Solar Definition and 1000 Threads

Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination. Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect.Photovoltaics were initially solely used as a source of electricity for small and medium-sized applications, from the calculator powered by a single solar cell to remote homes powered by an off-grid rooftop PV system. Commercial concentrated solar power plants were first developed in the 1980s. As the cost of solar electricity has fallen, the number of grid-connected solar PV systems has grown into the millions and gigawatt-scale photovoltaic power stations are being built. Solar PV is rapidly becoming an inexpensive, low-carbon technology to harness renewable energy from the Sun. The current largest photovoltaic power station in the world is the Pavagada Solar Park, Karnataka, India with a generation capacity of 2050 MW.The International Energy Agency projected in 2014 that under its "high renewables" scenario, by 2050, solar photovoltaics and concentrated solar power would contribute about 16 and 11 percent, respectively, of worldwide electricity consumption, and solar would be the world's largest source of electricity. Most solar installations would be in China and India. In 2019, solar power generated 2.7% of the world's electricity, growing over 24% from the previous year. As of October 2020, the unsubsidised levelised cost of electricity for utility-scale solar power is around $36/MWh.

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  1. OtherRealm

    Solar Panel Wattage: Altitude Effects Explored

    At what altitude does a solar panel see a noticeable increase in wattage/cubic meter if it is lifted into the air? I understand the maximum is a bit over 1 kilowatt/meter2 at sea level (not actually converted to usable energy, this is much less and depends on the technology) but that this...
  2. K

    How to Calculate the Reaction Rate of Hydrogen Fusion in a Star?

    Homework Statement Find the reaction rate of a star purely of Hydrogen at temperature of 15MK, density of 150gm/cm^3, most of the reactions take place at R0=0.25R. Each reaction released energy of 25MeV Homework Equations This is the part I'm lacking. I've got the number of protons...
  3. S

    Calculating Cost Per Unit of Solar Energy from Data Sheet

    Homework Statement I don't know if this is a physics problem per se but its from physics class. So we were supposed to pick out a solar panel and figure out what is the cost per unit of energy for this form of solar energy? I know where supposed to use the data sheet for the panel that we...
  4. R

    Connecting different types of solar panels together

    Dear Experts I like to check with you , if I have 3 solar panels : 3v polycrystaline, 0.5v monocrystaline and other types of solar panel at 12v, and I connect them in series. Any side effects? Is it not advisable? I am assuming that there will be no problem and all the voltages will just...
  5. P

    Optimizing Solar Cell Design: Tips and Troubleshooting with Silvaco Athena Code

    Hey guys, 1. basically I am using the silvaco athena and i got some code to make the solar cell simulation. and my project is basically about designing pn junction in terms of the solar cell. kinda clueless of what are things that i need to modify in the code to make sure that i have a good...
  6. M

    Calculate Earth's Angular Momentum in Solar Orbit

    Homework Statement A)Calculate the magnitude of the angular momentum of the Earth in a circular orbit around the sun. B) Is it reasonable to model it as a particle? Yes, considering the size of the Earth in comparison of its orbit around the sun it is reasonable to model it is a particle...
  7. C

    Solar efficiencies of photovoltaics in relation to the band gap energies?

    I'm reading a paper on photovoltaic hydrogen production and the author claims that for reasonable solar efficiencies the band gap must be less than 2.0eV. This I understand. My question is how will it effect the photon absorption if the band gap is much smaller. Say the band gap energy is...
  8. R

    Solving the Solar Panel Debacle: Powering a 6V Battery with 4V Cells

    We are creating a solar device that locates the optimal position to gather sunlight, and then stores the light in an AGM battery that we have. We have a 6v battery and we ordered 4 6v solar cells. Unfortunately the 6v solar cells did not come in. There are 4v solar cells in one of the labs at...
  9. D

    Looking for advice on solar system integrator

    I've been building a solar system integrator using C++, OpenGL for graphics, Qt for UI and I would like some info about the choice of integrator. The project is at a pretty advanced stage now and I'm currently adding all moons since graphically it's doing well, I can move about the whole system...
  10. B

