n answering the following questions, include the calculations you make. 1. In th

Question

n answering the following questions, include the calculations you make.

1. In this assignment, you are asked to design a PV system that has a nameplate (peak) power of 5.0 KW. (The peak power is the power output of a PV panel under optimal (peak) conditions and that is the power designated by a manufacturer.)

a. Go shopping for PV panels. Check the catalogs (Ref 11), or some other online catalog, to find the cost of solar PV panels. Specify the manufacturer and model number of the panel that you have selected, the power output of the panel, the area (in sq.ft.) of the panel and the price of the panel. Determine the unit cost of the power (in units of dollars per watt ($/W)), the number of panels required to provide 5.0 kW and the total cost of the panels for the project. (Cite the source of your information.)

b. Add $3,000 for the cost of additional hardware.  Add $1/W to the cost of the project for licensing and other non-hardware installation expenses of the system.  Then add the cost of the panels and hardware to the installation expenses to obtain the total cost of your project? (By the way, the DOE is sponsoring a competition for a group that will succeed in meeting the installation cost of $1/W for a solar PV system. There will be cash awards (each of several million dollars) to the 3 top winners. For details, see my notes and references in Session 6. This added note is just to inform you that the installation cost suggested in this part of the question is almost achievable.)   

c. What is the total area of the solar panels needed for the project?

d. Assume that the average power generation of a solar panel--- including day and night, rain and shine, or other adverse conditions---is 20% of the peak power generation.  That is, assume that the panels generate an average power of 1.0 kW.  Estimate the

Explanation / Answer

2 a) it is the process of generating solar power by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight, or solar thermal energy, onto a small area . concentrated light is converted to heat which drives the heat engine connected to electrical power generator.

b) Two methods are as follows

1. Parabolic trough :: it consists of a parabolic reflector that concentrates light on a receiver positioned along the reflector's focal line. The receiver is a tube positioned directly above the middle of the parabolic mirror and filled with a working fluid.

2. fresnel reflectors :: these reflectors are made of thin, flat mirrors to concentrate sunlight on tubes through which working fluid is pumped. Flat mirrors allow more reflective surface in the same amount of space as a parabolic reflector, thus capturing more of the available sunlight,

c. solar concentrators uses a series of mirrors to concentrate a large amount of sunlight on small area and hence increases the efficiency.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse N
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.