Photovoltaics

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Solar panel
Solar panel
Photovoltaic 'tree' in Styria, Austria
Photovoltaic 'tree' in Styria, Austria

Photovoltaics, or PV for short, is a solar power technology that uses solar cells to convert energy from the sun into electricity. Photovoltaics is also the field of study relating to this technology.

Total peak power of installed solar photovoltaic arrays worldwide was around 5,300 MW at the end of 2005 and grid-tied systems represented the largest growth area.

Unlike fossil fuel based technologies, solar photovoltaic power does not lead to any harmful emissions during operation, but the production of the modules leads to some pollution.

Contents

[edit] Current development

Photovoltaic cells produce electricity directly from sunlight
Photovoltaic cells produce electricity directly from sunlight
Average solar irradiance, watts per square metre. Note that this is for a horizontal surface, whereas solar panels are normally propped up at an angle and receive more energy per unit area.
Average solar irradiance, watts per square metre. Note that this is for a horizontal surface, whereas solar panels are normally propped up at an angle and receive more energy per unit area.
Map of solar electricity potential in Europe
Map of solar electricity potential in Europe

Solar cells produce direct current electricity from the sun’s rays, which can be used to power equipment or to recharge a battery. Many pocket calculators incorporate a solar cell.

When more power is required than a single cell can deliver, cells are generally grouped together to form “PV modules”, or solar panels, that may in turn be arranged in arrays. Such solar arrays have been used to power orbiting satellites and other spacecraft and in remote areas as a source of power for applications such as roadside emergency telephones, remote sensing, and cathodic protection of pipelines. The continual decline of manufacturing costs leads to cost-effective uses including roadsigns, home power generation and even grid-connected electricity generation.

[edit] Worldwide installed photovoltaic totals

Total peak power of installed solar panels is around 5,300 MW as of the end of 2005. (IEA statistics appear to be under-reported: they report 2,600 MW as of 2004, which with 1,700 installed in 2005 would be a cumulative total of 4,300 for 2005). The three leading countries (Japan, Germany and the USA) represent 90% of the total worldwide PV installations.

Installed PV Power as of the end of 2005[1]
Country PV Capacity
Cumulative Installed in 2005
Off-grid PV [kW] Grid-connected [kW] Total [kW] Total [kW] Grid-tied [kW]
Japan 87,057 1,334,851 1,421,908 289,917 287,105
Germany 29,000 1,400,000 1,429,000 635,000 632,000
United States 233,000 246,000 479,000 103,000 70,000
Australia 41,841 8,740 60,581 8,280 1,980
Spain 15,800 41,600 57,400 20,400 18,600
Netherlands 4,919 45,857 50,776 1,697 1,547
Italy 12,300 15,200 37,500* 6,800 6,500

* Original source gives these individual numbers and totals them to 37,500 KW. The 2004 reported total was 30,700 KW.[2] With new installations of 6,800 KW, this would give the reported 37,500 KW.

[edit] PV power stations

Deployment of solar power depends largely upon local conditions and requirements. But as all industrialised nations share a need for electricity, it is clear that solar power will increasingly be used to supply a cheap, reliable electricity supply. In 2004 the worldwide production of solar cells increased by 60% but silicon shortages reduced growth afterwards.

The list below shows the largest photovoltaic plants in the world. For comparison, the largest non-photovoltaic solar plant, the solar trough-based SEGS in California produces 350 MW and the largest nuclear reactors generate more than 1,000 MW. A Solar power station in Victoria, Australia, which will not come into service until 2010, is expected to be 154 MW when it is completed in 2013.[1]

World's largest PV power plants[3]
DC Peak Power Location Description MW·h/year Coordinates
154 MW** Mildura/Swan Hill, Australia[4] Heliostat Concentrator Photovoltaic technology (see Solar power station in Victoria) n.a. n.a.
52 MW** Moura, Portugal n.a. n.a. n.a.
40 MW* Muldentalkreis, Germany[5] [6] 550,000 thin-film modules (First Solar) (see Waldpolenz Solar Park) 40,000 MW·h 51°19′43″N, 12°39′20″E
20 MW** Beneixama, Spain[7][8][9] Tenesol, Aleo and Solon solar modules with Q-Cells cells 30,000 MW·h 38°43′26″N, 0°43′48″W
12 MW Gut Erlasee, Germany[10] 1408 SOLON mover 14,000 MW·h n.a.
11 MW Serpa, Portugal[11] 52,000 solar modules n.a. n.a.
10 MW Pocking, Germany 57,912 solar modules 11,500 MW·h n.a.
6.3 MW Mühlhausen, Germany[12] 57,600 solar modules 6,750 MW·h 49°09′29″N, 11°25′59″E
5.2 MW Kameyama, Japan 47,000 square meters on Sharp LCD factory roof n.a. 34°52′15″N, 136°24′19″E
5 MW Bürstadt, Germany 30,000 BP solar modules 4,200 MW·h n.a.
5 MW Espenhain, Germany 33,500 Shell solar modules 5,000 MW·h n.a.
4.59 MW Springerville, AZ, USA 34,980 BP solar modules 7,750 MW·h 34°17′48″N, 109°16′2″W
4 MW Geiseltalsee, Merseburg, Germany 25,000 BP solar modules 3,400 MW·h n.a.
4 MW Gottelborn, Germany 50,000 solar modules (when completed) 8,200 MW·h (when completed) n.a.
4 MW Hemau, Germany 32,740 solar modules 3,900 MW·h n.a.
3.9 MW Rancho Seco, CA, USA n.a. n.a. 38°20′31″N, 121°07′1″W
3.3 MW Dingolfing, Germany Solara, Sharp and Kyocera solar modules 3,050 MW·h n.a.
3.3 MW Serre, Italy 60,000 solar modules n.a. n.a.

* Project finish date: 2009

** Under construction, as of spring 2007

Some universities and institutes which have a photovoltaics research department.

[edit] References

  1. Table 1: Installed PV power in reporting IEA PVPS countries as of the end of 2005
  2. Total photovoltaic power installed in IEA PVPS countries
  3. World's largest photovoltaic power plants
  4. 154MW Victoria (Australia) Project
  5. Large photovoltaic plant in Muldentalkreis
  6. World’s largest solar power plant being built in eastern Germany
  7. Large photovoltaic plant in Beneixama
  8. [http://city-solar-ag.com/index.php?id=185 Photovoltaic plant in Beneixama
  9. Image of world's lagest solar plant
  10. The largest photovoltaic plant
  11. GE, SunPower, Catavento team on plant. BusinessWeek (2007-03-28). Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  12. Solarpark Bavaria

[edit] External links

[edit] See also