    Solar Technology for Residential Use

    Hi, I am a student at Lehigh University. I don't know if this is a appropriated place to post this, but I kind of need some help on this. In one of my project courses, I am placed in a team with students of various majors to develop a solar collector (not solar panel, but a solar dish) for...
  11. P

    Calculating Light Intensity from Sunlight for Solar Food Dehydrator

    Hi there, im doing school project regarding Solar Food Dehydrator. Can tell me what is the formula to calculate the light intensity from the sunlight?
  12. A

    Solar Spectrum: The source of sunlight

    What is the source of sunlight? The answer is Solar spectrum. Can anyone explain how the crimson color is created? actually what happen when the sunlight is created? Need help from the expert.
  13. M

    Building a solar cell - semiconductors

    Homework Statement Design a solar cell, designed to absorb solar light. Treat the sun as a blockbody source of T=5800K. To design the cell, you may grow 4 very thin semiconductors of the following bandgaps, in eV: 1.43, 1.14, 1.35, 0.67, 1.75, 2.4, 2.7, 0.42, 3.37 Which of these would you...
  14. R

    How Does a Small Solar Cell Achieve High Amperage?

    dear experts i saw a solar charger the size of an iphone that has high amperage rating of over 1000mA to 2000mA. Based on the solar cell size i estimate it to produce at most 250mA at around 5 volts. I like to know how the high amperageis derived. is it using super capacitors ? if...
  15. H

    Difference Between Solar proton event and Coronal mass Ejection

    Hi All Whenever there is a solar activity two things are mentioned, SPE, CME and X-ray. Does anyone know the difference between SPE and CME? I couldn't find a descriptive or convincing answer on these two. What particles are associated with CME, is X-ray a part of CME? And what effects could...
  16. R

    Solar panels - Direct charging and battery life

    Dear Experts There are solar charging devices in the market for electronic devices. These contain some electronics which I suppose is to regulate the power or as controller. Lets say I have a 6 volts device and I have a solar panel rated at 6v. If without any electronic controller...
  17. S

    Could a carbon planet have been formed in the solar system?

    Specifically, could Venus have otherwise formed as one, while leaving the rest of the structure of the solar system pretty much intact? Failing that, could one have formed anywhere in the solar system?
  18. J

    Solar golf cart electrical question

    I have a final year project which is to design and build a solar golf cart. I have system for the electrical part of the design in mind, I would just like some clearance on whether these components will actually work. Here goes, this is what i was thinking of: 1. 1 x 200W PV Panel 2. 1 x...
  19. Rob D

    Particles of the most recent Solar ejection.

    Could someone comment on the particle constituents of the most recent "solar storm". A look at the films of the SOHO observatory show very marked particle trails on the photo-active medium shortly after a large explosion of 1429. The print media made mention of two Earth observations, one of...
  20. F

    Could a major solar flare knock out nuclear reactor safety?

    I live in AZ so besides the "bubla" or whatever that stupid name is for a huge wall of dust we get that's crazy huge is about as bad as our weather gets. Basically Solar Flairs are the biggest threat to me and my dog, so its my the natural disaster of choice when thinking about different...
  21. StevieTNZ

    Huge solar flare heading for earth

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10790597 Will it be hitting all around the Earth, or only in particular areas? If anyone knows...
  22. S

    Solar panels and piezoelectric discs

    I'm making a circuit using piezoelectric discs and i wanted to attach solar panels in parallel as well in order to increase amperes of the circuit. However, when put in conjunction the piezoelectric discs seem to have no effect on the circuit, when previously they had been contributing 5 or more...
  23. F

    Understanding Solar Cell Specifications: Voltage, Current, and Efficiency

    Hello Forum, I am trying to perform a solar cell experiment. I went to several websites and they list their small solar cells panels as having an output of 0.5 volts, 100mA. The cell size is 1 3/4" X 1"... Does 0.5 V represent the open circuit voltage, when the cell receives the max...
  24. T

    Incident Solar radiation on an inclined surface

    Homework Statement Hey everyone, as part of a final year project I am looking at the economic feasibility of solar panels and whilst I have solar data for radiation intensity on flat surface, longitude (and plus or minus 15°) and 90° I am trying to find a calculation of intensity at any...
  25. N

    The proton flux in Solar System in keV range

    Dear Forum Users, I am looking for a database of proton fluxes. I have found already the SOHO database: http://umtof.umd.edu/pm/ but I need also the database for energy range of 1keV to 100 keV range. Does someone could send me some hints where to search? nykon
  26. S

    Why do neutrinos escape the sun's core faster than photons?

