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    Solar Energy Primer PDF

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    manoj
    The document summarizes key facts about solar energy: - The Earth receives 89 petawatts of solar radiation each year, which is more than 4 times the world's total annual energy consumption. - Solar energy has the potential to meet the world's increasing energy demands, which are expected to double by 2050. - With today's solar cell efficiencies, the United States' peak energy needs could be met with a solar farm covering an area less than 50 miles square, located in the desert southwest.

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    Solar Energy Primer PDF

    Uploaded by

    manoj
    153 views8 pages
    The document summarizes key facts about solar energy: - The Earth receives 89 petawatts of solar radiation each year, which is more than 4 times the world's total annual energy consumption. - Solar energy has the potential to meet the world's increasing energy demands, which are expected to double by 2050. - With today's solar cell efficiencies, the United States' peak energy needs could be met with a solar farm covering an area less than 50 miles square, located in the desert southwest.

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    233470824-Solar-Energy-Primer.pdf

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    The document summarizes key facts about solar energy: - The Earth receives 89 petawatts of solar radiation each year, which is more than 4 times the world's total annual energy consumption. - Solar energy has the potential to meet the world's increasing energy demands, which are expected to double by 2050. - With today's solar cell efficiencies, the United States' peak energy needs could be met with a solar farm covering an area less than 50 miles square, located in the desert southwest.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    153 views8 pages

    Solar Energy Primer PDF

    Uploaded by

    manoj
    The document summarizes key facts about solar energy: - The Earth receives 89 petawatts of solar radiation each year, which is more than 4 times the world's total annual energy consumption. - Solar energy has the potential to meet the world's increasing energy demands, which are expected to double by 2050. - With today's solar cell efficiencies, the United States' peak energy needs could be met with a solar farm covering an area less than 50 miles square, located in the desert southwest.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 8

    Solar Energy Primer

    The Earths surface receives about 89 petawatts(1015 W) of incoming


    solar radiation (insolation) 100 mW/cm2 = AirMass1.5 conditions

    In one year, the total solar energy absorbed by Earth's atmosphere,


    oceans and land is approximately 3,850 zettajoules (1021 J)

    More energy from sunlight strikes the earth in 1 hr (4


    (4.3x10
    3x1020 J) than all
    the energy consumed on the planet in 1 yr (4.1x1020 J in 2001)

    The world energy consumption rate was 13.5 terawatts (1012 W) in


    2001, and is expected to grow to 27 TW by 2050.

    The US consumption of total power (gas, electricity) was 3.34 TW in


    2005 The US electricity consumption was about 0
    2005.
    0.7
    7 TW (winter 2006
    20062007)

    A half day of sunlight (in winter) striking the US (9x1015 watts) can
    provide all the US energy for a year (29,000 TW-hr).
    JSK2008

    Solar Energy Primer

    Solar irradiance spectrum above atmosphere and at surface

    JSK2008

    Solar Energy Primer

    1 Gallon of Gas = 37 KW-h (125,000 BTUs in a gallon of gas divided


    by 3,400 BTUs in 1 KWH)

    1 Gallon of Gas = 500 hours of human work output (37 KWH in 1


    gallon of gas divided by human work output in agriculture of .074 KW)

    Sometimes energy units are in quads


    quads where 1 quad = 1quadrilion
    (1015) BTU (heat to raise 1 pound of water 1F) = 1.055 exajoules
    (1.055x1018 J) = 290 terawatt-hr

    The most efficient solar cells convert over 23% of illumination power to
    electric power (record is about 42%)

    JSK200
    8

    Solar Energy Primer

    The sale price of converted electrical energy should pay back the initial
    cost of the solar energy system over 30-yrs. At 10% efficiency, and
    $3/W (peak) (or $300 per m2) typical of Si-based modules, an
    electricity price of $0.35 /[kW-hr] is required

    At the end of 2007,


    2007 according to preliminary data
    data, cumulative global
    photovoltaic production was 12,400 megawatts

    The 14 MW Nellis Solar Power Plant is the largest solar photovoltaic


    system in North America, at Nellis Air Force Base northeast of Las
    Vegas. It generates 25 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and
    supplies
    pp
    25 p
    percent of the bases p
    power

    The world's largest photovoltaic (PV) power plant is a 60 MW unit in


    Spain

    JSK2008

    Solar Energy Primer

    Calculate land area needed to supply US electric peak power during


    daylight hours.

    Solar illumination under AM1.5 conditions is 1KW/m2. At 20% cell


    efficiency (sold by Sanyo in 2008), the available peak power is
    200W/m2. To obtain the US peak usage of 1 TW
    TW, we need: Area =
    peak power/ conversion density = 1 TW/0.2 KW/ m2 = 5x109 m2 =
    5x103 km2 = (71 km)2 = (44 mi)2 . This is 0.05% (not 3 % as in some
    t tb k !) off th
    textbooks!)
    the US lland
    d area off 9
    9,161,923
    161 923 SQ KM
    KM.

    So a region of south western desert, 44 miles square, would provide


    the US with p
    peak p
    power during
    g the day
    y ((about 6 hours).
    ) Maybe
    y
    quadruple this to get a full 24 hours worth, plus storage would be
    needed. Year 2008 module price is about $5/W (peak) with efficiency
    near 20% for Si
    Si-based
    based modules
    JSK2008

    Solar Energy Primer

    Photovoltaic cell cross section

    JSK2008

    Solar Energy Primer

    Reported timeline of solar cell energy conversion efficiencies (from


    National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA)

    JSK2008

    Solar Energy Primer - References

    Wikipedia that wonderful website.

    Powering the planet: Chemical challenges in solar energy utilization,


    Nathan S. Lewis and Daniel G. Nocera

    Nature, v. 443, 19-22 (7 September 2006), Solar energy: A new day


    dawning?: Silicon Valley sunrise
    sunrise, Oliver Morton
    Morton.

    JSK2008

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