Name: Bibiresanmi Boluwatife Jesutofunmi

Matric No: WMA/2020/81011

Department: Water resources management and
Agronmeteorology
Course code: WMA 311

What is solar energy?

Solar energy is the radiation from the Sun capable of producing heat, causing
chemical reactions, or generating electricity. The total amount of solar energy
received on Earth is vastly more than the world's current and anticipated energy
requirements.

Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either
directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power.
Most electricity is generated with steam turbines using fossil fuels, nuclear,
biomass, geothermal, and solar thermal energy. Other major electricity generation
technologies include gas turbines, hydro turbines, wind turbines, and solar
photovoltaics.

What Is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy, often referred to as clean energy, comes from natural sources or
processes that are constantly replenished. For example, sunlight and wind keep
shining and blowing, even if their availability depends on time and weather.
While renewable energy is often thought of as a new technology, harnessing nature’s
power has long been used for heating, transportation, lighting, and more. Wind has
powered boats to sail the seas and windmills to grind grain. The sun has provided
warmth during the day and helped kindle fires to last into the evening. But over
the past 500 years or so, humans increasingly turned to cheaper, dirtier energy
sources, such as coal and fracked gas.
Now that we have innovative and less-expensive ways to capture and retain wind and
solar energy, renewables are becoming a more important power source, accounting for
more than 12 percent of U.S. energy generation. The expansion in renewables is also
happening at scales large and small, from giant offshore wind farms to rooftop
solar panels on homes, which can sell power back to the grid. Even entire rural
communities (in Alaska, Kansas, and Missouri) are relying on renewable energy for
heating and lighting.
As renewable use continues to grow, a key goal will be to modernize America’s
electricity grid, making it smarter, more secure, and better integrated across
regions.

Working Principle of Solar Panels in households

One of the most common questions we are asked is how do solar panels work turning
sunlight into AC electricity ready to consume onsite.
Every solar PV system is made up of several components: solar panels (or
‘modules’), an inverter, a meter and your existing consumer unit.

Solar panels absorb energy from the sun and convert it into DC electricity. DC
electricity from your solar panels is converted to AC electricity by inverter
technology (AC electricity is used by most home appliances). Electricity flows
through your home, powering electronic appliances and devices.
How solar panels work step by step
1. The sun gives off light, even on cloudy days.
2. PV cells on the panels turn the light into DC electricity.
 3. The current flows into an inverter, which converts it to AC electricity
ready to use.
4. The current is fed through a meter and then into your home's consumer
unit.

What is the function of the solar panel?

Solar panels, sometimes also called photovoltaics collect energy from the Sun in
the form of sunlight and convert it into electricity that can be used to power
homes or businesses. These panels can be used to supplement a building's
electricity or provide power at remote locations.

A solar panel, or solar module, is one component of a photovoltaic system. They are
constructed out of a series of photovoltaic cells arranged into a panel. They come
in a variety of rectangular shapes and are installed in combination to generate
electricity.
Solar panels, sometimes also called photovoltaics collect energy from the Sun in
the form of sunlight and convert it into electricity that can be used to power
homes or businesses. These panels can be used to supplement a building's
electricity or provide power at remote locations.
In addition to residential and commercial use, there is large-scale industrial or
utility use of solar. In this case, thousands or even millions of solar panels are
arranged into a vast solar array, or solar farm, which provides electricity to
large urban populations.

What are Solar Panels Made of?

The main component of any solar panel is a solar cell. Specifically, a number of
solar cells are used to build a single solar panel. These cells are the part of the
device that convert the sunlight into electricity. Most solar panels are made from
crystalline silicon type solar cells. These cells are composed of layers of
silicon, phosphorous, and boron (although there are several different types of
photovoltaic cells). These cells, once produced, are laid out into a grid pattern.
The number of these cells used depends largely on the size of the panel being
created, as many different sizing options exist.
Once the cells are laid out, the panel itself is sealed to protect the cells within
and covered with a non-reflective glass. This glass protects the solar cells from
damage, and is non-reflective to ensure sunlight can still reach the cells. Once
sealed, this panel is placed into a rigid metallic frame. This frame is designed to
prevent deformation, and includes a drainage hole to prevent water from building up
on the panel as a buildup of water could reduce the efficiency of the panel.
Additionally, the back of the panel is also sealed to prevent damage.

