A Brief of Solar Photovoltaic Modules

The role of photovoltaic modules is to convert the incident solar energy into electricity. When they receive a certain amount of light, the photovoltaic surfaces (cells or thin films) integrated into a module (also called panel) begin to produce electricity in the form of direct current. To achieve this, the technologies used are diverse and rapidly evolving. In recent years, the breakthrough of building integration applications has also assumed photovoltaic modules as architectural functions such as roofing, solar shading, lightening, cladding or glass roofing.

photovoltaic solar panels

Very fragile in the raw state, photovoltaic materials must be protected from the weather, which is generally achieved by a transparent and solid glass which constitutes the upper part of a sandwich studied to withstand the aggressions of the environment for several decades.

The rear face of the sandwich may be constituted by a specially designed cured polymer or by a second layer of glass, thus allowing a semi-transparency of the assembly.

The most common modules today are rigid rectangular panels with a surface area between 0.5 and 3 m 2 , a few centimeters thick and weighing a few tens of kilograms.

Subject to the Sun's radiation (ultra-violet, infrared ...) and to the weather, the materials of the photovoltaic solar panels gradually degrade.

The modules of the first photovoltaic installation in France connected to the state grid, commissioned by the HESPUL association in 1992, were tested in 2012. This study, carried out by the CEA laboratories of the National Institute of Solar Energy ) and the certification body CERTISOLIS, concludes that the modules lost only 8.3% of their initial power after 20 years of use.

Currently, the main manufacturers such as Greco Solar guarantee a maximum power reduction of about 20% over 20 or 25 years. The result of this study shows that the performance of these modules is far superior to the guaranteed values.

Small Solar Panels Test Field Completed by Fraunhofer

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has integrated 70 PV solar panels of its own development and production into the building façade of one of its laboratories.

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has now completed its small solar panels test field installed on the outer façade of one of its lab buildings. The institute started to install the first panels on the façade in 2013. The PV solar power system consists of 70 solar panels relying on different technologies that were all developed by Fraunhofer ISE. The research institute said that the PV system shows how different solar technologies can interplay. The system also includes the module TPedge, a crystalline module recently developed by Fraunhofer ISE with an unnamed partner from the industry. According to the institute, this module, which uses back-contacted solar cells produced by Fraunhofer ISE researchers, was manufactured with a process that replaces the lamination step.

Colombia Approves Law to Introduce Fiscal Incentives for Solar Power And Renewables

The Colombian Cabinet has approved a new law (Decreto 2143 de 4 de Noviembre 2014) that will introduce fiscal incentives for renewable energy and solar power projects starting from Feb. 1, 2016.

Under the new law, developers of renewable energy projects will be granted four different types of fiscal credits: a 50% deduction over income tax; an accelerated depreciation of assets; the exclusion from the VAT regime; and the import duty exemption on imported raw materials and components for the development of the projects.

In May 2014, The Colombian government approved a law (Ley 1715 de 2014) that provided financial support for the deployment of off-grid renewable energy projects across Colombia. The law aims to reduce the use of diesel fuel in non-interconnected areas by replacing diesel generators with renewable energy installations. Deployment of these installations are being supported by a newly created fund, the Fondo de Energías No Convencionales y Gestión Eficiente de la Energía.

The new law also provided a legal framework for the development of renewable energy projects in Colombia.

Solar Photovoltaic Becomes the Cheapest Source of Power in Chile

Solar photovoltaic and wind power are currently the cheapest source of electricity in Chile, according to an analysis of the results of Chile's recent power auction conducted by experts of Deutsche Bank. 

Renewable energy projects, in fact, won 100% of the tendered contracts for the supply of 1,200 GWh. According to Deutsche Bank, three solar photovoltaic parks offered to sell power between $65 and $68 per MWh, two wind farms bid a price of $79 per MWh, while the price offered for coal power projects was of $97 per MWh. 

The company, however, believes that Chile will install only 500 MW of photovoltaic power in 2016 and 400 MW in 2017. This would be a considerable decrease from this year, when over 1 GW of PV capacity is expected to be installed in the country. Deutsche Bank experts said that, although Chile has approved several gigawatts of PV projects over the past years, many of these projects are unlikely to get built until the transmission lines get fixed.

Solar Panels with Zero White Space to Be Manufactured Through SunEdison and Solaria Partnership

Solaria announced today that SunEdison, the largest global renewable energy development company, has agreed to license Solaria’s manufacturing technology to cost effectively mass produce its new line of ultra-high efficiency 400 watt solar panels.

“SunEdison’s solar materials team has completed the development of the new 400 watt SunEdison ZERO WHITE SPACE™ solar panel. This architecture squeezes more electricity out of the module by reducing the amount of unproductive white space surrounding each cell,” said Bang Nguyen, SunEdison’s vice president of solar materials operations. “By licensing Solaria’s state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, we’re able to get SunEdison ZERO WHITE SPACE™ modules to market much quicker. These new modules are our most efficient yet, and are ideally suited for home and business applications where space is limited.”

“SunEdison is a visionary company and we are excited to enter into this collaboration to pursue our combined goal of accelerating the ubiquity of solar technology,” said Suvi Sharma, CEO, Solaria Corporation. “Combining Solaria’s high-density power generation solutions with SunEdison’s market leadership will continue to accelerate the availability of affordable and efficient solar.”

