Solar Energy Commercialization
-Answer all the questions in details on the work and formula used.
-Use Excel to plot the graphs necessary
PS: Notes are also posted
SEC 501 Fall 2020 : Homework 01
Individual Effort
(1) Problem 1
Go to the website, http://www.census.gov/popclock/, and get the current world and US
populations. Determine the nominal minimum world energy consumption in Wh if
every person lived in a nation with a Human Development Index of 0.9. Compare this
with the total energy consumption if every person used the same per capita energy as
the US
(2) Problem 2
Go to the Energy Information Administration (or a solar resource of your choosing)
and find out the World Solar Photovoltaics Installations data for the last 20 years or so.
Plot these data in Excel and use this plot to project the cumulative PV installation
going forward. Then determine what fraction this would be in the potential worldwide
need of 28TW by 2028. Hint: Use the trendline feature to fit the Excel plot to an
exponential curve.
(3) Problem 3
Go to the Energy Information Administration (or another solar resource) and find what
fraction of currently installed solar electricity systems are residential, commercial and
industrial, and utility scale for:
1. The United States, as a whole
2. Arizona
3. California
http://www.census.gov/popclock/ SEC 501
SOLAR ENGINEERING AND
COMMERCIALIZATION – I
LECTURE 01
COURSE OVERVIEW
1
Learning Objectives
SEC 501 – Solar Engineering and Commercialization – I
An understanding of the solar resource
An understanding of the components of photovoltaic systems
An understanding of the design and operation of PV systems at
residential and non-residential scales
An introduction to the economics and policies of PV systems
2
Lecture 01- Learning Objectives
Course objectives and outcomes
Course organization, texts, assignments, etc.
An overview of the Solar Enterprise
Energy and Power – Consumption, present and future
Energy and Power – Definitions
3
References
1. Dr. Ronald Roedels lecture slides
2. Wood Mackenzie : https://www.woodmac.com/
3. U.S. Energy Information Administration : https://www.eia.gov/
4. Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) : https://www.seia.org/
5. Office Of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy :
https://www.energy.gov/eere/office-energy-efficiency-renewable-
energy
4
https://www.woodmac.com/
https://www.eia.gov/
https://www.seia.org/
https://www.energy.gov/eere/office-energy-efficiency-renewable-energy
U.S Electricity Generation by sector
6
Source : Energy Information Administration – https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/browser/index.php?tbl=T01.02#/?f=M
https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/browser/index.php?tbl=T01.02
U.S Electricity Generation by Renewables
7
Source : Energy Information Administration – https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/browser/index.php?tbl=T01.02#/?f=M
https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/browser/index.php?tbl=T01.02
Global Electricity Generation – Wind
8
Source : Wood Mackenzie – Global wind power market outlook update: Q2 2019 – https://www.woodmac.com/our-
expertise/focus/Power–Renewables/global-wind-power-market-outlook-update-q2-2019/
https://www.woodmac.com/our-expertise/focus/Power–Renewables/global-wind-power-market-outlook-update-q2-2019/
The Solar Enterprise
Solar business has witnessed exponential growth in the last two
decades both on a global scale and national scale.
Currently 5% of U.S electricity demand is supplied by solar power
(77.7GW)
9
Photovoltaic System Installations in U.S
10
Source : Solar Market Insight Report 2019 Q4 – https://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2019-q4
https://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2019-q4
Photovoltaic System Installations in U.S
Latest solar market insights and policy updates in all 50 states and
Washington, D.C can be accessed on the Solar Energy Industries
Association (SEIA) website- https://www.seia.org/states-map
All market data is current through Q4 2019.
11
https://www.seia.org/states-map
Annual PV Installations
12
Source : Global solar PV installations to reach record high in 2019 – https://www.woodmac.com/press-releases/global-solar-pv-installations-to-reach-
record-high-in-2019/
https://www.woodmac.com/press-releases/global-solar-pv-installations-to-reach-record-high-in-2019/
Solar power – Pros
Renewable input power solar power is a non-depleting source.
