Design of Solar Energy based Power System – An

Introduction
Vikas Kumar Pandey ,Anchit Darvekar,IT-BHU

Abstract - India is said to be one of the seven largest consumers of energy, but the growing gap between consumption and
domestic output is a cause of concern. India’s share in global oil reserves is about 0.5 per cent, whereas its share in global
consumption is about 3 per cent. India is still dependent to the extent of 30 to 35 per cent on non-commercial fuel sources
which adds much to the environmental pollution. Power and Energy sector is in a positive mood and is leaving no missed
opportunity to make hay of it, while the sun shines. India has set up a target of 20000 MW of installed capacity by 2022 for
harnessing solar energy. It is leaving no stone unturned to become a solar hub in the world. In this paper, we are suggesting a
design of a solar energy based Indian town/city.

Introduction: Energy is a basic requirement for economic development. Every sector of

Indian economy – agriculture, industry, transport, commercial, and domestic – needs inputs
of energy. The economic development plans implemented since independence have
necessarily required increasing amounts of energy. As a result, consumption of energy in all
forms has been steadily rising all over the country.
This growing consumption of energy has also resulted in the country becoming increasingly
dependent on fossil fuels such as coal and oil and gas. Rising prices of oil and gas and
potential shortages in future lead to concerns about the security of energy supply needed to
sustain our economic growth. Increased use of fossil fuels also causes environmental
problems both locally and globally. Against this background, the country urgently needs to
develop a sustainable path of energy development. Promotion of energy conservation and
increased use of renewable energy sources are the twin planks of a sustainable energy supply.
Fortunately, India is blessed with a variety of renewable energy sources, the main ones being
biomass, biogas, the sun, wind, and small hydro power. (Large hydro power is also renewable
in nature, but has been utilized all over the world for many decades, and is generally not
included in the term ‘new and renewable sources of energy’.) Municipal and industrial wastes
can also be useful sources of energy, but are basically different forms of biomass.
Advantages of renewable energy are that it is:

 perennial
 available locally and does not need elaborate arrangements for transport
 usually modular in nature, i.e. small-scale units and systems can be almost as
economical as large-scale ones
 environment-friendly
 well suited for decentralized applications and use in remote areas.
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient
times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary
solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass,
account for most of the available renewable energy on earth. Only a minuscule fraction of the
available solar energy is used.
Solar powered electrical generation relies on heat engines and photovoltaic. Solar energy's
uses are limited only by human ingenuity. A partial list of solar applications includes space
heating and cooling through solar architecture, potable water via distillation and disinfection,
day lighting, solar hot water, solar cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial
purposes. To harvest the solar energy, the most common way is to use solar panels.
The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, government of India has been
implementing comprehensive programmes for the development and utilization of various
renewable energy sources in the country. India has set up a target of 20000 MW of installed
capacity by 2022 for harnessing solar energy. Renewable sources already contribute to about
5% of the total power generating capacity in the country. India’s solar mission expects the
promotion of solar energy to harness and distribute environment-friendly power, available
with high scalability, for sustainable economic growth by empowering national energy
security. In this paper, we are suggesting a design of a solar energy based Indian town/city.
Major focus of our idea is to harness the solar energy up to maximum extent. The power plant
suggested will be a commercial parabolic trough solar thermal power plant, it will supply for
the major industries or heavy load in the city. For maximum utilization of solar energy house
will deploy solar panels for smaller loads like lighting and heating purposes.

System Description: Our plan comprises two systems; one is based upon Andasol for power
generation on large scale and other is for individual buildings and houses for small purposes
like ventilation, heating, lighting etc.

A. Power Generation Unit (using Solar Heat): The concept we are introducing is not for
small scale but for large scale electricity production. This idea can be easily implemented on
existing solar stations. In a traditional solar plant, sunlight strikes some sort of solar collector,
most likely, a field of parabolic-trough mirrors focused on tubes filled with oil, which warms
to more than 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). That hot oil is used to boil water, which
produces steam, which spins a turbine for power generation.

In our proposal the field of solar collectors is big enough to collect almost twice as much
sunlight as the plant needs to operate during sunny times. The extra heated oil is sent to a heat
exchanger running between giant vats of molten salt. One vat holds relatively cool molten
salt (about 500 degrees F or 260 degrees C). That salt is pumped into the heat exchanger,
where it picks up heat from the oil. The now hotter molten salt (752 degrees F or 400 degrees
C) flows into the second vat, where it waits until the sun dips behind clouds. When the power
plant needs the stored heat, the hotter molten salt is pumped back through the heat exchanger.
There, it transfers its heat to the oil that will generate steam. The hotter oil travels to the
power centre, and the now-cooler molten salt flows back into the cooler tank. The process
then starts all over. Using salt to store the sun's heat, the plant can operate without sunlight,
running almost twice as long as other solar power plants. The salt-storage setup lets Solar
Plant generate almost 40 percent more energy than it would without it. That extra generating
ability lowers the overall cost of the plant's electricity.
Following figure shows the complete cycle of the process:

Components required for power generation unit are as follows:

Parabolic Trough Collectors: The main element of plant is the solar field, which provides
steam for conventional steam turbines. It consists of numerous parallel rows of solar
collectors, arranged on a North-South axis. They then follow the path of the sun from east to
west. The reflectors consist of parabolic mirrors made from extremely transparent, silver-
coated glass. They concentrate the incident solar radiation 80-fold, focusing it onto an
absorber pipe in the focal line of the collector. The metal structure, mirror elements, and
absorber pipe together form a high-precision optic device. The absorption pipe contains a
heat transfer medium, which is temperature-stable synthetic oil in a closed circuit that can be
heated to temperatures of up to 400 degrees Celsius.

Molten Salt: Composition: NITRATE MOLTEN SALTS (60% NaNO3 + 40% KNO3).
Most salts only melt at high temperatures (above composition, for example, melts at around
1472 degrees Fahrenheit, or 800 degrees Celsius) and do not turn to vapour until they get
considerably hotter—they can be used to store a lot of the sun's energy as heat. Melting salts
at temperatures above 435 degrees Fahrenheit (224 degrees Celsius), however, can deliver
back as much as 93 percent of the energy, plus the salts are ubiquitous. The salts, otherwise
used as fertilizers, allow enough of the sun's heat to be stored that the power plant can pump
out electricity for nearly eight hours after the sun starts to set. Turbines: Turbines, generators
and plant periphery are conventional power plant components, similar to those used in fossil
fuel power plants.

Absorption pipes: The steel absorption pipes are conceived especially for use in parabolic
trough power plants. The steel pipe is surrounded by a vacuum-isolated concentric
borosilicate glass cladding tube with anti reflex coating, which allows for over 96%
penetration of solar radiation and radiates 14% of its heat at temperatures of around 400
degrees Celsius.

Storage tank: The liquid salt thermal storage functions under atmospheric pressure and
consist of two tanks per power plant, measuring 14m in height and 36m in diameter. During
the pumping process from the “cold” to the “hot” tank, the molten salt mixture absorbs
additional heat at an outlet temperature of approx. 290°C, where it is heated to a temperature
of 390°C. A full storage tank can be used to operate the turbine for about 7.5 hours. [These
dimensions for storage tanks are taken from an under construction solar plant].

B) Independent solar energy units: For small scale power usage in homes like for lighting,
heating and for other purposes including street lighting, solar panels can be installed on roofs
and poles in streets. Solar heater can be used in each home for getting hot water for daily
usage like for bathing, cooking etc. The individual setups we will be using can compensate
for small scale usage as listed follows:-

 Solar water heating systems for hot water requirements in homes, kitchens, hospitals,
hotels, housing colonies, industries etc.
 Solar Steam Generating Systems for community cooking and for sterilization and
laundry in hospitals.
 Solar Blinkers at blind ends and road intersections.
 Solar Panels for meeting the lighting and household requirements.
 Roof top SPV systems for diesel replacements at places using DG sets during
daytime.
City Residential homes: Recent years have seen rapid growth in the number of
installations of PV on to buildings that are connected to the electricity grid. The central
driving force though comes from the desire of individuals or companies to obtain their
electricity from a clean, non-polluting, renewable source for which they are prepared to
pay a small premium. In these grid-connected systems, PV System supplies electricity to
the building and any day-time excess may be exported to the grid. Batteries are not
required because the grid supplies any extra demand. However, for independent grid
supply battery storage to provide power will be required. Solar PV modules can be
retrofitted on to a pitched roof above the existing roof-tiles, or the tiles replaced by
specially designed PV roof-tiles or roof-tiling systems.

