The master thesis focuses primarily on issues of photovoltaic cells in terms of their defects. The introductory part deals with the history of photovoltaics, their introduction into practice and finally an explanation of the photoelectric effect itself. The thesis also describes photovoltaic cells themselves. It explains their principle, advantages, disadvantages and the creation of photovoltaic systems. A substantial part of the work is focused on the topic of detection of defects using luminescent methods. Subsequently, it describes procedural defects arising from the improper handling of already manufactured products. The final part deals with the main topic of the work, which is a detection using luminescence methods and it also mentions the non-luminescence method LBIC. The practical part of the master thesis contains the analysis of the current solution and of the subsequent proposal of solution using a low cost camera. It describes how to modify the camera, verify its spectral sensitivity using a spectrometer and measure the sensitivity of the CMOS sensor. The conclusion is focused on verifying the functionality of the proposed solution on different sources of infrared radiation and photovoltaic panels themselves.

This diploma thesis entitled Design and realization of a mobile photovoltaic power plant is dividet into two parts. In the first, theoretical part one can learn about the state of representation of renewable energy sources in the field of electrical power engineering and about the structure of photovoltaic power station systems. The secont part of this thesis is focused on the own design and realization of the mobile photovoltaic power plant, on the selection of individual suitable components and ther dimensioning. In addition, a model of a mobile power plant has been created, on the basis of which the power plant was constructed. Finally, one can find a source code analysis of a power plant monitoring using a microcontroler

Objective of master’s thesis theoretical part is especially to illustrate influence of operation conditions, such as solar radiation, temperature or pollution of photovoltaic generator active area, on load and power characteristics of photovoltaic generator, or more precisely on photovoltaic conversion efficiency. Possible variants of increasing effectivity of using photovoltaic generator are explored, such as solar radiation concentration, photovoltaic generator active area cooling or aplication of optimalization circuit. Pivotal part of master‘s thesis is focused on experimental device practical realisation, concretely type MSQ36-10 photovoltaic generator with oriented concentrators of solar radiation. Practical realisation includes design of master‘s thesis experimental part construction with subsequent design of photovoltaic generator motion cycle necessary for adequate simulation of configuration variants solved using single testing photovoltaic generator. Description of own experimental device construction with list of measuring places used in task takes up. It is used automatic monitoring system working as independent measurement task for required values measuring and consecutive data collecting. It is done in two phases. First phase is measurement of all required values, in second phase measurement with attached optimalization circuit is made. Optimalization circuit sets best working point of photovoltaic generator according to actual working conditions. Master‘s thesis intention is experimental verification of solar radiation concentrators application convenience, orientation of photovoltaic generator or its mutual combination, namely using type MSQ36-10 photovoltaic generator. Objective is evaluation of reached energetic gain for all experimental device layouts in variable operating conditions.

This master thesis deals with use grid-off photovoltaic system for recharging electric vehicle. First is explained the principle of converting solar energy into electric energy and theoretically describes the components of the system. Furthermore, is presented a real application of the photovoltaic power plants in the world for recharging electric vehicles but also for other uses. The next section theoretically describes the grid-off system how it shout look like in real and there are presented the possibilities of choice of components. The main part is the actual construction of the grid-off system for recharging electric vehicle and measurement. The conclusion of this thesis is made up for the expected economic recovery of the entire system.

Thesis. (M. Tech. (Dept. Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology))--Vaal University of Technology, 2011. / There are a number of ways to produce hydrogen using solar energy as the primary source. Water electrolysis, which uses solar electrical energy, is the rapidly available process. Hydrogen can be produced by using solar electric energy from photovoltaic (PV) modules for the electrolysis of water without emitting carbon dioxide or requiring fossil fuels. Solar hydrogen energy systems are considered one of the cleanest hydrogen production technologies, where the hydrogen is obtained from sunlight by directly connecting the photovoltaic modules to the hydrogen generator. This dissertation presents a designed solar photovoltaic electrolyser hydrogen production and storage system for various applications such as in the power generation and telecommunications industries. Various experiments were performed on the designed system to ensure its reliability and conformity with theoretical findings. The purity of the generated hydrogen was determined. The relationship between the amount of solar irradiance reaching the surface of the PV panel, the PV panel surface temperature, the PV panel tilt angle and the maximum power point voltage and current of the PV panel array were also considered. The effect of dust on the panel voltage and current outputs was also determined. Finally, the factors to consider when designing a solar photovoltaic electrolyser hydrogen system (based on this study) were enumerated.

