Solar power plants convert sunlight into electricity for homes or businesses through solar thermal or photovoltaic systems, which are also green, cost-effective and environmentally friendly as an alternative to traditional power generation methods. “Power stations that generate electricity from the sun do not release any CO2 into the air or cause pollution, so they do not harm nature. They serve as an ideal source of power compared to other sources adopted around the world that are considered harmful.

Such plants generate energy instantly using DC currents and use them directly before storing them in batteries for later use by homes and commercial establishments through inverters. This post will cover all aspects about solar power stations such as the components, the technologies involved as well as the processes adopted.

Impact of big solar power plant or Size Variations in solar power plants in India?

The difference in size of solar power plants plays a vital role in power generation. This is due to the fact that the power produced depends on variations where larger modules generate more power and smaller modules generate less power.

  • Solar panel power for street lights varies from 40 to 100 watts.
  • Residential solar systems have capacities ranging from 2 kilowatts (KW) to 5 kW.
  • Apartment buildings, schools, malls, and hospitals are some examples of large installations that may have solar setups with capacities ranging from 20 kW to 200 kW.
  • Rooftop installations at industrial sites have capacities ranging from 200 kW to 10,000 kW.
  • Utility-scale solar energy power plants generate up to two million kilowatts (kW) of power.

How do these solar cells power plant work?

How do solar power plants work?

Solar cells in a power plant convert the energy of sunlight into electricity and heat. Solar panels ranging from the roofs of small houses to large farms use them. Photovoltaic (PV) cells take radiation from the sun’s rays and produce direct current (DC) electricity. A series of connections of these cells forms a module or a PV panel. In parallel, they form strings connected to an inverter of current that turns the DC into alternative energy.

A transformer adjusts the voltage and intensity of the electricity and then delivers it through the electrical grid to places where people use it. Sustainable and efficient systems capture the power of the sun through solar energy.

Understand what a solar power plant is?

Solar power plants convert sunlight into electrical energy for homes and factories through the photovoltaic and thermodynamic capabilities of the sun. These plants are both environmentally friendly and efficient which is important in establishing a sustainable production approach. There are two basic types: solar thermal power plants; and solar photovoltaic plants. A photovoltaic power plant is a large-scale system that produces electricity using solar energy. It consists of panels, inverters, and other auxiliary systems. Solar PV panels convert radiant energy from the sun into electric currents, while concentrated solar power converts radiant energy into heat but proves cumbersome and ineffective for large-scale production. In large-scale production, we use photovoltaic panels.

Types of solar power plants in India

There are two main types of solar power plants:

  • Solar Thermal plants
  • And, Photovoltaic power plants

Solar thermal power plants

Solar power plants are able to change the sun’s heat energy into electricity by means of thermodynamic (TD) cycles. The system is environmentally friendly because it uses sunlight as its source of energy. What happens in these stations is that solar radiation gets employed for the heating up of a liquid having thermal conductivity qualities until steam is formed.

This steam, in turn, goes into turbines where it becomes mechanical power before being sent through an alternator thus producing electricity. Afterwards, the steam returns back to its former liquid state by passing through a condenser. However, hours of sunshine and meteorological conditions determine how efficient these facilities might be; hence there should be storage tanks for such times when energy storage is necessary due to unfavorable weather patterns. The working principle remains constant regardless of which kind of facility one visits!

 The solar thermal power plant comes in two types:

  • Central tower solar thermal power plants
  • and, Collector solar thermal power plants

Heliostats are used by central tower solar thermal power plants for capturing most of the sun’s heat and focusing it on one point. It then transmits heat to a thermally conductive fluid which turns into steam as its temperature goes up. Collector solar thermal power plants use concave mirrors set on structures that can be adjusted so as to increase the intensity of solar radiation received, attaining temperatures above 250°C.

Solar photovoltaic power plant

Solar photovoltaic plants are fueled by photons and light from the Sun. Various types of solar panels can be used in these facilities; collectors for solar thermal plants, monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon-based panels (also called solar PV) or other photovoltaic materials such as amorphous cells can also be used in photovoltaic power plants.

Different types of Solar Panels:

Solar panels are classified into three major types:

  • Monocrystalline Solar Panels (It is home solar power plant. It widely prefers for home usage)
  • Polycrystalline Solar Panels
  • Thin-film Solar Panels

Factors that degrade the efficiency of solar cells or solar panels

Solar cells operate at maximum efficiency theoretically. The main factors that affect the efficiency of solar cells are listed below.

  • Temperature
  • Sun Intensity
  • Solar Shading
  • Reflection

Temperature: Temperature greatly affects the efficiency of solar cells due to the inherent properties of semiconductor materials. When there is heat, or at high temperatures, they do not work properly and vice versa.

Sun intensity: The intensity of sunlight varies throughout the day. The highest intensity occurs at noon, where these devices are most effective. In the morning and evening, around sunrise or sunset respectively, there is less intense heat from the sun than during midday, meaning that the efficiency during these periods will be lower than during midday.