Direct conversion of forms of energy optical energy to electrical
energy.
Clean energy carbon footprint eliminated.
Abundance of raw material for cell construction silicon, which is a
primary element in the solar cell construction is abundantly available on
earths crust.
Reliable and durable technology solar cells are robust and long-
lasting.
13
Renewables versus coal power generation
14
Source : TODAY IN ENERGY – https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=39992
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=39992
Solar power – Cons
Energy source intermittent solar power is unavailable throughout the
day.
Fluctuating output power grid instability due to shadows and clouds.
Low power density carbon footprint eliminated.
low power density 80% of incident sunlight is unused.
power curve does not match the system demand profile – with higher
penetration, its marginal value shrinks to zero.
Supply-demand curve mismatch – power curve does not match the
system demand profile.
15
Undesirable effects of solar penetration
16
Source : Confronting the Duck Curve: How to Address Over-Generation of Solar Energy –
https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/confronting-duck-curve-how-address-over-generation-solar-energy
https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/confronting-duck-curve-how-address-over-generation-solar-energy
Growth of solar power – Favorable factors
Technological Factors
Silicon solar cells and modules
Inexhaustible input power at zero cost
Societal Factors
Concerns about fossil fuel and nuclear power plants
An increasing awareness of sustainability issues
Economic Factors
Steady reduction in cost of PV systems
Favorable government policies and business climate
17
Factors impeding Growth of solar power
PV system components
Dependence on materials that are not earth-abundant
High labor costs
New PV system components
Problems with smart components
Certain economic and business factors
Hostile interactions with utilities, utility regulating bodies – Net metering
issues, Power demand charges
Expansion of low-cost natural gas supply and use in utility scale electricity
generation
Tariffs
Recent analysis showing that solar energy suffers from a merit order effect
which will shrink its value with increasing penetration into the energy market
18
Global Energy Storage Overview
19
Source : Wood Mackenzie – https://www.woodmac.com/
https://www.woodmac.com/
World Energy Overview
20
What these units mean :
Quad = a quadrillion BTUs
BTU = the amount of
energy necessary to raise
or lower the temperature
of one pound of water one
degree F
(One four inch wooden
kitchen match consumed
completely generates
approximately 1 BTU)
Source : EIA projects 28% increase in world energy use by 2040 – https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=32912
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=32912
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=32912
World Energy Overview
21
Source : http://www.greenparty.ca/sites/greenparty.ca/files/Energy_Consumption_vs_GDP_655.jpg
http://www.greenparty.ca/sites/greenparty.ca/files/Energy_Consumption_vs_GDP_655.jpg
Human Development Index
22
The United Nations Human
Development Index (HDI)
relates energy use to the
quality of life to which most
humans aspire. The middle
class averages about 0.8 on
the HDI and requires
access to over 3,000 kWhrs
per person per year. 80% of
the worlds population of
over 7 billion people is
below 0.8 on the HDI.
Source : Wright and Conca, 2007) – http://hdr.undp.org/en/data/map/
http://hdr.undp.org/en/data/map/
World Energy Overview
23
Figure 1 https://www.populationeducation.org/content/population-information
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index could be used to establish an estimate of the
energy needs for the future
Assumptions:
o In the near future, the population of the planet will exceed 8 billion
o Let us assume we want the HDI for each nation to be 0.90
o From the chart on the previous slide, we would require access to 4MWh
of electrical energy/per person (per year)
o Therefore, the annual electricity requirement is
24
Eglobal,annual = 8E09people( ) 4MWh/person( )=32,000TWh(or32 PWh)
Human Development Index Continued
Current annual electricity generation is approximately 24 PWh, and
roughly 23% is produced by renewable sources
With a global effort to carry out more energy efficiency measures and
more deployment of renewable energy, the 32 PWh target could be
achieved in a 10-15 year timeframe. However, the population will be
much closer to 10 billion by then
25