Skolfastigheter is a municipality owned real estate company that manages most of the buildings used for lower education in Uppsala. The company is working in line with the environmental goals of the municipality by installing photovoltaic systems in schools and other educational buildings. Skolfastigheter are planning to install a photovoltaic system in a school in Stenhagen. The purpose of this study is to optimally design the proposed system. The system will be maximized, which in this study entails that the modules will be placed on every part of the roof where the insolation is sufficient. The system will also be grid connected. The design process includes finding an optimal placement of the modules, matching them with a suitable inverter bank and evaluating the potential of a battery storage. Economic aspects such as taxes, subsidies and electricity prices are taken into account when the system is simulated and analyzed. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to evaluate how the capacity of a battery bank affects the self-consumption, self-sufficiency and cost of the system. It is concluded that the optimal system has a total peak power of almost 600 kW and a net present value of 826 TSEK, meaning that it would be a profitable investment. A battery bank is excluded from the optimal design, since increasing the capacity of the bank steadily decreased the net present value and only marginally increased the self-consumption and self-sufficiency of the system.

As tecnologias usualmente aplicadas no mercado fotovoltaico mundial são, em sua maioria, voltadas aos painéis rígidos de células de silício cristalino, em função da redução de seus preços proporcionada pela economia de escala. No entanto, a crescente demanda no País de novos domicílios, principalmente de apartamentos, tem exigido soluções mais apropriadas: com menor ocupação de área horizontal e instaladas na fachada dos edifícios. Nesse sentido vão surgindo tecnologias fotovoltaicas como as de filmes finos como soluções mais apropriadas do que as emergentes de terceira geração, pelo fato dessas últimas ainda se encontrarem em fase de maturação técnica com poucas opções de fornecimento no mercado em nível comercial. Portanto, a abordagem desta dissertação se limitou às tecnologias de filmes finos e de vidros fotovoltaicos semi transparentes, além daquela mais usual que é a de silício cristalino. Contudo, o dinamismo do mercado mundial vem estimulando uma evolução no fator de desempenho dessas tecnologias, o que justificou a necessidade de uma revisão bibliográfica. Além disso, a maioria dos projetos fotovoltaicos vem adotando como base os painéis rígidos com células de silício cristalino, sem, no entanto, avaliarem alternativas com a aplicação de outras tecnologias. O que se nota é a falta de conhecimento mais profundo dos projetistas sobre as tecnologias de filmes finos e das melhores opções para sua aplicação em um edifício, no que tange ao seu desempenho e seu comportamento dentro do espectro de frequência. Assim, esta dissertação teve por objetivo contribuir com uma análise de desempenho energético com base em simulações para tomada de decisão técnica sobre as tecnologias mais adequadas de célula fotovoltaica para sistemas a serem instalados em fachadas de edifícios, auxiliadas por uma ferramenta computacional existente no mercado, o PVSYST. A tomada de decisão foi vista pela perspectiva de desempenho na geração de energia elétrica, pela análise comparativa dos resultados de simulações aplicadas na fachada de um edifício hipotético em São Paulo. Os resultados mostraram que as tecnologias baseadas no silício cristalino são as mais adequadas nos casos em que o pico de demanda de energia no ano seja no verão, como nos edifícios comerciais. Já os sistemas compostos pelos filmes finos do grupo do seleneto de índio e cobre são os mais indicados para os edifícios residenciais, em que o período de maior demanda é no inverno. / Technologies commonly applied in the global photovoltaic market are mostly with the rigid panels of crystalline silicon cells, due to the reduction of their prices provided by economies of scale. However, growing demand in the country of new housing units, mainly apartments, has required more appropriated solutions: with lower occupancy of horizontal area and installed on the building\'s facade. In this direction photovoltaic technologies are emerging such as thin films as better solutions than the emerging technologies of third generation, because still they are in technical maturation phase with few options of suppliers in the commercial market. Therefore, the approach of this dissertation was limited to technologies of thin films and semitransparent photovoltaic glazing, in addition to the more usual one that is crystalline silicon. However, the dynamism of the global market has stimulated an evolution in the performance factor of these technologies, which justified the necessity of literature review. Furthermore, most PV projects have been based on the rigid panels with crystalline silicon cells, not considering the alternatives using other technologies. What is noticed is the lack of deeper understanding of the designers about the thin film technologies and the best options for their application in a building, in terms of their performance and their behavior within the frequency spectrum. Thus, this work aimed to contribute to an energy performance analysis based on simulations for technical decision on the most appropriate photovoltaic cell technologies for systems to be installed on the facades of buildings, aided by an existing software tool on the market, PVSYST. Decision making was seen from the perspective of performance in electricity generation, by comparative analysis of simulations results applied on the facade of a hypothetical building in São Paulo. The results showed that the technologies based on crystalline silicon are the most appropriate in cases where energy demand peak in the year is in the summer, as in commercial buildings. On the other hand, the systems composed of the thin films based on indium and copper selenium group are the most suitable for residential buildings, where the period of greatest demand is in the winter.

