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.

View More On Wikipedia.org
Recent contents Top users
  1. parshyaa

    B Understanding the Mystery of Sunlight Bending During a Solar Eclipse

    during solar eclipse , moon's shadow on Earth is almost a point [267 km which is a 0.00000523 % of Earth's surface area] which means that sun light must bend, if it is not bending then we would never get a point shadow of moon on earth. now the question arises why sun light bends, is it a...
  2. petrushkagoogol

    I Disequilibrium of the solar system

    As the Sun's supply of hydrogen gradually gets exhausted gravity takes over and predominates over fusion energy. As this happens does the equilibrium of the solar system gets distorted, and if so is there a cut-off point for the same ? o0)
  3. W

    I Solar physics: coronal holes & sunspot cycles

    Does anyone know if there is a relationship between corneal holes and the sunspot cycle? As we move in now towards solar minimum should we expect to see a big decline in corona holes? I have noticed a lot less sun spots over the last few months but the frequency of coronal holes seems to be...
  4. W

    Solar Panel System Troubleshooting - Charging Battery

    Have built a small solar panel system to power some garden LED lights. However, I am having trouble with charging the battery. Lights work for 1 night then off for 2-3 days. System is: 20w solar panel, 12v 30a pwm solar charge controller, 12v 18ah battery powering 6x3w LED Cree lights with...
  5. E

    B Solar cell educational graphics - review for possible errors

    Hi, Jake here. I've created some graphics about solar cells that covers high level, general info and even delves into some atomic-level subjects. However, I'm no physicist and I'm sure it shows. If any of you could take a quick look at my work and review for errors, that would be awesome. My...
  6. C

    Capacitor charging above solar cell voltage?

    This has been confusing me a lot lately. I built a type of battery derived from a solar cell that outputs a constant voltage of 0.5 Volts. My original plan was to work out a method to boost this voltage to around 1V to power a joule thief and light an LED using a capacitor charged by the cell...
  7. I

    Python Is Leapfrog the best choice for N-body simulations?

    Hey guys! Working on a side project using machine learning and n-body simulations. I could just use the library Rebound (http://rebound.readthedocs.io/en/latest/) but I decided to first try building my own simulator before taking shortcuts. Simulation uses the masses of the bodies (from Sun...
  8. S

    What determines generated voltage and current in solar cell?

    I know illumination, bandgap of the material, temperature, quantum efficiency all have an effect on the current and voltage of a solar cell. But what about the doping, and the generation and concentration of charge carriers? A semiconductor can only generate a finite number of charge carriers...
  9. S

    Role of Quantum Mechanics and Thermodynamics in solar cell?

    What is the role of Quantum Mechanics and Thermodynamics in solar cell operation? Is quantum mechanics the photovolatic effect, and thermodynamics the cell efficiency?
  10. CaptainAtom1996

    Have you ever repaired a violin before?

    Hello all! So, my father works as a general contractor (I would work for him over the summers during high school). Being that we live in some what of a rural area, for some of our jobs we would be limited to bringing a gasoline powered generator to run all of our electrical needs until we were...
  11. S

    Calculating the output temperature of a Solar Thermal system

    So say I have a PV-Thermal array and assuming standard test conditions. How would I calculate the temperature of the water coming out of the system? The thermal output of the system is 67.5kWp with a maximum flow rate of 65L/h. Approximately 500m of 3/4" pipes.
  12. P

    How does the solar wind affect Earth's atmosphere?

    In the past many of us have read Mr Faraday calculated the “weight” of photon’s striking the surface of the Earth per acre at something like 4 and ½ ounces. Today, frequently we hear stories on the subject of the Sun's solar wind and how it is tearing away the Martian atmosphere and even...
  13. S

    What different types of on-grid solar systems are there?

    What different types of on-grid solar systems are there? I got asked this question but I don't know what makes on-grid solar systems different from each other. They are both tied to the grid / utility company. The only two types I can think of are rooftop solar system (for homes, offices...
  14. S

    Which Solar Setup is Best for a Zero-Feed Tariff Family Home?

    For an economical PV system, with zero-feed in tariff, for a family home, with no one at home during the day time, the best setup option would be: (some components might be in another) 1) PV, batteries, charge controller, inverter 2) PV, MPP tracker, batteries, charge controller, inverter 3)...
  15. S

    What equipment is needed for illuminated I-V measurements of a solar cell?

    What equipment is needed for illuminated I-V measurements of a solar cell? light source, 2 multimeters light source, 2 multimeters, variable resistor, voltage source light source of variable intensity, 2 multimeters, irradiance meter Light source, 2 multimeters, variable resistor PV analyser...
  16. B

    A Is Solar Wind Formed by Planetary Resonance and Solar Cycles?

    so the solar wind is the result of resonance of orbiting planets, and solar cycles too, after this paper [Link to crackpot paper deleted]
  17. S

    Irradiance and Isc and Voc of a solar cell

    When irradiance increases what happens to open circuit voltage and short circuit current of a solar cell? Do they both increase linearly? Because temperature affects open circuit voltage, so I'd assume open circuit voltage doesn't increase linearly then...
  18. S

    Current in a solar cell when temperature increases?

