUNDING Pmp, max 204.99 209.99 214.99 W SERIAL NUMBER HOLE Pmp, min 200.00 205.00 210.00 W ηmin 12.7 13.1 13.4 % 32.5 3 CABLES Pptc 180.6 185.2 189.8 W (10 AWG, UL4703, PV-WIRE) Vmp 18.1 18.4 18.7 V Imp 11.05 11.15 11.23 A 42.1 Voc 22.5 22.8 23.1 V 65.0 (+/-0.1) 10x ø.26 PANEL MOUNTING HOLE Isc 12.00 12.10 12.20 A ID LABEL FOR ¼" BOLT Nominal Operating Cell Temperature Conditions (NOCT)4 MC® LOCKABLE 0 CONNECTORS NOCT T 44.8 44.8 44.8 C (TYPE 4) Pmax 146.4 150.1 153.7 W 26.7 Vmp 16.7 16.8 17.0 V 16.3 2.8 CLEAR ANODIZED 13.0 12x FRAME ALUMINUM FRAME Imp 8.76 8.93 9.04 A DRAINAGE HOLE 2.2 Voc 20.5 20.7 21.0 V 35.9 1.8 (+0.02/-0) 37.5 (+/-0.1) Isc 9.60 9.68 9.76 A 1 1000 W/m2, 25°C cell temperature, AM 1.5 spectrum; All dimensions in inches; panel weight 41 lbs 2 Maximum power point or rated power 3 2 At PV-USA Test Conditions: 1000 W/m , 20°C ambient temperature, Product constructed with 114 poly-crystalline silicon solar cells, anti-reflective 1 m/s wind speed 4 800 W/m2, 20°C ambient temperature, 1 m/s wind speed, AM 1.5 spectrum tempered solar glass, EVA encapsulant, polymer back-skin and a double-walled * f-framed, a-low voltage, 2-matt blue (textured) cells anodized aluminum frame.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Michigan Stadium Solar Project
    Michigan Stadium Solar Project: A Feasibility Study for Installation of a Photovoltaic System on Michigan Stadium Jenna Becsey Rachel Enoch Justin Gawlik Sarah Rutherford Jasem Yousuf Andy Berki, Project Sponsor EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The University of Michigan has a great opportunity to become a leader in renewable energy and serve as an example for institutions nationwide. The proposal at hand is to install a photovoltaic system on the roofs of the new additions to Michigan Stadium. These new additions are slated to be completed in August of 2010 and represent a way for the university to strengthen tradition through innovation. The slogan used for the renovation is "building our future... strengthening our tradition," and installation of solar panels atop these additions would do just that. Not only would the university save money from energy savings, but it would also become a leader in sustainability, mitigate environmental impacts, and serve as a recruitment tool by generating great publicity. This report attempts to analyze the feasibility of a photovoltaic system atop these new additions. The tools used to create this report were energy analyses, cost-benefit analyses, environmental impact mitigation, social benefit analysis, and peer institution review. Most importantly, the payback period for each system was analyzed. Methodologies and calculations can be found in the appendices. The results show that a system of this size would be feasible, and would actually pay for itself over time. New technology has allowed solar panels to be made at a much lower cost than in the past and operate with greater levels of efficiency. The three panels that are best suited for Michigan Stadium are the Sharp 224 Watt Module, the Evergreen Solar ES-A-210 210 Watt Module, and SolarWorld's 175-Watt SunModule.
