Solar Generation System

All About Solar Generation System

SUN and Humankind

Sunshine Of Australia

Sun truley shines in Australia because:

10th sunniest country in the world.
Australia experiences on average 3500 hours of sunshine per year
Northern Australia exhibits high solar power capacity with irradiation levels ranging from 450-500 W/m²,
Eastern Australia is also projected to experience 5% increased solar resource availability due to a rise in clear-sky days.
Estimated 10.8 Million homes in Australia, have been solarized.
Percentage of households in Australia that have solar panels is 36.05%

Sun has been a symbol of power since ancient times.

People used to worship sun because of the awe and grandeur it inspired.

It was understood by ancient civilizations that sun played a very pivotal role in human life.

Ancient civilizations revered sun for its ability to illuminate earth, for its grandeur and for its ability to give life.

What is needed to be a part of Australian Solar Dream?

Below is a comprehensive explanation of all the components involved in solar PV generation system to get you pumped and reedy to embark of your solar journey.

Solar Panels

Solar Panels are the first and most important element of this electricity generation system. Energy from sun can be converted to electricity through photovoltaic devices called Solar PV cells or solar Panels in short.

A typical panel consist of silicon wafer covered by protective glass, with complete assembly encased in a metallic frame.
Solar Panels are semi-conductor based circuits that are energized by the photons in sunlight and harvest that energy into useable electricity.
The efficiency of conversion from solar energy to electricity is dependent on quality of semiconductor wafer and its temperature.
Solar panels are classified based on their rated power output in Watts and Solar Panel efficiency takes a dip as temperature rises.

Solar Panels consists of semiconductor wafers consisting of charge carriers that can be activated when sunlight shines on the panel.
Photons of light contain energy from sun, on striking the silicon wafer they transfer that energy to charge carriers inside silicon wafers.
These charge carriers begin to flow inside the wafer resulting in formation of direct current (DC).
This flow of charges, called current can be utilized directly in operating any DC appliance or can be stored in a battery backup system for later use.

Know All About Solar Panels

Solar Inverters

Inverters are a power electronics device that converts DC electricity to AC electricity at desired frequency and voltage level. There is huge difference in nature of each electricity and appliances are designed to be operable for a particular system. Modern inverters have several protective features also embedded making them smart and extremely crucial in solar electricity generation system.

Conventional electricity grid supplies alternating current (AC) electricity.
Electricity generated by solar panels is direct current (DC).
To ensure appliance operation DC electricity from panels has to be converted to AC which can be performed by a device called inverter

ON Grid inverters convert solar panel generation from DC to AC and integrate it directly with electricity grid.
OFF Grid inverters convert DC energy from solar panels to AC for direct consumption on the premises.
Hybrid Reaps benefits of both worlds allows direct consumption of solar energy as well as option to connect with grid.

Know All About Solar Inverters

Solar Batteries

A battery is a device which converts electrical energy into chemical energy and vice versa. It is like a tiny chemical factory where electrons are produced and pushed through a wire to power something like a light bulb; think of it like a “chemical fuel” that can be used to create electricity on demand, with the positive and negative terminals acting as the “outlet” to access that power.

Read about available battery types according to battery chemistry. Lithium ion is most common type used for solar systems but its better to learn about all available options and choose what suits your needs.
Choose a battery setup that is modular in nature such that it can be expandable as per need in future.

Prices of solar batteries greatly differ depending on several factors with higher costs for premium options.
Manufacturing process of batteries and their network management can also add to cost of similar batteries.

Solar Racking and Mounting System

Although not directly a part of solar energy generation system but an important auxiliary component is the racking & mounting system.

Racking and mounting system ensures that solar panels are securely placed at an optimum location in the premises to extract maximum energy from sun.
Ground based racking and mounting is similar to elevated system ensuring proper alignment and angles that maximize exposure to sun.

Roof mounted racking and mounting comes in two forms: Flat system or Elevated system.
Flat system lies flat clinging to the rooftop with minor alignments to ensure maximum exposure to sun.
Elevated system although more costly, can be aligned or angled irrespective of roof to maximize exposure to sun.