A matriz energética mundial é composta por várias fontes primárias, dentre as quais os combustíveis fósseis, como o petróleo, prevalecem sobre as demais. No entanto, devido ao crescimento populacional e ao desenvolvimento tecnológico e industrial, haverá um conseqüente aumento na demanda de energia e devido à preocupação ambiental, será necessária a busca por outras fontes energéticas. Dentre essas, destaca-se a energia solar fotovoltaica, por possibilitar a geração de forma limpa e descentralizada. O Brasil tem a vantagem de estar localizado na zona inter-tropical, registrando altos índices de irradiação solar durante todo o ano, em comparação com outros países do mundo que já fazem uso desta tecnologia. Neste trabalho, foi estudada a inserção de sistemas fotovoltaicos conectados à rede elétrica pública e integrados em edificações residenciais urbanas. Para tanto, foram dimensionados sistemas para três residências situadas em diferentes regiões brasileiras, e que possuem as mesmas características construtivas e o mesmo consumo médio mensal de energia elétrica. Uma das premissas consideradas foi a autossuficiência energética das edificações apenas utilizando o recurso solar como fonte de geração. As cidades escolhidas para a análise foram Porto União/SC, São Carlos/SP e Petrolina/PE por possuírem diferenças significativas nos níveis de irradiação solar, representando desta forma os extremos encontrados no território brasileiro. A partir do dimensionamento foram estimadas a geração de energia elétrica anual para cada localidade e as curvas de geração foram confrontadas com as curvas de demanda diária média das regiões Sul, Sudeste e Nordeste, representando respectivamente, as três cidades escolhidas. Foram estimados os custos de instalação dos três sistemas, sendo feita ainda uma análise econômica simplificada para a verificação do impacto gerado pela inserção da tecnologia solar fotovoltaica como fonte alternativa na geração de energia elétrica em edificações residenciais urbanas. Para a avaliação econômica foi considerada a adoção do Sistema de Compensação Energética e um Período de Retorno Simples, que é a relação obtida entre o investimento feito inicialmente para a instalação de um sistema fotovoltaico e a economia anual proporcionada por essa instalação. Considerando um período de vida útil de um sistema fotovoltaico como sendo estimado em 25 anos, os resultados demonstraram que todos os sistemas seriam pagos antes desse período. A partir dos dimensionamentos, foi possível concluir ainda que a área requerida para a instalação de sistemas fotovoltaicos em residências é muito pequena e possui elevado potencial de aproveitamento, viabilizando desse modo a sua inserção no ambiente urbano. / The world\'s energy matrix is made up of several primary sources among which fossil fuels, mainly oil, prevail. Nevertheless, given population growth coupled with technological and industrial development, there will consequently be an increase in energy demands and, due to environmental concerns, looking for other energy sources is necessary. Among those, photovoltaic solar energy stands out for providing clean, decentralized energy generation. Brazil has the advantage of being located within the intertropical zone, registering higher levels of solar irradiation throughout the year compared to other countries that already use such technology. In this thesis, we studied the insertion of photovoltaic systems into the public grid and integrated to urban residential buildings. For such, we sized systems for three home environments situated in different Brazilian regions with similar building characteristics and same average monthly consumption. One of the premises considered was the buildings energy self-sufficiency based on solar resources alone. The cities chosen for the experiment were Porto União/SC, São Carlos/SP and Petrolina/PE given their significantly different exposure to solar irradiation, thus representing the extremes found in the Brazilian territory. From the initial sizing up the annual electricity demand for each location was estimated and generation curves were confronted with the daily demand curves from the South, Southeast and Northeast regions representing, respectively, the three chosen cities. Implementation costs were estimated for the three systems along with a simplified economic analysis in order to verify the impact caused by the insertion of photovoltaic solar energy as an alternative source of power generation in urban residential buildings. For the economic evaluation was considered the use of the Compensation System Energy and a Simple Payback Period, which is the ratio between the initial investment for the installation of a photovoltaic system and the annual savings provided by this facility. Considering a life cycle of a photovoltaic system as estimated at 25 years, the results showed that all systems would be paid before that period. From the sizing was still possible to conclude that the area required for the installation of photovoltaic systems in residences is very small and has a high potential for use, thereby enabling their integration into the urban environment

