Chapter 5 - Planning and modeling of solar energy systems

Abstract

The progress in industry of a country is linked with per capita energy consumption. Conventional energy sources are becoming extinct because of their exhaustive use and causing serious environmental damage. Renewable energy sources are replacing existing conventional power plants operated on fossil fuels. Solar energy is a renewable energy sources that has various advantages over other conventional and renewable energy sources. The source of solar energy is free and unexhausted. Solar energy can be extracted in different forms: solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, and solar lighting. This chapter discusses the planning and modeling of photovoltaic-based solar energy systems. Solar PV systems consist of solar PV modules as a source of energy, DC-DC power converters to boost up or buck down the voltages, and inverters to convert the DC power of PV modules into AC power to manage the load or feed the grid. The performance of the solar cells depends upon environmental parameters like solar irradiance and cell temperature. These parameters are not constant; they vary with the change in sun position and the cloudy seasons. The solar irradiance determines the short circuit current of the solar cell and the cell temperature determines the open-circuit voltage. The change in any of these parameters causes a change in power.