    What happens to current in a solar cell when temperature increases? I found two sources with different information. 1) As solar panel temperature increases, its output current increases exponentially while the voltage output is reduced linearly.' 2) Whereas, this second website says short...
  19. S

    Looking for help calculating daily solar PV insolation

    I would like to write a simple (as possible) programme in Python for a Raspberry Pi that will calculate & display for each day the peak solar insolation +/- say 1 hour to display this 2 hour time window and a green LED or similar visual or audible indicator that now is a good time to run the...
  20. Stefen

    B Da Vinci's flying machine meets solar sail?

    so the question has been previously answered as to what would happen if a fan was in the vacuum of space. but the responses I seen all ask what the fan would push on or up against. what if the fan where to push against light? solar sails are able to have a force push against them in space?
  21. J

    Integrating the solar wind equation

    Hi, eveyone have been struggling to do this problem for a long time now, figured it is something very simple I am missing so thought I should ask here. 1. Homework Statement Parker's solar wind equation is given after some manipulation as: (v - (Cs2 / v) dv/dr = 2 (Cs2 / r2) (r - rc ) where...
  22. S

    I Spectral Sensitivity and Solar Energy

    I'm trying to understand the link between Spectral Sensitivity and Solar Energy. To give some context, I've been learning about external quantum efficiency and spectral response. I found a lot of literature about spectral sensitivity, with one saying the units of it were Ampres / lux. Is...
  23. A

    I Pluto's interaction with solar wind

    Do you think that new discoveries about how Pluto interacts with the solar wind suggests that Pluto should be reclassified as a planet?
  24. S

    Efficiency of a PV module and solar thermal collector

    Does the efficiency of a PV module and solar thermal collector go down as ambient temperature (outside temperature) increases? I know there are other factors that influence efficiency, but I'm only considering the one parameter of temperature on a PV module and solar thermal collector.
  25. jim hardy

    Is it practical to generate all US power by solar PV?

    In another PF thread it was proposed to build a centralized PV farm of 1000 gigawatts , which is the order of magnitude of US installed generating capacity. It'd cover 1/10 the area of New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada. √ (10%of 896815 km^2) = 299.5 km per side, 186 miles per side, not...
  26. mishima

    Exploring the Modulation of Laser Light on Solar Cells

    Hi, we set up a cheap laser pointer bouncing off a mirror that was hot-glued onto a balloon stretched over the end of a coffee can. The reflected light hit a cheap 3x5 solar cell that was plugged into a stereo's microphone jack. A person could speak into the can and their voice would be heard...
  27. Borg

    Stargazing U.S. Solar Eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017

    I've been waiting for this for a long time and it's just a little more than a year away now. This will be the opportunity of a lifetime for people in the U.S. The 2017 solar eclipse will be visible across the width of the entire U.S! The points of Greatest Eclipse and Greatest Duration are...
  28. Jeffb47

    Converting torque to electricity

    We have a solar tracking device that uses phase change of paraffin wax when heated inside a solar receiver. With a helical slot in a torque tube we can translate the expansion into rotational motion. We use this rotation to point solar panels at the sun, thus generating more electricity. Look...
  29. G

    Using Solar panels for energy conversion?

    Hi guys I am working on a project in which i use solar panels to drive a pair of headphones my main question is what kind of solar panels would you guys recommend? that could help with this kind of project
  30. S

    Does the Sun's Movement Create a Solar System Vortex Motion?

    Hey everyone, I'm new to the Physics Forum, so this is my first post. I heard somewhere that the Sun moves through space at a certain velocity. If that is true, then wouldn't the Solar System be a system of vortex motion, and not simply gravity being a centripetal force holding the planets...
  31. H

    B Will Solar Roads Ever Be Profitable?

    Thought this was interesting. Wonder if it will be profitable enough to upscale. http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681562/solar-roads-charging-roads-and-the-future-of-transportation
  32. K

    I Calculated solar irradiation not matching up with measured

    Hi all! I'm trying to build up a solar model, using real-world data where available, and filling in the weak low and high frequency extremes of the spectrum with a simple blackbody curve. All well and good. But when I apply Planck's law to the known data it goes awry! Here's what I'm working...
  33. Steve619

    How Can I Efficiently Build a Solar Phone Charger with Nimh and Lipo Batteries?

    Hello. I am building a solar phone charger and have decided to use 3 Nimh batteries, a 5/6 v solar panel, a usb 5V rectifier and also a Lipo credit card rechargeable cell. My reasoning is limited for this build as the more I read, the more conflicting info I find... (Eg, charging AA batteries...
  34. lasisdabomb

    Cotton Insulation vs Glad Wrap Bag for solar water heater?

