Photo Voltaic:
A photovoltaic (PV) module is a packaged,
connected assembly of solar cells. Each module is rated by its DC output power under standard test conditions (STC), and typically ranges
from 100 to 365 watts. A single solar module can produce only a limited
amount of power; most installations contain multiple modules. A photovoltaic
system typically includes a panel or an array of solar modules, a solar
inverter, and sometimes a battery and/or solar
tracker and interconnection
wiring.
Most solar modules are mostly produced from crystalline silicon (c-Si). Solar cells made of Poly crystalline and Mono crystalline silicon. However, emerging solar technologies use advanced Thin-film cells. They produce a
relatively high-efficiency conversion for the low cost compared to other solar
technologies.
Mono crystalline PV module:
Solar PV cells used in this type are made of Single crystalline material (mono - Si). These are made into wafers from the cylindrical silicon ingots and typical appears in a dark black color before making into a cell.
Mono crystalline
silicon Solar PV module
Advantages:
- Mono crystalline solar panels have the highest efficiency rates since they are made out of the highest-grade silicon. The efficiency rates of mono crystalline solar panels are typically 15-20%. But the recent advancements in the manufacturing industries can have higher efficiencies.
- A mono crystalline is more efficient in converting solar energy into electricity per sq meter area than a multi-crystalline PV. Thus the space required for the same amount of wattage is less in mono crystalline PV panel. Thus it is costlier than a multi-crystalline PV.
- During low light conditions they perform better than the multi crystalline modules.
Disadvantages:
- Mono crystalline solar panels are the most expensive. In a financial view, a solar panel that is made of polycrystalline silicon (and in some cases thin-film) can be a better choice for some residential applications.
- Mono crystalline solar panels tend to be
more efficient in warm weather. Performance suffers as temperature
rises, but less than polycrystalline solar panels.
Poly Crystalline PV Modules:
These modules consisting cells which are based on polycrystalline silicon, known as poly silicon (p-Si) and multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si). The manufacturing involves raw silicon is melted and poured into a square mold, which is cooled and cut into perfectly square wafers. It is identifiable by its signature light or dark blue color, but not uniformly so, some patches are lighter than others. The differences appear as a result of the manufacturing process.
Poly crystalline
silicon Solar PV module
Advantages:
- The manufacturing process is simple and
cost effective. The amount of
waste silicon is less compared to mono crystalline.
- Polycrystalline solar panels tend to have slightly lower heat tolerance than mono crystalline solar panels. Which means they perform slightly worse than mono crystalline solar panels in high temperatures. Heat can affect the performance of solar panels and shorten their lifespans. However, this effect is minor and will not be a problem for residential users. A good way to separate mono & polycrystalline solar panels is that polycrystalline solar cells look perfectly rectangular with no rounded edges.
Disadvantages:
- The efficiency of polycrystalline-based
solar panels is typically 13-16%. Because of lower silicon purity, polycrystalline solar panels
are not quite as efficient as mono crystalline solar panels.
- Lower space-efficiency. User generally need to cover a larger surface to get the same
electrical power as he would with a solar panel made of mono crystalline
silicon. However, this does not mean every mono crystalline solar panel performs
better than those based on polycrystalline silicon.
Thin – film PV module:
A thin-film solar cell is made by depositing one or more thin layers or thin film (TF) of photovoltaic material on a substrate, such as glass, plastic or metal. Thin-film solar cells are commercially used in several technologies like,- Cadmium telluride (Cd- Te)
- Copper indium gallium Diselenide (CIGS)
- Amorphous thin-film silicon (A-Si, TF-Si).
Cadmium
telluride (Cd-Te): Cadmium telluride (Cd-Te) is the predominant thin film technology consists about 5 percent
of worldwide PV production, it accounts for more than half of the thin film
market. The cell's lab efficiency has also increased significantly in recent
years and is on a par with CIGS thin film and close to the efficiency of
multi-crystalline silicon as of 2013. Cd-Te has the lowest Energy payback time of all
mass-produced PV technologies, and can be as short as eight months in favorable
locations.
- A prominent manufacturer is the US-company First Solar based in Tempe, Arizona, that produces Cd-Te panels with an efficiency of about 14 percent at a reported cost of $0.59(Rs. 36) per watt.
Copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS): CIGS cells are made up of copper, indium, gallium, selenide (CIGS), while gallium-free variants of the semiconductor material are
abbreviated CIS. With a lab-efficiency above 20 percent, shares 2% in the
overall PV market in 2013.
Amorphous thin-
film silicon:
Amorphous silicon (a-Si) is a non-crystalline, allotropic form of silicon and the most
well-developed thin film technology to-date. Thin-film silicon is an
alternative to conventional wafer (or bulk) crystalline silicon.
