Learn About Solar Solar Water HeaterSolar Water PumpSolar Power PackSolar Microgrid Solar Lighting Whether it is a solar street light, lantern or wall light, a solar lighting system follows the same process. A small solar lighting system is ideally suited for a house of 4 people, lighting 2-4 lamps for up to 4 hours daily. Such a solar home lighting solution can help save approximately Rs 7200 worth of kerosene while saving carbon emissions equivalent of burning approximately 240 litres of kerosene. 1 When the sun’s radiation falls on a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel, current is generated. 2 The current produced from the PV panels is controlled and regulated by an inbuilt/standalone charge controller/inverter. The inverter sends the current to charge the battery. 3 When the connected appliances are switched on, the charge controller/inverter also helps regulate the current from the battery, sending it to the output appliance to provide light and energy. Learn About SolarSolar Lighting> Solar Water HeaterSolar Water PumpSolar Power PackSolar Microgrid Solar Water Heater Solar thermal systems use sunlight to heat water — for domestic use, swimming pools and more. A typical direct solar thermal system consists of collector, pipes and an insulated tank. A typical 100 LPD (litre per day) system is sufficient to provide approximately 100 litres of hot water at an average temperature of 65°C every day on all sunny days. This helps save approximately 4 units of electricity daily (equivalent energy consumed by an electrical geyser) offering cost benefits of approximately Rs 4,000 per year. TPS solar water heaters are available in scalable multiples of 100. Large scale installations, for special applications involving heat transfer can also be engineered. 1 When the sun’s rays fall on a solar water heater collector, made of either an Evacuated Vacuum Tube system (EVT) or Flat Plate Collector system (FPC), the solar radiation heats up the water present in glass tubes (in EVT) / metal tubes (in FPC) due to high transmittance of the covering glass medium. 2 The heated water, now less dense, rises in the various tubes eventually reaching the tank at the top. 3 The relatively colder and denser water in the tank descends into the tubes, in turn getting heated — this cycle continues. The Thermosiphon effect ensures the movement of hot water upwards into the tank because of difference in density, eliminating the need for an external pump. The insulated tank ensures that the hot water remains hot for a long time. Learn About SolarSolar LightingSolar Water Heater> Solar Power PackSolar Microgrid Solar Water Pump A solar water pump has a mini power house at its heart and consists of a calibrated and matching solar array of modules – tuned with the equivalent power of pump for that particular application. The solar water pumping system is capable of running all types of electrical water pumps with applications varying from irrigation to household demands. Irrigation pumps such as submersible, surface or deep well can also be coupled with drip irrigation systems to enhance the returns from this configuration. A typical solar water pumping system is known by the sum total of solar array size that is required to run the attached pump. A 1000 Wp solar water pump is capable of drawing and pumping approximately 40,000 litres of water per day from a source that is up to 10 meters deep. This is sufficient to irrigate about 2 acres of land with regular crops. A 1000 Wp solar water pump helps save up to Rs 45,000 when compared to equivalent use of a diesel-operated pump over a year. 1 2 Each solar array has a number of solar modules connected in parallel or series. Every solar PV panel generates current by converting solar radiation to electrical energy. The electrical energy from the entire array is controlled, tuned and directed by the inbuilt controller in DC pumps or through the Variable Frequency Driver(VFD) and enables the connected pump (may be submersible or surface) to draw water and feed the delivery pipelines. 3 The water thus drawn from ponds, rivers, bore wells or other sources by a solar water pump is pumped to supply water as required. It can be stored in tanks from where it is later channelled to fields or the supply from the pump may be coupled with drip irrigation systems to provide optimised water to fields directly. Learn About SolarSolar LightingSolar Water HeaterSolar Water Pump> Solar Power PackSolar Microgrid Solar Power Pack Today households need continuous and regular access to power for various needs. Solar power packs are designed to provide electricity in homes with intermittent or no grid electricity. The power packs being modular in construction can be customised to generate and provide solutions for individual needs. Solar power packs can begin at about 100 watts, going up to a few kilowatts. A typical 4-person semi urban/urban home can have a good mix of solar power and grid power balance by choosing to install a 1 KW solar power pack. A 1 KW power pack can help save Rs 8,250 per year (compared to using grid electricity). When used as power backup in grid-constrained locations, it saves fuel costs of up to Rs 56,000 per year compared to the equivalent use of a 1 KVA gasoline generator. 1 A power pack is composed of a set of solar PV panels connected together to generate electricity by converting solar radiation into electrical energy. 2 3 The electrical energy generated from the array of panels is transmitted to the household load or battery bank storage through a controller or smart inverter. The inverter is a seamless connection between grid, solar array, house load and the battery bank. It constantly interacts with these 4 inputs to always utilise solar energy to the maximum – choosing to utilise it against the load first and directing excess generation to storage in the batteries, reserved for use when solar power is not there. The battery bank stores power that cannot be utilised directly by the household load – to be used when requirement of household load is more than what the solar PV is providing at a particular time or when power from solar energy is not available, thus reducing the consumption of power from grid and saving on electricity bill. Solar Microgrid Villages can now have access to electricity by investing in their own microgrid power plant. The size of a solar microgrid depends upon the number of solar panels and wattage comprising the solar array. The requirement and size of a microgrid is calculated by adding the power needs of individual homes in the village that will be connected together. A typical solar microgrid can range from 1 KW to several megawatts. A typical rural house requires approximately 2 units of electricity and so, for a village of 100 homes, a 4 KW microgrid is sufficient. A 4 KW plant helps generate electricity worth Rs 33,000 per year. 1 2 3 Every solar PV panel connected in the array generates electricity by converting solar radiation into electrical energy. All PV panels are connected in a particular order of parallel and series combinations to provide the required voltage. The electricity generated from the array of panels is transmitted to a central controller called the Power Conditioning Unit (PCU), which is, in simple terms, a large power inverter. The PCU is connected to the Distribution Box (DB) on one hand and the battery bank on the other. The PCU controls, regulates and directs the electrical energy transmitted from the array, and supplies electricity directly to homes, shops, offices, street lights etc. During the day if the power generated is not used or surplus power is generated, the PCU directs this to the battery bank which stores power. This power can then be used at night (after the sun sets). The microgrid and battery bank are connected to a computer for local power usage monitoring. With the addition of a modem, this information can be accessed from a remote location, eliminating the need for local manpower to monitor the system.