    Hello Physics Forum. I have to complete a solar water heater project for school and choosing between what would be better for the insulation of a tin reservoir. I'm leaning towards the glad wrap bag because it will let more light hit our reservoir. However it will be a quite windy day and cotton...
  35. S

    A Solar drive / neutron atmosphere

    I am wondering, if the sun is a fusion reactor, it should have an "atmosphere" of neutrons ? So presumably a craft with suitable fuel eg boron or uranium, in a close pass, would be able to use that to react with the fuel in a suitable drive ? Probably not good for humans - (!) but for an...
  36. Clancy John

    Charging a capacitor using a 4V solar panel

    Will a 4V solar panel connected to a 100V rated capacitor stop charging the cap at 4V or will the cap keep pulling ad infinitum? Seems like the capacitor has no knowledge of the notion "I am full so stop drawing current" else they would not get destroyed if the solar panel was 500V instead. I...
  37. Physicist50

    Solar Cells & Refractive Index

    Hi there, I have recently been researching in depth solar cells/panels, the parameters of their efficiency and the photoelectric effect in general, specifically how different wavelengths of light affect it. My research has yielded a few facts; that the efficiency of standard silicon solar cells...
  38. F

    Solar thermal collectors in parallel

    I am using TRYNSYS software to simulate solar thermal cooling. I need to install many solar thermal panels (evacuated tubes) in parallel. However, there is no feature to do that automatically in the software; so I can only add them manually with complex piping and stuff. So my question is: Is...
  39. A

    Calculating temperature rise due to solar insolation

    Homework Statement (This is not a homework problem, just something I'm curious about.) Assuming ideal conditions (clear skies, a flat landscape, no wind, anything else you can think of), is it possible to calculate how much the temperature (at 2 meters above the ground, as per meteorological...
  40. N

    Centripetal forces in our solar system

    i calculated the centripetal forces in our solar system but i can't seem to find a connection using the centripetal force formula: Fmpz=(m⋅v2)/r i found out that the mean centripetal force for the planets around the sun is about 10^39, the mean centripetal of the moons around Jupiter is about...
  41. N

    Quantum What Are the Best Books on Photovoltaic Mechanisms?

    i want a list of books related to photovoltaics specifically the ones related to the mechanism
  42. E

    A Question about Radiance, Solar Flux and Reflectance

    I stumbled upon this equation for a Lambertian uniform target: ##\rho^{*} = \frac{\pi L}{\mu_s E_s}##, where ##\rho^{*}## is the reflectance, ##L## is the measured radiance, ##E_s## is the solar flux at the top of the atmosphere, and ##\mu_s## is the cosine of the sun zenith angle...
  43. A

    How Does Turbulence Restore the Poloidal Magnetic Field in Solar Reversals?

    Hello everyone I have a question: I know what alpha/omega dinamo is, and I think I have understood how this model explains Joy's law and Hale's law, but I don't get how it allows the magnetic field to become poloidal again (after having become toroidal due to differential rotation) and with the...
  44. caters

    Is Kepler Bb's Unique Solar System the Most Complex in the Universe?

    Solar system: Double binary star(2 binary stars in a quadruple star system) Kepler A: A big blue star. It is bigger than all the other stars in the double binary system. It will however last longer than our sun just like the other 3 stars will. Kepler B: This is a green star(The green star...
  45. W

    What are the negligible forces in the solar system besides gravity?

    I read somewhere that on the scale of the solar system, all forces except gravity are negligible. I can't think of any forces except gravity that would be acting on the planets... what are these other negligible forces?
  46. G

    Solar Sail/ Mirror Redshift & Blueshift

    Hi all, I was hoping you could help me out with this one. Im trying to calculate the redshift or blueshift of a photon that strikes a mirror and reflects. I know E=pc, and that 2p is the momentum transfer. I also know that kinetic energy is 2p/M (of the mirror). However, this says that...
  47. C

    Another Travesty of Science - Rejecting Solar Panels For....

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-town-rejects-solar-panels-amid-fears-they-suck-up-all-the-energy-from-the-sun-a6771526.html Sometimes you don't know whether to laugh or to cry.
  48. S

    Writing: Input Wanted Building a Sci-Fi Fantasy Solar System & Planet

    I'm hoping that some of you brilliant scientists can help me understand the realities of a world that I'm building for a story in a distant solar system... I’m building a sci-fi world for a story that takes place on a distant planet that is multiple times the size of earth, but hosts similar...
  49. |Glitch|

    A possible super-Earth or Brown Dwarf in our Solar System

    Below is the arXiv free reprint being referenced by the above magazine article. Ironically, they were using ALMA in order to attempt to confirm the exoplanet previously found orbiting Alpha Centauri B when this object was discovered. The brighter the object the more likely it would have been...
  50. Dr Wu

    How Resilient Are Martian Shelters to X-Class Solar Flares?

    Hi I've not seen "The Martian" yet, but I have followed some of the online comments about the supposed radiation levels the film's protagonist would experience whilst stranded on Mars. By "radiation", I assume this to comprise of the solar wind and cosmic rays, both of which, I gather - aside...
Back
Top