Utilising Solar Power Energy in the United Arab Emirates
The study of viability, sustainability and the economic implications of utilising solar power
energy from a system incorporating luminescent solar concentrators with Multi-junction
photovoltaic cells in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Saeed Mohammed Wazed1
1
BEng Mechanical Engineering, Department of Engineering and Physical Sciences,
Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Abstract: The most practical renewable energy technology for the UAE is to harness one of
its abundant natural resources – year round sunshine. This is the viability, sustainability and the
economic implications of utilising solar power energy from a system incorporating luminescent
solar concentrators with Multi-junction photovoltaic cells in the UAE. A detailed model of the
performance and efficiency analysis of this new technology is produced and a comparative
analysis is performed against existing technology. Emphasis is put on the viability, sustainability
and the economical benefits to the energy sector in the UAE by adopting solar concentrator
technology. The effect in reducing the energy consumption when utilised for a midsized building
through careful thermodynamic analysis of energy transfers in a building is demonstrated.
Keywords: Luminescent Solar cells, Multi-junction cells, Organic Dyes, Laws of refraction,
Distribution of light.
1. Introduction
electricity generation already established and
To meet future energy demand, it is available in the UAE.
necessary to focus on renewable resources. With
the variety of solar energy technologies As can be seen from figure 1 above Dubai is
available to generate electric power, the main well equipped to meet the demands pertaining to
drawback towards the usage of solar power from its growth.
photovoltaic cells is the cost of the silicon cells
that are used to convert the sun’s rays to
electricity. Here cost is meant in the broad sense,
also involves the efficiency of the equipment
and thus the payback period. To keep this
expense down, various researches are being
undertaken to minimize the amount of solar
panels used relative to the amount of energy that
can be harvested out of the sun’s radiation.
According to Suntech Power, The UAE can
outshine the targets set by US and European Figure 1: Generation capacity of power plants and
countries in the production of 20% to 30% generation at peak demand (2)
energy from renewable resources with the help
of solar power. (1) However, it is reasonable to
debate that renewable energy will face immense However with the increasing uncertainty of
competition from existing highly-subsidized grid fossil fuel production, renewable resources need
to be exported. Industries are willing to go the
Department Of Engineering and Physical Sciences Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus
Utilising Solar Power Energy in the United Arab Emirates
green way as to gain recognition and obtain also reversing their polarity. This leads to poles,
various incentives available from the Dubai negative for the “n-Layer” and positive for the
Government. Initial small scale solutions in “p-Layer”. When placed under the sun photons
buildings signify a shift in focus; however it is in light strikes electrons in the “p-n junction”,
important to ensure that the project is sustainable energizing them and knocking out the atoms,
and viable in the current economic situation. thus attracting the electrons to the positive n-
layer and repelled by the negative “p-layer” and
hence generating electricity. (5)
Figure 3: PV cell configuration (6)
Figure 2: Energy demand over the months 2007
However the simplest solar cell can produce
and 2008 (2)
much less energy as it does not fully utilize the
As can be seen from the figure 2 above the entire spectrum of light. Solar cells are
electricity demand in the summer is very high distinguished between each other by the type of
compared to the other months, this is because the crystal used. As can be seen from table 1
air-conditioning demands are greater. This peak shown below, Multi-junction cells are the best
can definitely be reduced considerably with the solar cells that can be used and is best with
help of a suitable solar photovoltaic technology concentrators, this is because the energy
especially during the summer when the sun is at production of Mono-crystalline solar cells
its highest intensity. (3) Currently there are 487 decreases with the increase in temperature,
existing tall buildings in Dubai, 483 planned however due to their expense Multi-junction are
buildings, 330 under construction and 34 built. mostly used in aerospace operations.