Solar shading: The performance of a solar panel depends heavily on shading. This means that when it is cloudy; this makes the panels unable to produce as much electricity. Secondly, shading during rainy weather reduces the way PV works, reducing its production capacity.

Reflection: A photon absorbing cell converts light into electricity, but if a cell reflects light from its surface, such cells become inefficient reflectors of light. The untreated silicon surface reflects up to thirty percent (30%) of incident light. For this reason, we must apply an anti-reflective coating to solar module surfaces to avoid this situation. This coating makes them dark blue or black in color.

Components of Solar Power Plants

The solar photovoltaic system lists its major components below.

Components of solar power plants
  • System balancing component
  • Photovoltaic (PV) panel
  • Inverter
  • Energy storage devices
  • Charge controller

Photovoltaic (PV) Panel

  • Composed of small solar cells that convert solar photon energy into electrical energy.
  • Solar cells typically use silicon as a semiconductor material, rated at 0.5 volts and 6 amps.
  • Modules consist of a series or parallel connection of cells, forming a solar panel.
  • PV arrays are mounted based on power plant capacity, consisting of multiple plates.

Inverter

  • Conversion of solar panel output into DC power
  • Inverter converts DC output to AC power.
  • Large-scale grid-tied power plants use special protective devices.
  • Transformer ensures output voltage and frequency match standard supply.

Energy storage devices

  • Batteries store electrical energy from solar power plants, crucial for meeting demand and load variation.
  • Ampere-hours (AH) rating is used to measure the capacity of batteries.
  • For long battery life, never fully discharge or stay fully discharged for extended periods.
  • The temperature affects battery capacity, with a 0.6% reduction for every degree Celsius increase above 25˚ C

Solar power plants use two types of batteries.

  • Lead-Acid battery
  • Nickel-Cadmium battery.

Charge Controller

  • Controls battery charging and discharging.
  • Prevents overcharging to prevent corrosion and plate growth.
  • Can damage battery electrolyte.
  • Also known as a solar battery charger.
  • Utilize various technologies, including MPPT charging controller for optimizing PV cell production.

Devices to balance the system: These can be several elements that are used to control, secure and distribute electricity in the system. They help to ensure that the system remains in good condition and uses the energy in the right direction which guarantees maximum output as well as prevents any damage to other parts of the solar power plant.

Blocking Diodes: Basically what happens is that a connection is made between the solar PV panel and the battery. During this time the batteries get charged by sunlight whereas when sunlight is not available, the current can flow in opposite directions which can damage these panels. So to prevent this from happening, we use ‘blocking diodes’. These are nothing but diodes that are used to prevent the opposite current flow between the battery and the panel.

Voltage Regulators: As we all know the output produced by solar panels depends on the amount of sunlight falling on them but unfortunately this sunlight is not uniform throughout the day (i.e., it varies continuously) so their outputs vary with respect to it. Hence the load current also fluctuates accordingly, resulting in voltage fluctuations beyond acceptable limits, which leads to the need for regulators to regulate such currents within limits deemed appropriate at any given point of time depending upon the availability or lack of light levels from time to time.

Benefits and Limitations of Solar Power Plants

Benefits:

  • Solar energy is a form of clean and renewable energy, making it a renewable energy source.
  • Once installed, a solar power plant produces electricity at almost no cost.
  • The lifespan of a solar plant is very long; solar panels can operate for up to 25 years.
  • This feature does not cause pollution.
  • The cells used by these systems have no moving parts, so they do not require maintenance to remain operational.
  • There is also no noise generated during operation
  • For bulk generation, this type of plant can be installed on any land. Thus, there are no specific site selection criteria required for thermal or hydroelectric power plants.
  • It can also be installed on houses or flats, which will reduce transmission costs as it is generated near the load center itself.
  • Grid-tied power plants transfer generated electricity directly to the grid, reducing dependence on conventional power plants.

Limitations

  • The initial cost of solar panels is very high.
  • To generate large amounts of electricity, it requires a lot of land.
  • Countries with good infrastructure for sunlight install solar plants.
  • Solar plants do not work effectively in foggy weather.
  • The efficiency of solar panels is very low.
  • This plant generates electricity when there is sunlight. This plant cannot generate electricity at night. So if you want to use electricity at night, you have to install batteries and charge controllers, which increases both the cost and maintenance of the plant, as the battery has a very short life span.

Cost of Solar Power Plants

To budget for your electricity bills, estimate the cost of setting up a solar power station. You can buy monocrystalline solar panels at a rate of Rs 43 – 63 per watt and a 5 kW polycrystalline system will reduce your electricity consumption charges by Rs 2500-3000 per month, i.e., it can cost you around Rs 2.5 – 3.5 lakh. Prices vary according to vendors, locations and the type of solar systems available in the market.

Provide subsidies to solar power plants

In India, the government and central administration offer rewards and allowances to promote the installation of solar power plants. The National Portal for Rooftop Solar is the leading provider of information on subsidies for solar power plants. It aims to reduce the cost of domestic solar power by 25-30%, but it applies only to solar power plants made with Indian silicon cells and excludes monocrystalline panels that manufacturers do not produce in India.

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