    [Show full text]
  • A Circular Economy for Solar Photovoltaic System Materials: Drivers, Barriers, Enablers, and U.S
    A Circular Economy for Solar Photovoltaic System Materials: Drivers, Barriers, Enablers, and U.S. Policy Considerations Taylor L. Curtis, Heather Buchanan, Ligia Smith, and Garvin Heath National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Technical Report Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy NREL/TP-6A20-74550 Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC Revised April 2021 This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications. Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308 A Circular Economy for Solar Photovoltaic System Materials: Drivers, Barriers, Enablers, and U.S. Policy Considerations Taylor L. Curtis, Heather Buchanan, Ligia Smith, and Garvin Heath National Renewable Energy Laboratory Suggested Citation Curtis, Taylor L., Heather Buchanan, Ligia Smith, and Garvin Heath. 2021. A Circular Economy for Solar Photovoltaic System Materials: Drivers, Barriers, Enablers, and U.S. Policy Considerations. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. NREL/TP-6A20-74550. https://www.nrel.gov.docs/fy21osti/74550. NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Technical Report Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy NREL/TP-6A20-74550 Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC Revised April 2021 This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications. 15013 Denver West Parkway Golden, CO 80401 Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308 303-275-3000 • www.nrel.gov NOTICE This work was authored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support
    U.S. Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support Michaela D. Platzer Specialist in Industrial Organization and Business January 27, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R42509 U.S. Solar PV Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support Summary Every President since Richard Nixon has sought to increase U.S. energy supply diversity. Job creation and the development of a domestic renewable energy manufacturing base have joined national security and environmental concerns as reasons for promoting the manufacturing of solar power equipment in the United States. The federal government maintains a variety of tax credits and targeted research and development programs to encourage the solar manufacturing sector, and state-level mandates that utilities obtain specified percentages of their electricity from renewable sources have bolstered demand for large solar projects. The most widely used solar technology involves photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, which draw on semiconducting materials to convert sunlight into electricity. By year-end 2013, the total number of grid-connected PV systems nationwide reached more than 445,000. Domestic demand is met both by imports and by about 75 U.S. manufacturing facilities employing upwards of 30,000 U.S. workers in 2014. Production is clustered in a few states including California, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Domestic PV manufacturers operate in a dynamic, volatile, and highly competitive global market now dominated by Chinese and Taiwanese companies. China alone accounted for nearly 70% of total solar module production in 2013. Some PV manufacturers have expanded their operations beyond China to places like Malaysia, the Philippines, and Mexico.
    [Show full text]
  • Photovoltaic
    Photovoltaic Association of Energy Engineers -NE A discussion about Solar Photovoltaics 9/10/2014 Agenda . PV system overview & components . National Grid’s role in integrating Photovoltaic . The photovoltaic market , its benefits, and opportunities . Questions 2 What is Photovoltaics? – MiniHistory Edmund Becquerel, a French physicist, discovered that 1830 certain materials produced a current in 1839. Prior to 1918 selenium was used in solar applications for its photoconductivity. Then a process to create single- 1900 crystal silicon was developed. (The vast majority of PV panels use silicon today!) PV started to make its way into spacecraft design in the 1970 1960s National Grid deployed solar technology in the 1980s, launching solar installations on over 30 homes and businesses in Gardner, MA and app.75 kW installation at Beverly High School in Beverly, MA. Current day it’s a new leaf of life, to live sustainably and 2013 use green energy is the transitioning mentality. Solar is used at the commercial level by utilities and residential level by many eager incentivized homeowners. 3 What is Photovoltaics? Basic PV Cell Operation Circuit diagram attained from National Instruments (NI.com) Cell VI curve attained from boatdesign.net System Overview There are differences between large commercial PV arrays and smaller residential PV arrays. Residential System . Smaller solar systems will be encountered more often . Usually PV panels are roof- mounted which may make responding to emergency situations challenging . System components include: . Panels (Array) . Combiner box (Not shown) . Inverter A basic residential PV system . AC power disconnect (Panel) Holt, Mike. Residential PV System Scope. Digital image. Mike Holt Enterprises, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • DOE Solar Energy Technologies Program Overview Contents Photovoltaic Technologies Solar Thermal Technologies Measurements and Characterization
    The Solar Energy Technologies Program PowerLight Corp./PIX14597 Energy moves the modern world. Available, reliable, affordable energy. Since the Industrial Revolution, fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—have powered immense technological progress. But supplies of fossil fuels are limited, and continued reliance on them may have significant environmental consequences. Fortunately, there are alternatives. The most powerful one is right over our heads. We are bathed in the clean, virtually inexhaustible energy of the sun. Each hour, enough sunlight reaches Earth to meet the world’s energy needs for a year. To harvest this bounty, we need technology that efficiently converts the sun’s energy into forms we can use. Developing this technology is the purpose of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Program. The United States has abundant solar resources. The sunlight falling on less than Powerful Goals, Powerful Technologies 0.5% of the mainland could satisfy all the nation’s electricity needs. The Solar Energy Technologies Program is part of the DOE Photovoltaic Technologies Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The Program’s mission is to improve U.S. security, environmental The majority of the Program’s budget is allocated to PV research and quality, and economic prosperity through public-private development (R&D). All PV devices convert sunlight directly into partnerships that bring reliable and affordable solar energy electricity. However, there is a variety of materials and processes for technologies to the marketplace. It supports research and creating PV devices, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. The development on a wide range of photovoltaic (PV) and solar major trade-off is between cost and sunlight-to-electricity conversion thermal technologies that convert sunlight into useful energy.