Component of the solar power system

For installing a grid-tied solar power system for your home, there are basically 7
main components that you will need and we will organise these in the order in which
they will be connected into your home solar energy system.

1. Solar Photovoltaic Panels

In most home installation and DIY solar power system, photovoltaic solar panels are
built by the homeowner from individual parts found in their garage or workshop. But
you can order discount photovoltaic cells online, and assemble these into complete
80W, 100W, or 120W Solar Panels.

If you do not have the time or skills to build a solar panel from scratch, there
are plenty of commercially available panels to choose from. Once built, individual
panels are wired together to make larger solar arrays.
2. Solar Power System Disconnects

A solar power system disconnects are basically just an electrical switch but is an
important part of the system. It allows you to disconnect and cut-off the DC power
output from your solar panels and array should any repairs be required or if there
is a problem with the solar system. This disconnect switch needs to be strong
enough to handle the full power output from the panels on a bright sunny day.

3. Battery Charge Controller

Most home solar systems are built with a battery backup included for when the sun
does not shine such as on dull days or at night. The battery charge controller
ensures that a consistent amount of electrical power is sent to the batteries so
that they are not over charged, and to ensure that the backup batteries do not
discharge back through the system at night. In many ways this component is similar
to your automotive battery charger so will not be too expensive.

4. Deep Cycle Battery Storage

In order to store the solar power generated by your solar panels and keep the
lights shinning through the night, your solar system will need deep cycle
batteries. Deep cycle batteries are not the same as shallow charge automotive
batteries which are designed with thinner lead plates for cars.

Deep cycle storage batteries for solar systems are more robust and are designed for
the type of charging and discharging cycles they need to endure. New deep cycle
batteries are expensive but reconditioned batteries are cheaper. Better still, you
may be able to get old dead batteries for free used previously in fork trucks, golf
carts, and electric buggies and recondition them yourself.

5. System Power System Metering

A solar power meter can be optional, but it is listed here as its inclusion will
give you a clear way to see how much free solar power is being supplied to your
home from your solar panels. Having a system power meter also helps you improve
your system to gain the maximum efficiency from your solar installation as well as
having the advantage of letting your neighbours know how much money your solar
system is saving.

6. Solar Power System Inverter

Your solar panels generate DC power, and your home runs on mains AC power, the
solar power inverter converts the DC solar energy from the photovoltaic panels into
usable 115, 220 or 240V AC electrical energy in the home by providing the DC to AC
conversion using electronic switching techniques.

In practical terms, the an inverter allows you to run electric drills, computers,
vacuum cleaners, mains lighting, and most other mains electrical appliances that
can be plugged into the wall sockets of your solar panels. There are many square
wave, sine wave modified wave inverters on the market these days but a good quality
1200W sine wave inverter likely won’t cost you more than a few hundred dollars.

7. Backup Power

Some form of back power may be required for when the sun does not shine and the
storage batteries are empty. Most systems will include some sort of backup power.
In a stand alone installation this would generally be a diesel generator. In a
grid-tied system the utility grid itself would provide the backup power through the
inverter. But a backup power source can also be a wind turbine or a water wheel as
part of a small scale hydro system.

So whether you build your own solar panels from scratch or buy pre-made commercial
panels, using solar energy to power your home can be easier than you think. With a
grid connected system you can even sell excess electricity you do not use back to
the utility company who have been selling it to you for all these years giving you
an additional income.

How to calculate solar panel amps

Solar panels use the photons produced by sunlight to generate direct current (DC)
electricity. Solar panel amps current will flow from a panel connected to an
electrical circuit. How many solar panel amps of electricity the panel will produce
depends on the power of the solar panel, the amount of sunshine falling on the
panel and the characteristics of the circuit to which the panel is connected.
Calculate the amps produced by the panel making measurements using a digital
multimeter.

SOLAR ELECTRICITY
This solar energy application has gained a lot of momentum in recent years.
As solar panel costs decline and more people become aware of solar energy’s
financial and environmental benefits, solar electricity is becoming increasingly
accessible. While it’s still a tiny percentage of the electricity generated in the
U.S. (2.8% as of 2021), solar electricity is growing rapidly.
Technicians usually install a distributed solar PV system on the rooftops of homes
or businesses. These solar power systems generate electricity to offset the
property owner’s usage and send any excess production to the electric grid.