(4)
With 1334 tall buildings it is reasonable to
conclude that more power is required. Though Table 1: Comparing various solar cells (7) (8) (9)
Dubai has the resources to erect more power
grids it is possible to use solar energy to meet
this energy demand. Lab Electricity
Type Material
Efficiency Generated
2. Solar Cells
Mono- Molten
12 W/cm2
Solar cells or Photovoltaic cells convert crystalline purest 24%
(10)
silicon silicon
sunlight directly to electricity using
semiconductors. General solar cells contain two Liquid
silicon
layers of silicon wafers doped with phosphorous Poly-
allowed to 5.75 W/cm2
and boron. The layer doped with phosphorus Crystalline 13%
form crystals (11)
Silicon
(called the n-Layer) contains excess free of various
electrons and the layer doped with boron has a shapes
tendency to attract electrons (called the p- Amorphous Silicon film General –
Layer). Though neutral individually and with Silicon / deposited on 5-7% 1.34 W/cm2
Thin Film substrate Developments (12)
reference to Figure 3, when stacked on top of cells material – 20%
each other a “p-n junction” is formed due to
transfer of electron from the “n-Layer” to the “p- Multi- Multiple 40% with 240
24 W/cm2
Layer” creating a barrier to prevent more junction layers of thin (III-V) sun
(13)
Cells cells. concentration
electrons from moving between the layers and
Department Of Engineering and Physical Sciences Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus
Utilising Solar Power Energy in the United Arab Emirates
The authorities in Dubai have been very “Spectrolab”. (14) These are called Ultra Triple
keen to introduce renewable and sustainable Junction (UTJ) solar cells consisting of
energy technologies into their energy generation In0.56Ga0.44P / In0.08Ga0.92As / Ge layers (figure
system. (3) A feasibility study of utilising multi- 4), on test have shown to provide efficiencies of
junction technology due to their high efficiency 40.7% with a concentration level of 240 suns.
together with the use of Concentration so that
the cost can be reduced dramatically has been
conducted.
3. Multi-Junction Solar Cells
Multi-junction photovoltaic cells provide
high-performance technology passageways
leading to potentially low cost electricity
generation from concentrated sunlight. These
cells consist of several thin films/layers
(manufactured using molecular beam epitaxy/
Metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy) that allow
them to capture more of the solar spectrum to
convert to electricity. Each type of
semiconductor has a characteristic band gap
energy which causes absorption of light
(electromagnetic radiation) most efficiently at a
certain colour (portion of spectrum). These
semiconductors are carefully selected to absorb
most of the solar spectrum, thus generating more
electricity. (8) Figure 4: GaInP2/GaAs/Ge Photovoltaic cell (14)
Multi-junction photovoltaic cells use many
layers of Epitaxy deposited films / layers. Using Further research is being done on the
differing alloys of III–V semiconductors, the incorporation of Quantum dot technology with
band gap of each layer can be tuned to absorb a Multi-junction cells to further improve the
specific band of electromagnetic radiation from efficiency. (14) However, this is beyond the scope
the sun. However, it should be ensured that each of this work.
layer is lattice matched to all other layers. (8)
4. Solar Concentrators
Each layer is optically in series with the
highest band gap material on the top. The first Solar photovoltaic technologies have always
layer receives the entire spectrum, the photons been undermined because of its cost, long
above the band gap of this layer are absorbed payback time period and its requirement of large
and the rest is channelled through to the lower empty spaces for the placement of the solar
layers. Multi-junction cells are categorised by cells. Hence solar photovoltaic technologies can
the substrate use for cell manufacture. So far be used. In general, solar concentrators
Germanium and Gallium arsenide cells have concentrate sun’s rays to a region so that the
been commercialised. The use of Indium light intensity can be increased as can be seen
Phosphide cells for lower band gaps is still from figure 5. Hence the efficiencies of the solar
under research. (8) panels are increased. There are various types of
concentrators available for use in today’s
The best know and available Multi-junction market. These are shown in Table 2.
cells for terrestrial use are produced by
Department Of Engineering and Physical Sciences Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus
Utilising Solar Power Energy in the United Arab Emirates
Table 2: Comparison of various concentrator like a thin – long solar cell. The working of
techniques for photovoltaic use (15) LSCs is similar to optical fibres. The dye
absorbs incoming sunlight, and then re-emits it.
