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Electrical Engineering > Solar Power > Flashcards

Solar Power Flashcards

1
Q

How much energy in the form of sunlight that reaches Earth is sufficient to power humanity’s energy needs for a YEAR

A

One hour of Sun exposure is sufficient

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2
Q

How much energy from the Sun reaches Earth?

A

A portion.
Some gets reflected back
Some gets absorbed in the air

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3
Q

When was the first practical solar cell established and by who?

A

In 1954 by Bell Labs

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4
Q

What sizes do Solar cells come in?

A

They range from the size of a stamp to being 12cm in length

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5
Q

Describe how a solar cell produces electricity

A
  1. Sunlight reaches the 2 layers of the solar cell
  2. This knocks some electrons
  3. They flow from the bottom to top layer and to a load through metal contacts
  4. The negative of the load is connected to bottom layer and process repeats
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6
Q

A typical coal plant produces ____ of power

A

500MW

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7
Q

Solar panels work best when they ___ the Sun

A

face

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8
Q

How much KWh does on electric lightbulb rated at 40W operating for 5 hours a day?

A

0.2 kWh

40W*5h = 200Wh = 0.2kWh

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9
Q

Capacitors ___ DC signals and ___ AC signals

A

Block

Transmit

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10
Q

When will we run out of fossil fuels?

A

In 100 years

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11
Q

What effect does doping the solar panels have?

A

It creates a positive and negative charge to the 2 semiconductor slices

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12
Q

What does CSP stand for?

A

Concentrated Solar Power

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13
Q

During doping, phosphorus is added to the top layer giving it _____ electrons. A positive charge of boron added to bottom layer giving it ____ electrons

A

additional

less

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14
Q

Which kind of solar panel was widely used before being surpassed with a new technology?

A

Monocrystalline was the market leader before being surpassed by polycrystalline

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15
Q

Which type of panels are more efficient mono or polycrystalline panels?

A

None. Inefficiency is IDENTICAL

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16
Q

Due to technological advancements, the 60-cell polycrystalline panel has been buffed from ___ W to ___ W

A

240

300

17
Q

The output of thin film cells started at ___ % (a few years ago) but now stands at ___ %

A

1

10-15

18
Q

Monocrystalline panels come with a ___ year long warranty

A

25

They are very inert and durable and will likely last more than 25 years

19
Q

How do PWM solar charger controllers work?

A

They are fitted between the solar array and battery bank DIRECTLY. The capacity of the solar array MUST match the battery’s capacity. E.g. 12V panel charging a 12V battery.

20
Q

Which is better? PWM or MPPT solar charger controllers and why?

A

MPPT. They provide 30% more power and are versatile with the fact that PV panel capacity doesn’t have to match the load.

21
Q

What does Download Depth (DoD) mean and give an example?

A

It refers to how much power you can extract from a battery. Some charge must be retained in it.
For example, a 80% DoD on a 10kWh battery means you should use more than 8kWh before recharging

22
Q

Expand on what 80% round trip efficiency means?

A

It means 4kWh / 5kWh = 80%.

4kWh is the output capacity of the battery DESPITE feeding it 5kWh.

It’s a measure of losses pertaining to the converter and other electrical lossses

23
Q

What’s the average usable life for a solar battery?

A

5 - 15 years

Wow, the actual solar panel lasts 25 years+

24
Q

Nominal solar panel rating is 12V but how much is it designed to output?

A

16 - 18V

25
Q

Panels which track the sun produce __% more electricity during winter and __% more during summer

A

15

35

26
Q

If you work at home or day or have a pool pump, expect your solar panels to provide __ % of your energy needs

A

65.

The other 35% you export

27
Q

Avoid any solar company that offers a _______________________

A

100% solar self-consumption reimbursement

28
Q

East-facing panels will provide the most electricity during the _____.
West-facing panels peak during the _____
North-facing panels perform the best around _____

A

a) morning
b) afternoon
c) midday

29
Q

Expect a payback period to be around ______.

A

4 - 7 years. This varies with system size and electricity consumption

30
Q

By how much will batteries reduce your dependency on the grid?

A

95%

31
Q

What’s the payback period for solar batteries?

A

15 years

32
Q

Labor costs account for more than ___ of the total cost of a solar PV system

A

50%

33
Q

A single solar panel costs of ___ _____ ____

A

60 silicon wafers

34
Q

To ensure the ______ remains the same, the panels must be mounted in the same ___ and ___

A

a) voltage output
b) angle
c) height

35
Q

Solar prices have dropped by how much in the last decade?

A

+70%

36
Q

How often should you clean your solar panels?

A

2-4 times a year

37
Q

If the temperature is above ___, the panels lose about ____ per degree of output.

A

a) 90 degrees Celsius

b) 1%

Electrical Engineering (4 decks)

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