Photovoltaics
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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.
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[edit] Current development
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.
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]
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 | ||
20 MW** | Beneixama, Spain[7][8][9] | Tenesol, Aleo and Solon solar modules with Q-Cells cells | 30,000 MW·h | ||
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 | ||
5.2 MW | Kameyama, Japan | 47,000 square meters on Sharp LCD factory roof | n.a. | ||
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 | ||
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. | ||
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
- ↑ Table 1: Installed PV power in reporting IEA PVPS countries as of the end of 2005
- ↑ Total photovoltaic power installed in IEA PVPS countries
- ↑ World's largest photovoltaic power plants
- ↑ 154MW Victoria (Australia) Project
- ↑ Large photovoltaic plant in Muldentalkreis
- ↑ World’s largest solar power plant being built in eastern Germany
- ↑ Large photovoltaic plant in Beneixama
- ↑ [http://city-solar-ag.com/index.php?id=185 Photovoltaic plant in Beneixama
- ↑ Image of world's lagest solar plant
- ↑ The largest photovoltaic plant
- ↑ GE, SunPower, Catavento team on plant. BusinessWeek (2007-03-28). Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
- ↑ Solarpark Bavaria
[edit] External links
- How Stuff Works: Solar cells.
- Energy Atlas of the West
- World's largest photovoltaic power plants
- World’s largest solar power plant being built in eastern Germany
- Global Solar Completed 1.4 MW Solar Power Station; Signs Agreement to Enlarge System to 2.4 MW
- Solarbuzz
- Trends in photovoltaic applications in selected IEA countries between 1992 and 2004
- Information pertaining to photovoltaic solar electricity in each of the IEA PVPS member countries
- Photon Magazine International PV magazine
- Renewable Energy World magazine
- Home Power Magazine
- Power Consumption of a Home
- US Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- DSIRE Listing of US state, local, utility, and federal incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
- SEIA: Solar Energy Industries Association US trade association of solar energy manufacturers, dealers, distributors, contractors
- EPIA: European Photovoltaic Industry association
- JPEA - Japanese Photovoltaic Energy Association in Japanese only
- BSW: German Solar industry Association