Solar Photovoltaic Power System's Efficiency - Essay Sample

Introduction

Solar energy is an alternative source of fossil fuels in most countries. A sustainable source of energy and security has become essential in developing and developed countries. The socio-economic capital in a nation depended on per capita consumption of energy. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are a mature technology with a life expectancy of about 20-30. It constitutes of semiconductor devices that convert sunlight energy into DC electricity encouraging transfer of electrons. The PV systems energy convert energy in two main stages; generation of electron-hole pair by absorption of light by the semiconductors and separation of electrons to both negative and positive terminals of the systems (Pandey et al., 2017). Recent studies on solar thermal systems and photovoltaic (PV) systems have led to new interest in generating electricity and heat power. Huizinga (2013) states that the use of PV systems, especially in developing countries, has been restricted by low efficiencies and a relatively high cost.

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Solar Energy Program

Bangladesh relies on coal, oil and natural gas for electricity. Studies indicate that natural gas contributes 76.6 %, oil 23. 0%, hydropower 2.3 % and coal 1.7% of the overall energy consumed in the country (Annual Report 2016-2017). The total power produced as 2017 was 13,555 MW distributed to a population of 77.9% and had the lowest share in total renewable energy generated (Islam & Khan, 2017). The Rural Electrification Board (REB) initiated the Photovoltaic (PV) system in Bangladesh in 1993. Later in 2003, a government-owned organization known as Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) introduced a solar energy program to enhance solar systems across the country (Bhowmik & Amin, 2009). The IDCOL obtained financial assistance from international institutions such as Islamic Development Bank (IDB), World Bank, USAID, German Development Bank, Asian Development Bank and Global Environment Facility (GEF) to disseminate the solar program in rural areas. By June 2008, IDCOL had established over 50,000 SHS (Solar Home Systems) in Bangladesh (Bhowmik & Amin, 2009). The country has a geographical advantage, and the climate favours the implementation of PV systems technology.

Bangladesh electrical infrastructure problem is not unique, and other nations such as Barbados and Iraq face similar issues. These countries have found PV systems to be a sustainable and viable solution to increasing energy demands. Further studies show that over 21 countries participate in International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS), a programme to research and develop utilizationPVs utilization (Sørensen & Watt, 2006). Studies show that utilization of photovoltaics in the generation of electricity has been applied in Barbados. Like Bangladesh, Barbados is geographically located and receives a high amount of solar radiation, with an average of 5.7 kilowatt-hours per square meter per day. Barbados is a developing island and relies mostly on fossil fuels for energy. According to studies, Barbados utilised 1000 barrels per day, which was insufficient to meet the overall energy requirements (Haynes, 2013). Large scale investment in PV for electricity in Barbados significantly reduced its expenditure on oils and natural gas imports from Tobago and Trinidad. Thus, this project shows that installing solar systems of high efficiency would produce adequate electric power for the whole nation, especially for people living in rural areas.

Power Development Board

According to the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), the total energy consumptions as of January 2019 was 20, 854 MW (Halder et al., 2015). This overall energy is not enough to be considered the primary energy source for a country. The economic revolution, rapid industrialization and urbanization have increased the power demand for the country. The problem can be reduced by enhancing more renewable energy in electrical energy generation. Both government and non-governmental bodies such as IDCOL and BPDB act towards renewable energy to increase energy demand. Bangladesh is geographically located in a suitable location for utilizing solar power and radiation all year round. Bangladesh experiences a significant amount of solar light throughout the day. Therefore, if this system is implemented, it could produce a considerable amount of energy for the country. The sun has much energy to the earth in the form of light and heat. This energy varies between 4 and 6.5 kilowatt-hours per square meter per day (Halder et al., 2015;). Different parts of Bangladesh receive a lot of energy.

While Bangladesh has a suitable climate for implementing PV systems, the PV cells performance is affected by many factors such as solar radiation intensity, radiation geometry, wind direction and speed, humidity, temperature, etc. Several studies have reviewed the effects of temperature on solar PV cell efficiency and indicate that increased temperature decreases solar PV cell efficiency. High temperatures also deteriorate the mechanical properties of the back sheet of the solar PV panel. When exposed to a hot and dry climate, solar PV systems' performance is not the same as in cold weather. Most researchers pay attention to light beam generated by the sun and the heat, and most scholars recommend implementing cooling techniques in the Solar PV system. In a PV system, only 31% of the sunlight is converted to electric energy, where a majority of the heat is converted to heat energy. The heat energy makes the module's temperature increase, reading to reducing electricity produced by the module.

Conclusion

Furthermore, the excess heat generated damages the PV material fabricates, reducing conversion efficiency and reducing cell lifespans (Koteswararao et al., 2016). Moreover, past research indicates the when the module temperature was reduced, the PV efficiency increases by 2% (Moradgholi et al., 2014). Bangladesh is a nation with hot temperatures, and since they employ PV systems, they have implemented cooling techniques to deal with overheating PV cells. This project makes efforts to analyze cooling the PV systems using water spraying. The paper examines the effectiveness of coolants used by PV modules.

Reference

Alsayah, A. M., Aboaltabooq, M. H. K., Majeed, M. H., & Al-Najafy, A. A. MULTIPLE MODERN METHODS FOR IMPROVING PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL EFFICIENCY BY COOLING: A REVIEW.

Bhowmik, H., & Amin, R. (2009). Performance Analysis of PV Cells under Monsoon Climate. IAPE'19, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Halder, P. K., Paul, N., Joardder, M. U., & Sarker, M. (2015). Energy scarcity and potential of renewable energy in Bangladesh. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 51, 1636-1649.

Islam, S., & Khan, M. Z. R. (2017). A review of energy sector of Bangladesh. Energy Procedia, 110, 611-618.

Sørensen, B., & Watt, G. (2006). Trends in Photovoltaic Applications, Survey report of selected IEA countries between 1992 and 2005: Report IEA-PVPS T1-15: 2006.

Wazed, M., & Ahmed, S. (2008). Micro hydro energy resources in Bangladesh: a review. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 2(4), 1209-1222.