    [Show full text]
  • US Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing
    U.S. Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support (name redacted) Specialist in Industrial Organization and Business January 27, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-.... www.crs.gov R42509 U.S. Solar PV Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support Summary Every President since Richard Nixon has sought to increase U.S. energy supply diversity. Job creation and the development of a domestic renewable energy manufacturing base have joined national security and environmental concerns as reasons for promoting the manufacturing of solar power equipment in the United States. The federal government maintains a variety of tax credits and targeted research and development programs to encourage the solar manufacturing sector, and state-level mandates that utilities obtain specified percentages of their electricity from renewable sources have bolstered demand for large solar projects. The most widely used solar technology involves photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, which draw on semiconducting materials to convert sunlight into electricity. By year-end 2013, the total number of grid-connected PV systems nationwide reached more than 445,000. Domestic demand is met both by imports and by about 75 U.S. manufacturing facilities employing upwards of 30,000 U.S. workers in 2014. Production is clustered in a few states including California, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Domestic PV manufacturers operate in a dynamic, volatile, and highly competitive global market now dominated by Chinese and Taiwanese companies. China alone accounted for nearly 70% of total solar module production in 2013. Some PV manufacturers have expanded their operations beyond China to places like Malaysia, the Philippines, and Mexico.
    [Show full text]
  • Soaking up the Sun and Blowing in the Wind: Clean Tech Needs Patient Capital
    Soaking Up the Sun and Blowing in the Wind: Clean Tech Needs Patient Capital by Matt Hopkins and William Lazonick University of Massachusetts Lowell and The Academic Industry Research Network December 2012 This paper will be presented at the Ford Foundation Conference on Finance, Business Models, and Sustainable Prosperity, Ford Foundation, New York City, December 6, 2012. A previous version of this paper was presented at the Annual Conference of the Industry Studies Association, University of Pittsburgh, May 31, 2012. This research has been supported with funds from the Ford Foundation, the Institute for New Economic Thinking, and the Svenska Handelsbanken Foundation. 0 A World Crushing Problem: The Carbon Crisis According to the International Energy Agency (IEA 2012, 45), global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) nearly doubled between 1973 and 2009, 65 percent of these emissions originating in the 30 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and China, altogether representing about 37 percent of the world’s population (Maddison 2010). It is common knowledge that failure to control and reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will result in climate change and catastrophic global instability. Increased concentrations of CO2 and other GHGs in the atmosphere cause the earth to warm, and these warmer temperatures greatly affect weather and other natural patterns. According to the epa.gov, pre-industrial CO2 levels were 280 ppm (parts per million). 350.org documents that we are currently at 392 ppm and rising – and that reducing our CO2 concentration to 350 ppm or less is the way to avoid the worst expected impacts of climate change.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020-CALSSA-Annual-Report.Pdf
    2020 ANNUAL REPORT 1 OUR MEMBERS 11% 12% 23% Thermal Modules Service Provider 23% 27% Power Energy Electronics Storage 49% 18% Contractor/ Manufacturer 27% Developer/EPC Racks/Mounts/ Trackers 4% 2% 3% Financial Entity Distributor Non-Profit/Education 127 Energy Ameresco Power Blue Sky Utility 17 TeraWatts American Solar Corporation Electronics BlueFlame Energy Finance 180 Solar Power Amped Solutions Booth Construction A-1 Contractors Anderson Electric Borrego Solar Systems A-C Electric Company Antenna Group BPi A.M. Shine Electric Apex Natural Renewable Generation Brandon Carlson Electrical Contractor A1 Sun Apex Solar Bright Power ACIP Energy APG Solar Brighton