Building on an IP portfolio of more than 100 patents and a highly automated manufacturing line, Solaria’s cost and efficiency improvements are unmatched for a variety of large applications. By leveraging its core technology to develop and deliver new applications, Solaria offers solar solutions optimized for rooftop and utility PV, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), and greenhouses. Through Solaria’s partnership-driven approach, Solaria enables market leaders across its three core segments to surpass competition via their own “powered by Solaria” branded products that leverage Solaria’s leading edge technology.

Polycrystalline Solar Panels to Be Deployed in Jordan Private PV Projects

Phoenix Solar AG and its partner Millennium Energy Industries have been jointly awarded an order to build a series of three photovoltaic power plants with a total capacity of 11MW polycrystalline solar panels in Jordan. The project aims at providing Arab International Hotels, plc, Al Dawliyah for Hotels & Malls, plc and Business Tourism Company with the capability to generate 100% of their electric power needs from solar energy. By adopting an innovative, full-scale approach to green energy, the hotels will reduce virtually to zero the environmental impact of their electric power needs with a saving of 10.7 million kilograms of CO2 emissions per year.

Phoenix Solar will carry out all engineering, procurement and project management tasks while Millennium Energy Industries will take on the actual construction works. Phoenix Solar will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance for the three power plants. The photovoltaic plants will consist of polycrystalline solar panels provided by Chinese solar panel and battery manufacturer and inverters from German producer. The solar power plants will be built in the Mwaqqar and Damikhi/Qatraneh areas, connecting respectively to the Jordan Electric Power Co, plc and Electric Distribution Company, plc, electrical networks using the Power Wheeling scheme. This innovative approach allows power generation in a location different from the consumption site, and is part of the Renewable Energy regulatory framework implemented in Jordan.

Bassam Maayeh, Managing Director, Arab International Hotels, plc, and spokesman for the consortium of hotels involved, stated: "This project is a milestone in pursuing our ambitious environmental targets for zero CO2 emissions. We are looking forward to successful cooperation with the team of Phoenix Solar and Millennium Energy Industries, who offer an ideal balance of a strong regional engineering knowledge and a world-wide experience in the design and execution of Solar Plants."

"Together with our partners at MEI we are proud to have been selected as the main contractor for this important photovoltaic endeavor", Tim P. Ryan, the CEO of Phoenix Solar AG, added. "The Kingdom of Jordan offers excellent conditions for companies to invest in renewable energy. This groundbreaking project is already generating a great deal of attention and excitement, and will serve as an example for similar photovoltaic power plants in Jordan and beyond. This gives us confidence that we will continue to expand our customer base and sales pipeline in the entire Middle East Region to further drive sustainable growth.

Renewable Energy and Its Benefits

Renewable Energy in Our Community

Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that comes from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale such as sunlight (solar thermal or solar photovoltaic), wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat. Renewable energy replaces conventional fuels in four distinct areas: electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling, motor fuels and rural energy services.

Personally, it's more practical to use energy that comes from resources because it's infinite unlike other sources of energy that are finite and will someday be depleted. Renewable energy will not run out. Here in the Philippines we have wind turbines, to be specific in region 1 Ilocos Norte. Utility-scale wind turbines range from around 600 kW to 5 MW of rated power, although turbines with rated output of 1.5–3 MW have become the most common for commercial use; the power available from the wind is a function of the cube of the wind speed, so as wind speed increases, power output increases up to the maximum output for the particular turbine. Areas where winds are stronger and more constant, such as offshore and high altitude sites, are preferred locations for wind farms. Typical capacity factors are 20-40%, with values at the upper end of the range in particularly favorable sites.

Maria Christina Falls, In Iligan City, Philippines is an example of Hydro power where Misamis Occidental depend there electric power source. Hydroelectric energy is a term usually reserved for large-scale hydroelectric dams. We also have micro hydro systems are hydroelectric power installations that typically produce up to 100 kW of power. They are often used in water rich areas as a remote area power supply. The incentive to use 100% renewable energy, for electricity, transport, or even total primary energy supply globally, has been motivated by global warming and other ecological as well as economic concerns. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that there are few fundamental technological limits to integrating a portfolio of renewable energy technologies to meet most of total global energy demand. Renewable energy use has grown much faster than even advocates anticipated. This energy cannot be exhausted and is constantly renewed that can help the planet last longer. Geothermal power and marine energy is useful. These technologies are not yet widely demonstrated or have limited commercialization. Many are on the horizon and may have potential comparable to other renewable energy technologies, but still depend on attracting sufficient attention and research, development and demonstration (RD&D) funding.

Ralph Ryan Sanchez, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines

The Benefits of Renewable Energy

The leaders of some of the largest economies have urged Prime Minister Tony Abbott to take a stance on reducing carbon emissions. However, Australia continues to display a lack of commitment towards tackling major environmental issues such as global climate change (Lewis 2014). Despite the reluctance to shift towards more sustainable ways of living, renewable energy presents a significant potential to benefit the community on both a local and global scale. As well as its value for the natural environment, renewable energy has been linked with improved public health. This is because air and water pollution is significantly reduced, and accordingly, there is a positive economic impact associated with the overall well-being of individuals within the community (Rizk 2013). Long-term economic benefits such as gradual cost reductions are also anticipated, along with greater opportunities to meet carbon cap and trade systems (Clean Energy Council 2012). Solar, wind, wave, and tidal energy are just some of Australia’s abundant sources of renewable energy (Effendi & Courvisanos 2012). It’s time to make use of such great potential in order to contribute to a clean environment, stable economy and better general health and well-being.

Farema Yazdi, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia