Solar power Flashcards
Q: What is solar energy?
A: Solar energy originates from thermonuclear fusion reactions in the sun producing radiant light and heat.
Q: How much solar energy reaches Earth per square meter?
A: Approximately 342 watts per square meter.
Q: What are the two main methods of generating electricity from solar energy?
A: Solar thermal energy and solar photovoltaic energy.
Q: What is the photovoltaic effect?
A: The process of generating voltage or electric current when sunlight hits a photovoltaic cell.
Q: What are the main components of a photovoltaic cell?
A: p-type and n-type semiconductors forming a p-n junction.
Q: What happens when light hits a photovoltaic cell?
A: Electrons absorb photon energy
Q: What is the maximum power point (MPP) in a solar cell?
A: The point where the solar cell produces the maximum net power.
Q: How does temperature affect solar cell efficiency?
A: Higher temperatures decrease solar cell efficiency.
Q: What is open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current (Isc)?
Voc: The maximum voltage from a PV module when it is not connected to any load.
Isc: The current produced when the positive and negative leads of a solar panel are connected directly.
Q: How does shading affect solar panel performance?
A: Shading reduces the system’s performance to the level of the weakest panel.
Q: What are the three types of solar PV systems?
A: Stand-alone, hybrid, grid-connected systems
Q: What are stand-alone PV systems?
A: Systems operating independently from the power grid
Q: What are hybrid solar systems?
A: Systems that combine PV arrays with other energy sources like wind or generators.
Q: What are grid-connected solar systems?
A: Systems that export excess electricity to the power grid.
Q: What is the purpose of determining equivalent sun hours (ESH) in PV design?
A: To estimate average daily solar energy availability for system sizing.