Energy ACR Solar International Corp. Applied Building Science Broadstreet Power Action Energy Applied Solar Energy Brooks Engineering ActiveProspect APsystems Brown-Hooper International Energy Adams Solar Electrical and Electric Aquatherm Industries BTA Solar Addy Electric Aram Solar Burnham Energy Advanced Conservation Systems Arcadia Solar BVI Solar Advanced Microgrid Solutions Arnold Solar BYD Energy Aeterna Energy Aurora Solar Byers Solar AgEnergy Systems AWS Electrical & Solar Caiman Engineering Aguillon Enterprises Axis Solar Design Cal Paso Solar Electric Alameda Electrical Distributors Azelio Cal-Sun Construction Albion Power Company Aztec Solar CalCom Energy ALIVE Solar & Roofing B & B Solar Cali One Services All Save Energy Baja Carport California Clean Energy All Valley Solar Baker Electric Home Energy California Solar Electric Company Allied Energy BARIL Engineering
    [Show full text]
  • An Investigation of Evergreen Solar Inc. Bankruptcy By
    Reports on Economics and Finance, Vol. 1, 2015, no. 1, 115 - 126 HIKARI Ltd, www.m-hikari.com http://dx.doi.org/10.12988/ref.2015.5108 An Investigation of Evergreen Solar Inc. Bankruptcy by Considering Financial and Engineering Facets Milad Doostan, Behdad Vatani and Saeed Mohajeryami Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC, USA Copyright © 2015 Milad Doostan et al. This article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract In this paper, a company, Evergreen Solar Inc., located in Massachusetts, which was manufacturing solar panels for the photovoltaics industry is investigated. The company filed for bankruptcy on year 2011, closed its factory in Massachusetts and relocated manufacturing to China. In this paper, first, an introduction to solar energy will be provided. A history of the company then will be discussed. Finally, by considering the company’s financial data, the market and industry involved as well as engineering aspects, the major reasons for the aforesaid bankruptcy will be examined. Keywords: Evergreen Solar Inc., bankruptcy, solar panels, string ribbon technology 1. Introduction Solar energy is, simply, energy derived from the Sun’s radiation. Indeed, sun is the most powerful source of energy which provides the Earth with as much energy every hour as human collectively uses in a year worldwide [1]. Table 1 shows the amount of solar energy reaching the surface of the planet versus human energy consumption [2-6]. 116 Milad Doostan et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar PV Shingle Sunplicity TM Building Integrated PV Element - 100% Compatible with Conventional Roof System
    Aktive Sonnenenergienutzung Photovoltaik Bundesamt für Energie BFE Schlussbericht PV P+D, DIS 37528 / 77267, November 2003 Solar PV Shingle Sunplicity TM Building integrated PV Element - 100% compatible with conventional roof system ausgearbeitet durch: Markus Real, Alpha Real AG Jack Hanoka, Evergreen Solar Corp. unter Mitarbeit von: Glas Trösch Solar AG Werner Müller, Gebr. Müller AG Domenico Cianese, LEEE Tiso Solar PV Shingle Sunplicity TM Building integrated PV Element - 100% compatible with conventional roof system On behalf of: Swiss Federal Office of Energy, BFE 3003 Bern Under Project Coordination of: Alpha Real AG Feldeggstrasse 89 8008 Zurich Tel + 41 1 383 0208 email: [email protected] in collaboration of: Glas Trösch Solar AG Industriestrasse 29 4922 Bützberg Gebr. Müller AG Bedachungen Grienbachstr. 31 6300 Zug Evergreen Solar Corp. Marlboro Massachusetts, USA www.evergreensolar.com and with support of: University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) DCT, Laboratory of Energy, Ecology and Economy (LEEE-TISO) CH - 6952 Canobbio-Lugano tel.: +41(0)91/935 13 56 fax.: +41(0)91/935 13 49 http://www.leee.dct.supsi.ch Photo on the front page: Figure 1 on the front page shows the test site at Laboratory of Energy, Ecology and Economy (LEEE-TISO), Lugano, the south of Switzerland. Final tests had been performed at this test site because of the excellent infrastructure and the higher solar radiation and ambient temperature. 2 Content Summary 4 1. Introduction 5 1.1 Innovations in conventional building sector 5 2. Requirements for PV roof tiles. 7 3. Design of Sunplicity TM 10 3.1 Specific requirments for Sunplicity 10 3.2 Layout and size of Sunplicity TM 12 3.3 Inter-cabling 14 3.4 Replacing broken PV roof shingles 16 3.5 Module temperatures 18 3.6 Module performance 19 4.