Silicon-based devices exhibit fewer problems than Cd-Te and CIS such as
toxicity and humidity issues with Cd-Te cells and low manufacturing yields of
CIS due to material complexity.
Thin film Solar PV modules
Advantages:
- Thin-film technology has always been cheaper than conventional c-Si technology (almost 10 times less).
- Homogeneous appearance is made possible, lower manufacturing cost.
Disadvantages:
- Present disadvantages, such as low-conversion efficiencies and requiring larger areas of PV arrays and more material (cables, support structures) to produce the same amount of electricity.
- Lab tests reports that somewhat faster degradation compared to conventional PV, while a lifetime of 20 years or more is generally expected.
Solar PV module
important characteristics:
- Rated power (Wp) at STC: This is the maximum output power of the module during standard test conditions, this rating is provided at the back of the module. Standard Test conditions: STC conditions are given by NEC (National Electro technical commission) refers to the irradiance, Temperature, Air mass values. Typical values are 1000W/m2, 250C, AM (Air mass) = 1.5.
- Type of cell: The type of the cell used in the module, for the price stand point this is very important as price varies with the different existing models like mono – Si, Poly – Si, thin film.
- Cell efficiency (%): It is the energy conversion rate of the Solar cell, usually it is always greater than Module efficiency (in a general case cell efficiency would be 25%).
- Module efficiency (%): It is defined as the ratio of electrical equivalent of the irradiance input to the output of the module, in short it gives the energy conversion rate of a module which is very important in selecting module, the higher the efficiency results higher output.
Eg: If the module (1mX1m) is able to generate 200W as it is getting
1000 W/sq.m irradiation from the sun, then the module efficiency is taken as 20%.
- Rated Tolerance (+ or - %): It is range based on which the PV module perform. The range can varies up to +10% to -10% which means a 200 Wp module can actually produce 180 Wp (Under perform) to 220 Wp (over perform).
- NOCT data: The data of the module (performance) at normal operating cell temperatures.
- Capacity factor (%): It is the average power delivered over a year compared to the rated power. It is a measure of the actual output compared to the output it could deliver. It will be less than 100% always because
1. Variations in irradiance levels.
2. Performance lag due to maintenance
(dust).
- Max Power temp coefficient (% per 0C): It is the decrement of output power of the module due to the temperature rise.
Electrical Equivalent of a solar Module:
Generally solar
module has two output terminals produces V and I.
- Iph is the output current from the cell. It depends on the area (A), intensity of incoming light & response factor.
- Id is the leakage current (due to recombination of charges inside the cell).
- Rp & Rs are the resistances due to the parallel and series connections of the cell.
· As Module
consists of no of cells connected series and parallel,
V= output voltage of the cell is
given by (Np x Voltage of each cell), where Np is the no. of cells connected in
series.
I = Output current of the cell is
given by (Ns x Current produced by each cell), where Ns is the no. of cells
connected in parallel.
PV module I-V characteristics:
In the
following graph, Y- Axis determines the current and X- Axis determines voltage
of a solar module. The maximum points on Y and X axes give the Short circuit current
and open circuit voltage of the module.
- ISC is the short circuit current at full load (shorting the end terminals and measuring the current through it).
- VOC is the open circuit voltage at no load (measuring the voltage across the open terminals of the module).
- As the current (I) always depends on the irradiance parameter, also it depends on the temperature of the cell.
- Module Voltage (V) also depends on the temperature (as the module have Rp & Rs resistances which are the negative temperature coefficient elements and as temperature goes up Rp and Rs decreases).
- As Rp decreases (non-linearly) Current through it increases, Voltage of the module falls accordingly. Similarly as Rs decreases (non-linearly) current through it increases results in increased output current.
I-V, Power-Voltage characteristics of solar module STC
MPPT (Maximum power point tracking):
It is the mechanism employed in solar PV system which makes the panel to output the maximum power at every instant; however the maximum power does depends on the conditions (irradiation, temperature) at that moment.- Vmpp is the voltage of the module, Impp is the current of the module at which maximum power generation is possible, however these parameters always depends on the respective conditions (irradiation, temperature).
- For any characteristic curve, the voltage (Vmpp), current (Impp) are always less than Voc, Isc.
MPP analysis from V-I characteristics
Solar PV Datasheet:
The
following link directs to the Technical datasheet of a module.(company-Tata
solar power)
Solar panels pricing:
From the solar PV industry, cost of a PV module (just
the panel) costs anywhere between Rs 30 to Rs 60 per watt of power generated
(depending on the quantity you are buying). A good imported module will cost
around Rs 40-45 per watt (for bulk transactions, not for retail). Good ones
manufactured in India would come as low as Rs 30-32 per watt (for bulk
transactions, not for retail).