Water Pumping, lighting, heating in the Developing World: Apart from off-grid homes,
other remote buildings such as schools, community halls, and clinics can all benefit from
electrification with Solar Energy. This can power TV, video, telephony and a range of
refrigeration equipment, which is available to meet World Health Organisation standards
for vaccine refrigeration, for instance. It is also possible to configure central village
power plants that can either power homes via a local wired network, or act as a battery
charging station where members of the community can bring batteries to be recharged.
PV Systems can be used to pump water in remote areas e.g. as part of a portable water
supply system. Specialized solar water pumps are designed for submersible use (in a
borehole) or to float on open water. Usually, the ability to store water in a tank means that
battery power storage is unnecessary. Larger off-grid systems can be constructed to
power larger and more sophisticated electrical loads by using an array of PV modules and
having more battery storage capacity. To meet the largest power requirements in an off-
grid location, the PV system is sometimes best configured with a small diesel generator.
Solar energy can also power area lighting to enable more outdoor activities after dark or
improve security, and to illuminate signs or advertising boards.

Commercial Buildings: On an office building, atria can be covered with glass/glass PV

modules, which can be semi-transparent to provide shaded light. On a factory, large roof
areas have been the best location for solar modules. If they are flat, then arrays can be
mounted using techniques that do not breach the weatherproof roof membrane. Also,
skylights can be covered partially with PV.

The vertical walls of office buildings provide several opportunities for PV incorporation.
The first is as a "curtain wall system" that constitutes the weather barrier of the building.
The second, as a "rain screen over cladding system" where there is an underlying weather
barrier that provides the insulation and sealing of the building. The third option is to
create sunshades or balconies incorporating a PV System. Sunshades may have the PV
System mounted externally to the building or have PV cells specially mounted between
glass sheets comprising the window.

Other Recreational Applications: Solar Power is frequently used in consumer product

applications which require small amounts of energy (like calculators). Another frequent
use is for Recreation Vehicles (RVs) and boating to recharge the battery for recreational
use activities.
Cost and Environmental Factors: Parabolic trough power plants are proven and reliable
technology: The power plants are above-average in terms of annual efficiency with very
low power production costs in relation to other solar technologies. The first commercial
parabolic trough power plants with a total capacity of 354 MW have already been in
operation for over 20 years in California’s Mojave Desert (USA). Low energy
amortization periods: The energy amortization period is used to measure the time a power
plant needs to produce the energy required to build the power plant itself. Solar thermal
power plants have a relatively short amortization period of about five months, which is
low compared to other forms of renewable energy. The time required for wind power is 4
to 7 months and 2 to 5 years are needed for photovoltaic power plants. In addition, solar-
thermal power plants distinguish themselves in that they require little specific surface area
calculated in terms of the amount of energy produced per square meter.

Clean and No Pollution Energy: A plant with capacity of 50 MW will produce enough
environmentally friendly solar electricity for up to 200,000 people. This will reduce
carbon dioxide emissions by 150,000 tons a year. Market forecast: Today, solar-thermal
power plants require state support e.g. in the form of feed-in tariffs, to secure their
competitive viability. In a few years the technology will probably no longer require such
support and will thus be able to compete with fossil-fuel peak-load and medium-load
power plants. Larger market volumes and technical advances will also lead to lower costs
for components. Studies by renowned institutions have indicated that strong growth is
predicted for solar-thermal power plants. The overall capacity of installed solar-thermal
power plants will increase to at least 20,000 megawatts by 2020.But for some years to
come; solar energy is going to be much costlier than traditional electricity