INTRODUCTION TO SOLAR ENERGY PHOTOVOLTAIC
Solar Energy is the energy gained by capturing the light and heat emitted by the sun. The solar radiation that reaches Earth can be exploited through the heat produced, as well as through the absorption of radiation. It is a so-called renewable energy particularly of Group contaminant, known as clean energy or green energy.
-The Photovoltaic Effect-
Is the basis of the process by which a PV cell converts sunlight into electricity. Sunlight is composed of photons, or energy particles. For PV cells convert the light energy into electrical energy. Performance conversion, (the proportion of solar cell converted from light into electricity) is fundamental in the photovoltaic devices, since the increase in performance makes the PV solar energy more competitive with other sources.
-Solar Energy-
Emblem of renewable energy has noticed a progression in recent years due to improvements in technology, with associated cost reduction mainly thanks to the interest shown by the different administrations in different countries, in form of grants or subsidies .
– Situation in the European Union-
Installed in the EU area is concentrated in three countries Germany 5,442,000 m2, Greece and Austria with 2.877 million m2 2,711,000 m2. Germany is the leading installer of photovoltaic energy in the world, with a capacity of more than 32.3 gigawatts from December 2012. The new German solar PV installations grew by about 7.6 GW in 2012, about 3% of total electricity. Some market analysts expect this could reach 25 percent by 2050. Germany has a goal of producing 35% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and 100% by 2050.
– Situation in North America-
The United States has considerable solar activity and many solar power plants on a commercial scale . The largest solar power installation in the world is the Solar Energy Generating Systems facility in California , which has a total capacity of 354 megawatts. There are plans to build other large solar plants in the United States. Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation requiring California utilities to obtain 33 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by the end of 2020.
The Canadian PV market has grown rapidly and Canadian companies make solar modules, controls, specialized water pumps, refrigerators, high-efficiency solar lighting systems. Ontario has subsidized solar power to promote its growth. One of the most important uses of photovoltaic cells is in northern communities, many of which rely on high-cost diesel fuel to generate electricity. Since the 1970s , the federal government and industry has promoted the development of solar technologies for these communities. Some of these efforts have focused on the use of hybrid systems that provide power 24 hours a day, using solar power when sunlight is available, in combination with other energy source.
– Situation in Africa-
On average, many African countries receive up to 325 days of sunshine a year. This gives solar power the potential to bring energy to virtually any location in Africa without the need for expensive large scale grid infrastructure developments. The distribution of solar resources in Africa is fairly uniform, with more than 80 percent of the African landscape that receives almost 2,000 kWh per square meter per year. A recent study indicates that an installation of solar power generation covering only 0.3% of the area in North Africa, could supply all the energy required by the European Union.
– Situation in Latin America-
During the past decade, Latin America has stood for notable increase. The market fell somewhat by the crisis in Asia, but was assisted by experiencing an explosive growth in the telecommunications area. Revenue from solar energy are increased in an average of 15 to 20 percent.
The major consumers of photovoltaic equipment in the world in their process of development are in Mexico and Brazil, which contribute to the growth of solar energy in Latin America. Mexico is already the largest producer of solar energy in Latin America and is planning a ground-based solar collector with 30 MW, which will use a gas turbine combined cycle of approximately 400 MW to power the city of Agua Prieta, Sonora . To date, the World Bank has given U.S. $ 50 million to fund this project.
– Situation in Asia-
China generates about 7 GW of power , with the recent announcements that they’ll target an additional 10 GW of power in 2013-14 with a target of 21GW of power in late 2015.
India is densely populated and has high solar radiation, which makes it ideal for the use of solar energy. In the field of solar energy, they have proposed some major projects: a 35,000 km2 area of the Thar Desert has been earmarked for solar power projects, sufficient to generate from 700 GW to 2100 GW. In July 2009, India unveiled a $ 19 million plan to produce 20 GW of solar power by 2020. Under the plan, the use of solar energy equipment and applications have been made mandatory in all government buildings, as well as hospitals and hotels. In November 18, 2009, it was reported that India was ready to launch its National Solar Mission under the National Action Plan on Climate Change , with plans to generate 1,000 MW of power.
Solar power in Japan has been increasing since the late 1990s. The country ‘s leading manufacturer of solar panels and is ranked on the top 5 countries with the most installed solar PV , the third largest worldwide in total solar energy.
-The Price Of Panels Around The World-
Chinese manufacturers such as Suntech have overtaken other global distributors of solar panels in recent years. Suntech has produced over 1000 MW as of this year, and Chinese solar panel manufacturing has increased to 4000 MW as a whole. Half of the world’s largest solar manufacturing companies are based in China now. This is due to the relentless price cutting of solar panels. Chinese manufacturers can make these for just $1.28 per watt, compared to the lowest Western supplier’s price of $2 per watt.
In India, the price of solar panels dropped by around 50 per cent in 2011, making them more cost effective for people than diesel. With many homes using diesel generators to cope with frequent blackouts on the national grid, renewable affordable energy could soon be the more common answer. Solar electricity is getting cheaper, and analysts predict that it will be as cheap as grid electricity by 2015 in half the countries of the world.
-SOURCES-
en.wikipedia.org
www.nytimes.com
www.planetsave.com