The manufacture of photovoltaic (PV) system components has a role to play in the industrialisation and poverty reduction strategies of developing countries. It has also been suggested that small scale local manufacture of balance of systems components has the potential to improve the maintenance, installation and use of the technology. However, PV is a complex technology and most developing countries have not been able to build the capabilities required to manufacture PV system components of an appropriate quality and price, either in the modern or small scale sectors. The factors that determine the success of PV manufacturers in developing countries are therefore of interest. Previous studies on learning in the PV industry have been focused on industry-wide concerns and have not explicitly addressed enterprise-level capability building or challenges specific to developing countries. In particular, there has been very little published about small scale PV manufacture. This thesis therefore aims to improve understanding of the factors that influence capability building, with a view to assisting decision making in relation to PV manufacture in developing countries. The aims of the study have been fulfilled by the development and assessment of a software simulation training tool for PV cell production line engineers, the development of an analysis framework, and application of it to several case study PV enterprises. Through the application of the framework to the case studies, it has been possible to assess the role of software simulations, the suitability of countries with different types of infrastructure for hosting PV manufacturing and the institutional arrangements or interventions that could be used to promote capability building for PV manufacturers in developing countries. While further case studies are required to make more than tentative conclusions, the framework developed and tested in this thesis may now be used as a tool to systematically and rapidly analyse the appropriateness of different types of PV manufacture in particular countries, to identify the weaknesses in their PV technological systems and therefore to suggest where resources should be invested and where appropriate institutional changes could be made. The simulation software has been demonstrated to be an effective capability building tool, thus providing one of the key elements required for successful manufacturing.

<p>Solar electricity is a promising energy technology for the future, and by using reflectors for concentrating solar radiation onto photovoltaic cells, the cost per produced kWh can be significantly reduced. The optical efficiency of a concentrating system determines the fraction of the incident energy that is transferred to the cells and depends on the optical properties of the system components. In this thesis, low-concentrating photovoltaic and photovoltaic-thermal systems with two-dimensional parabolic reflectors were studied and optimised, and a new biaxial model for the incidence angle dependence of the optical efficiency was proposed.</p><p>Concentration of light generally results in high cell temperatures, and the uneven irradiance distribution on cells with parabolic reflectors leads to high local currents and temperatures, which reduce fill-factor and voltage. Cooling the cells by means of water increases the voltage and makes it possible to utilize the thermal energy. The performance of a 4X concentrating photovoltaic-thermal system was evaluated. If operated at 50°C, this system would produce 250 kWh_electrical and 800 kWh_thermal per m² cell area and year. Optical performance can be increased by 20% by using better reflectors and anti-reflectance glazing.</p><p>Low-concentrating photovoltaic systems for façade-integration were studied and optimised for maximum annual electricity production. The optimisation was based on measured short-circuit currents versus solar altitude. Measurements were performed outdoors and in a solar simulator. It was found that the use of 3X parabolic reflectors increases the annual electricity production by more than 40%. High solar reflectance is crucial to system performance but by using a low-angle scattering reflector, the fill-factor and power are increased due to a more even irradiance on the modules.</p><p>Long-term system performance depends on the durability of the components. The optical properties and degradation of reflector materials were assessed using spectrophotometry, angular resolved scatterometry, Fresnel modelling, optical microscopy, and surface profilometry before and after ageing. The degradation of reflectors was found to be strongly dependent on material composition and environmental conditions. Back surface mirrors, all-metal reflectors, and polymer-metal laminates degraded in different ways, and therefore accelerated ageing must be tailored for testing of different types of reflector materials. However, new types of reflector laminates showed a potential for increasing the cost-effectiveness of low-concentrating solar energy systems.</p>