The re-emitted light is trapped in the
Concentrator
Concentration
Cooling Tracking plastic/glass sheet by process of total internal
Types required required reflection. This helps to guide the light towards
the circumferential solar cell. (16)
Parabolic
1000 suns Yes Yes
Dish
Round Lens 1000 suns Yes Yes
Parabolic
100 suns No Yes
Trough
Fixed mirror
100 suns No No
moving focus
Linear Lens 100 suns No Yes
Figure 5: Concentrator function (17)
Sphere 80 suns No No
5. Organic Glass LSCs
Most of these techniques are expensive,
unfeasible and very difficult to implement for Plastic LSCs causes light to be reabsorbed
individual buildings. The structural designs on as it bounces around so the light is lost as heat.
the top of these buildings make it difficult to The greater presence of dye molecules the
install the necessary equipment for such solar greater the heat is lost. Thus spraying a sheet of
technology. However, a solution for this can be glass with a mixture of dyes combined with tris
found as the Dubai skyline contains large glazed (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium can alleviate
surface areas. Hence, utilizing these windows’ this deficiency. (18) This combination of dyes and
vast surface areas to generate electricity glass acts as the waveguide. Also the interaction
efficiently and more economically may be between the different dye molecules and tris (8-
possible. hydroxyquinoline) aluminium allows a
quantum-mechanical phenomenon – Foster
Luminescent Solar Concentrators (LSCs) is energy transfer, (18) eliminating re-absorption
a type of CPV (Concentrating Photovoltaic) loss by ensuring that the light is re-emitted at a
devices. Instead of focussing the sun’s rays onto frequency which the dye cannot re-absorb. (18)
the cell (as in solar trackers), LSCs trap the rays
and then delivers them to the Photovoltaic cells Recent research has concluded that the best
using waveguide technique. (16) Thus there are no combination of the dyes and tris (8-
moving parts; this reduces the expenses of hydroxyquinoline) aluminium is 5.9× 10-6 m
installation and running costs. Also this thick film – 2% DCJTB and 4% Pt (TPBP) in
technique does not cause severe heating of the ALQ3. This concentration is chosen to minimize
cells which reduces the efficiency and cause concentration quenching of photo-luminescent
damage to the cells. (16) efficiencies. The thickness is adjusted to obtain
the desired optical absorption. Film thickness
LSCs are generally made of a sheet of and deposition rates need to be controlled using
plastic/glass containing molecules of dye and quartz crystal monitors. (19)
then stretched within a frame; this in effect is
Department Of Engineering and Physical Sciences Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus
Utilising Solar Power Energy in the United Arab Emirates
With reference to Figure 6, the efficiency of 6. Feasibility and Sustainability
the system can be further improved by placing a
second layer of dye and glass over the first layer.
Analysis
The second part of this project in semester 2 is
to use CFD software for the analysis of the
amount of electricity generated in a high-rise
commercial building in Dubai. The data
generated will then be further analyzed in order
to calculate the total amount of electricity
generated on a large number of buildings. In
addition this data is then compared to the saving
that could be made on the prices of electricity
generated by fossil fuel power stations.
Figure 6: Physical Configuration of a double Also a small model for the indication of the CO2
layered OSC (19) footprint savings by utilizing such a new
technology for solar energy generation will be
The upper layer of the dye intercepts high- included. Energy consumption of Commercial
energy light (like ultraviolet rays). The lower buildings as they are in operation is shown in
layer captures longer wavelengths that have Figure 7.
passed unperturbed through the upper layer.
Also, any lower-energy light that has been re-
emitted within the top layer and somehow
escaped can be used here. Even as a prototype
this technique has proved to convert ten times
more of the incident light into electricity in
comparison to a conventional photovoltaic solar
cell. (18) (19)
There are a number of factors that are
required to be addressed; primarily the lifetime
of the concentrators (currently the lifetime of a
concentrator is measured as 3 months only)
which makes it very impractical. (20) This is
attributed to the tendency of the dyes to react
with moisture and air. One of the solutions
includes the utilization of technology that
Figure 7: Commercial Primary Energy usage (22)
protects Organic LEDs. (21)
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