    Hi guys, I have a question about the difference in the time it takes a neutrino to escape the core of the sun compared to the time it takes a photon to escape from the core of the sun. Basically, my question is: what is the difference between photons and neutrinos that makes neutrinos very...
  27. L

    Calculating Solar Energy at Earth's Distance from the Sun

    i have to come up with expression that governs the rate of solar energy incident upon the Earth with radius of Earth, Re, power output of Sun 4*10^26 and distance from Earth to Sun as 1.5*10^11. But i have no idea how to get the expression HELP
  28. A

    Why the sun didn't absorb heavy elements from early solar system?

    Hi, ive been studying formation of solar system and couldn't find an explanation for why the sun didn't absorb heavy elements from early solar system? why they remained around the sun and formed planets and not get absorbed to the centre? thanks in advance
  29. D

    Can Calculus Prove Average Solar Irradiance is a Quarter of Total?

    Homework Statement I am trying to show that the average solar irradiance over Earth's surface is 1/4 of the total solar irradiance using only calculus. Homework Equations Solar Irradiance = S_{o} Irradiance = F = S_{o}cos(θ) The Attempt at a Solution Using geometry, I can easily...
  30. S

    What is the Maximum Error in Predicting Solar Eclipse Times on Jupiter?

    Solar Eclipse Problem (a math problem, not about astronomy) Homework Statement To a good approximation, Earth and Jupiter move around the Sun in circular orbits of 1.49 x 108 km and 7.79 x 109 km radius, respectively. What is the maximum error that can arise in the prediction of solar...
  31. E

    Anyone heard of the solar snake Solar system theory?

    Anyone heard of the "solar snake" Solar system theory? hello this is my first post and i am far from being a physicist or an astronomy major so please bear with me A friend sent me this link Mod note: link removed this man named Dr. Bhat wrote a book explaining how the solar system is not on...
  32. M

    Effects of Solar Flares on the Moon and Equiptment used for lunar exploration

    I would like to know what the effects of a solar flare would be on equiptment used for lunar exploration, say a robot to be specific. What kind effects would this have on the electrical system? I also read a NASA article describing a large solar flare that created a long enduring proton...
  33. E

    Could the solar system have formed directly on the site of a supernova?

    Hey guys. This is my first post here and I hope many more will follow. Now on to the topic at hand… I’ve been doing some research into the solar system’s formation and evolution. As many of you are probably aware, the solar system’s heavier elements are believed to be the remnants of a...
  34. S

    A few questions about light, solar panels, and electric currents.

    Hello, my name is Stefan and I am a twelfth grade high school student working on an extracurricular project which I will present and be ranked(individually; non-competitively) on. I hope to achieve the best possible score and plan to put a lot of work into it. I have a little over a month, which...
  35. T

    Do Solar Flares Increase Sunburn Risk?

    Hey all, I wake up with morning to find an email from spaceweather which says: EARTH-DIRECTED FLARE: Active sunspot 1401 erupted today, Jan. 19th, for more than an hour around 16:00 UT. The long-duration blast produced an M3-class solar flare and a CME that appears to be heading toward...
  36. N

    Moving solar panel produce more power than a stationary one

    Let us have a photo-voltaic circuit. The amount of emf induced in the photo-voltaic material is in direct proportion to the amount of photons(intensity) falling at it. Hence if we move the photo-voltaic material in a direction towards the source of the light, it must generate an increased emf...
  37. R

    Wysips transparent solar cell.