    [Show full text]
  • The Battle for Supremacy
    Photovoltaics cell and module Producers The battle for supremacy Market leader First Solar has already demonstrated: thin-film While the manufacturers of solar cells and crystalline modules are modules as mass product – it can be done. Photo: First Solar already following a clear path in the direction of mass production, the thin-film producers have to deal with dropping silicon prices and the lower levels of efficiency. CI(G)S technology could soon become a serious competition for the successful CdTe modules. he prediction by market analysts is unambigu­ the market share of the Chinese producers will con­ ous: solar cells are competitive only as a mass tinue to grow in the course of the next years, even if Tproduct and the manufacturers are increasing­ at slightly slower rates. However, according to data ly seeking vertical integration or relying on perma­ by iSuppli, the first four positions on the list of top 10 nent contract partners for the module production. cell producing companies were already taken by The PV market requires low prices: similar to the sil­ Chinese players in the first quarter of 2010. Top of icon and wafer manufacturers (compare S&WE 9, the list is Suntech with a market share of 8.1 %, fol­ p. 122), the solar cell industry is experiencing in­ lowed by JA­Solar (7.3 %), Trina Solar (5.5 %) and creasing cost pressure. However, the production Yingli (5.4 %). Former world market leader Q­Cells costs for solar cells vary considerably – the lowest from Germany is currently in the process of a strate­ are around 0.22 US$/W – in individual cases even gic realignment and ranks on position five with a less.
    [Show full text]
  • “Power from Sunshine”: a Business History of Solar Energy
    “Power from Sunshine”: A Business History of Solar Energy Geoffrey Jones Loubna Bouamane Working Paper 12-105 May 25, 2012 Copyright © 2012 by Geoffrey Jones and Loubna Bouamane Working papers are in draft form. This working paper is distributed for purposes of comment and discussion only. It may not be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder. Copies of working papers are available from the author. “Power from Sunshine”: A Business History of Solar Energy Geoffrey Jones Loubna Bouamane Harvard Business School Harvard Business School May 2012 Abstract This working paper provides a longitudinal perspective on the business history of solar energy between the nineteenth century and the present day. Its covers early attempts to develop solar energy, the use of passive solar in architecture before World War 2, and the subsequent growth of the modern photovoltaic industry. It explores the role of entrepreneurial actors, sometimes motivated by broad social and environmental agendas, whose strategies to build viable business models proved crucially dependent on two exogenous factors: the prices of alternative conventional fuels and public policy. Supportive public policies in various geographies facilitated the commercialization of photovoltaic technologies, but they also encouraged rent-seeking and inefficiencies, while policy shifts resulted in a regular boom and bust cycle. The perceived long-term potential of solar energy, combined with the capital- intensity and cyclical nature of the industry, led to large electronics, oil and engineering companies buying entrepreneurial firms in successive generations. These firms became important drivers of innovation and scale, but they also found solar to be an industry in which achieving a viable business model proved a chimera, whilst waves of creative destruction became the norm.
    [Show full text]