Here is the Price list example of a particular company
which gives an idea of the price per Watt of solar module.
Products
|
Inputs / Watt
|
Price / INR
|
Special SPV Mono
|
180W / 190W
|
Rs. 34/W
|
Special SPV Multi
|
230W,240W, 245W, 280W,290W
|
Rs. 32/W
|
SPV Mono
|
10W
|
Rs. 53/W
|
SPV Mono
|
20W – 30W
|
Rs. 43/W
|
SPV Mono
|
30W – 300W
|
Rs. 41/W
|
SPV Multi
|
10W
|
Rs. 50/W
|
SPV Multi
|
20W – 30W
|
Rs. 40/W
|
SPV Multi
|
30W – 300W
|
Rs. 38/W
|
Thin Film Multi SPV
|
100W
|
Rs. 32/W
|
Solar PV manufacturers:
Following
are the reputed international PV manufacturers (information based on 2015 yr
data.)
Name of the Comapany
|
Country
|
Bosch
|
Germany
|
Bp solar
|
Spain/Australia
|
Green shine new energy
|
USA
|
Canadian solar
|
Canada
|
China solar
|
China
|
Conergy
|
Germany
|
Delsolar
|
Taiwan
|
E-Ton solar
|
Taiwan
|
Evergreen solar
|
USA/Germany/China
|
First Solar
|
USA/Germany/Malaysia
|
Gintech
|
Taiwan
|
Grape Solar
|
USA
|
Isofoton
|
Spain
|
JA solar holdings
|
China
|
Just Solar Co. Ltd
|
China
|
Kyocera
|
Japan
|
Mitsubishi Electric
|
Japan
|
Mitsubishi Heavy
|
Japan
|
Motech
|
Taiwan/China
|
MX Group
|
Italy
|
Neo solar Power
|
Taiwan
|
Ningbo Solar Electric
|
China
|
Photowatt
|
France
|
Photovoltech NV
|
Belgium
|
Q-Cells
|
Germany/Malyasia
|
Renewable Energy Corporation
|
Norway
|
Panasonic
|
Japan
|
Schott Solar
|
Germany/USA
|
Sharp
|
Japan
|
Solarday
|
Italy
|
Solarpark Korea
|
South korea
|
Solar World
|
Germany/USA
|
Solland
|
Netherlands
|
SunPower
|
USA/Malaysia
|
Suntech
|
China
|
Sunways
|
Germany
|
Trina Solar
|
China
|
United solar ovonic
|
USA
|
Vikram Solar
|
India
|
Yingli
|
China
|
Here is the
list of reputed Indian PV
manufacturers list:
S. No
|
Name of the Company
|
Manufacturing Capacity
(MW)
|
Technology
|
1
|
TATA SOLAR POWER
|
200
|
Polycrystalline
|
2
|
LANCO SOLAR
|
75
|
Polycrystalline/silicon
ingots/wafers
|
3
|
VIKRAM SOLAR
|
500
|
Polycrystalline
|
4
|
WAREE
|
250
|
Mono/Poly crystalline
|
5
|
MOSER BAER
|
185/200/50
|
Crystalline cells
&modules /Thinfilm modules
|
6
|
INDO SOLAR
|
450
|
Mono/Poly crystalline
|
7
|
WEBSOL ENERGY SYSTEM
|
120
|
Monocrystalline
|
8
|
XL ENERGY LTD.
|
25
|
Polycrystalline
|
9
|
EMVEE
|
135
|
Mono/Poly crystalline
|
10
|
SOLAR SEMICONDUCTOR PV LTD.
|
195
|
Mono/poly crystalline
|
11
|
PHOTON ENGERGY
|
50
|
Mono/Poly crystalline
|
12
|
SWELECT ENGERGY SYSTEMS
|
40+
|
Mono/Poly crystalline
|
13
|
SURAN VENTURES LTD
|
130
|
Mono/Poly crystalline
|
14
|
PREMIER SOLAR
|
50
|
Mono/Poly crystalline and
thinfilm
|
15
|
JUPITER SOLAR
|
130
|
Poly crystalline
|
16
|
TITAN ENERGY
|
110
|
Mono/Poly crystalline
|
17
|
HHV SOLAR
|
100
|
Mono/poly crystalline
|
18
|
CENTRAL ELECTRONICS INDIA
|
40
|
Crystalline Silicon
|
19
|
ACCESS SOLAR
|
80
|
Mono/poly crystalline
|
* Note: The above information may subject to vary without any notice and we will be not responsible for such happenings.
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