    Didnt einstein show that the work function depends on frequency not intensity? If so, than why does the Wysips cell use a magnifying array? Sorry i don't have a pic, but a diagram of the solar cell may be found using google images.
  38. M

    2012 disaster is solar activity

    One of the things that is supposedly possibly happening as a 2012 disaster is solar activity like flares or coronal mass ejections. This is a good possibility even if it's all hysteria. These events can supposedly theoretically take out electronics. If this happened we would be hurting because...
  39. Z

    Stargazing Coronal mass ejection arriving during a solar eclipse

    http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/9447/duo258.png Would a CME passing through the Moon's electrically conducting interior affect the Earth's magnetic field any differently than a CME that had not gone through the moon?
  40. R

    MPPT systems + Solar Panels major doubts

    I'm working in the Power Systems team of CubeSAT. It is concerned with building a small student satellite with dimensions of 10x10cm. Our basic block diagram is as follows Solar panels-> In parallel Shunt Regulator -> Buck Converter->PRU (MAX8934A)->DC-DC Converters->Loads The shunt...
  41. R

    What is the efficiency of solar energy in geosynchronous orbit?

    I have been trying to find some values for how much watts per square meter there is of energy on the ground due to the sun, but everywhere there are different values ranging from 100-1000 Watts so I have no clue of what to believe... And also are these values per second/minute/day? So however...
  42. Dotini

    Icy(?) Comet Survives Pasage thru Solar Corona

    http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2011/12/16/lovejoy_c3_anim2.gif http://spaceweather.com/ <--- archive December 17, 2011 In a rare curiosity of nature, Comet Lovejoy appears to transit the elevated temperatures of the solar corona, laughing off the sizzling encounter, seemingly even...
  43. Pengwuino

    Guesstimate my solar power potential

    I've been seriously considering uhm... telling my parents that they should put solar panels on their roof :P I wanted to get a decent estimation as to whether or not the idea is silly. What kind of things should I look into to determine whether or not this will be a financially viable option? We...
  44. E

    Why Asymmetrical Junctions are widely used in Solar Cells? What Advantages?

    Hello, I was investigating 'Asymmetrical P-N Junctions'. If the doping concentration of the P and N type semiconductors are different then the P-N junction they will form will be a asymmetrically doped Junction. I searched and come up with the fact that 95% of the solar cell structures are...
  45. I

    Questions on solar cell technology?

    Homework Statement I'm a sort of a newbie student studying solar cell for 2 months and having my test next week, so I've in need of help here! 1) Identify the majority and minority carriers in p-type silicon with n-type silicon solar cell? 2) Explain the term diffusion and drift current? 3)...
  46. C

    The mass of all interstellar gas and dust in our solar system

    I am a 17 year old high school student in Alabama, and after my astronomy test today, I decided to calculate the mass of all interstellar gas and dust in our solar system (under the assumption that the solar system extends to 55,000 AU in all directions) and I calculated the mass to be a...
  47. R

    Does Our Milky Way Stir Up Solar System Collisions?

    So I was talking with a guy last night who was trying to tell me this: Our galaxy is stirring up as it spins and this might cause another planet to come along and collide with earth. My first comment was that the stuff in the galaxy is all caught up in the same "stirring" motion, so it's not...
  48. H

    Silicon solar cell degradation due to solar fluxes

    I am trying to find the Absorbed dose for Silicon cells on a geostationary satellite from a period of (1996 to 2005) The Equation I have is: D(rad) = 1.68e-8 *((1/ρ)*dE/dx) * Phi Where: D is absorbed dose and units are (100 ergs/g or 0.01 J/Kg) (1/ρ)*dE/dx = (MeV*cm^2)/g...
  49. S

    Computation of Solar Position and Velocity Vectors (Meteor Orbit)

    I'm looking at some code from a book that details uses the heliocentric position and velocity to compute an orbit of a meteor. See attached pages. At the top of the section at mid-page, page 37, he gives a source, Herget, 1953, Solar Coordinates 1800-2000. The book was written in the...
  50. S

    Designing a Solar Oven for Denture Moulds

    Hello I am designing a solar oven that will be used to form denture moulds. My thoughts are designing an insulated box with a doubloe pane glass double creating a green house effect. But i would like to incorporate solar panels and a wired heated filament. My question is what is the...
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