Tag: Solar energy

Photovoltaic Power Stations

Photovoltaic Power Stations

Photovoltaic Power Stations

02/01/18

“How can we make an industrial level of solar power generation?”

 

Solar photovoltaics are rapidly displacing traditional sources of power such as coal and nuclear energy. However, how exactly can we ensure that we can still obtain the same level of energy output as these technologies? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to think of this. Well, we know that if we were to build a large number of solar panels, then our energy production would vastly increase. So what if were to simply create entire park-sized areas dedicated to solar panels? Well, this is the main idea behind Photovoltaic Power Stations, which are becoming some of the hottest items on the solar market!

Pyrheliometers

Pyrheliometers

Pyrheliometers

12/22/17

“How can we measure direct sunlight irradiance?”

 

One of the most important things for an area’s solar energy potential is the amount of direct solar irradiance. However, how can we measure this? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to solve this. First, let’s make a portable apparatus. Then, let’s put a window in this device such that sunlight can be collected. Let’s then focus this slight onto a thermopile, and convert the heat generated into an electrical signal which can describe the power incident on the panel. This machine is known as a pyrheliometer and is vital for measuring solar energy.

PV monitoring

PV monitoring

PV monitoring

10/22/17

“How can we monitor the efficiency of our solar power systems?”
Solar panels are pieces of very active technology. And as such, they are prone to fluctuations in reliability and efficiency. So how could we monitor such changes? Well, what if we were to use software that detected such effects? This is the fundamental idea behind PV monitoring and is used in industries all over the world.

Solar Communications Security System

Solar Communications Security System

Solar Communications Security System

06/22/17

Isaac Gendler

“Can solar powered grid systems have security systems in place?”

 

Solar power is often fused to the surrounding energy community through the use of smart grids. However, such systems are prone to cyber attacks. After realizing the potential consequences of such actions,  researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, United Technologies Research Center, and Pacific Northwestern National Laboratory have joined forces (with a hefty 900,000 USD grant from the U.S Department of Energy) to develop a generic cybersecurity system for monitoring communications between distributed resource energy generators (such as solar). This would ensure the safety of customers when using such systems, and can galvanize electric utility providers to switch to clean and sustainable energy!

Solar ponds

Solar ponds

Solar ponds

06/04/17

“How can we generate solar energy using ponds?”

 

It is well known that we can generate solar energy using photovoltaics and concentrated solar thermal, but is there another way? Well, let’s use our scientific mindset to find out. First, let’s collect a pool of salt water. Because of the salinity gradient between the top and bottom layer, there will be a noticeable temperature gradient (usually of around 30 degrees at the top and 90 degrees at the bottom). This temperature gradient can then be exploited with a thermocouple to produce an electrical current, thereby inducing electrical power! This system is known as a solar pond and is popular in developing countries for its low cost

Energy payback time

Energy payback time

Energy payback time

04/04/17

“How long does it take solar panels to recuperate the amount of energy taken to construct them?”
Solar panels produce energy in a safe and sustainable manner. However, it also takes energy to create these machines, and many individuals argue that it might take more energy than it is worth. So how can we estimate the time needed for a solar panel module to recuperate its production energy? Well, let’s solve this question by thinking like engineers. We can reason that energy payback time is fundamentally a problem with two variables, the amount of energy it took to create the specific type of module and the amount of energy the module produces over its lifetime. The former is contingent upon the processes involved during construction of the module, and the latter depends upon the geographic location of the module as well as its efficiency. Therefore if know these variables, we can estimate the energy payback time. The energy payback time for solar panels can range from 3.3 years for a monocrystalline panel in Canada and Northern Europe to nearly 8.5 months in California and Africa using thin-filmed photovoltaics! With this data, we can defeat the pseudo-fact that solar PV systems take an enormous amount of time for a return on investment.

Solar powered prosthetic skin

Solar powered prosthetic skin

Solar powered prosthetic skin

03/24/17

“Is it possible to use solar power to power artificial skin?”
Many individuals on this planet suffer from skin related wounds, whether it originates from combat, accidents, or sustenance abuse. But with the advance of prosthetic engineering, artificial skin capable of intercommunicating with the human brain is coming out of the realm of science fiction and into science fact. However, since these machines are contingent upon electrical signals, power is needed to be provided for operation. So how can we use our engineering mindsets to solve this problem? Well, luckily for us, Dr. Ravinder Dahiya of the University of Glasgow school of Engineering has developed a solution using one of my favorite technologies, solar energy. In a recent paper published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, Dahiya and his team illuminate us on how a graphene-based artificial skin can be underlaid with thin-film solar photovoltaics to provide all necessary power! This is an astounding discovery and one that is sure to assist the lives of many individuals in a most benevolent way. Dahiya states that further work needs to be done on creating an energy storage system to capture all energy generated by his system, which could then be used to power external electrical systems.

Active solar water heater

Active solar water heater

Active solar water heater

02/27/17

“How can we create another iteration of an active solar water heater?”
Batch-collector solar water heaters are one way of heating water using solar power, but as engineers, we are never satisfied with just one way of doing things! So, how can we innovate on this design to create a new system? Well, let’s think about it. We know that using a cylinder to store heated water is a well thought out design choice. But how about we were to modify how it is heated up? Instead of just having a passive system where the cylinder is warmed by the sun, let’s instead extract it using a solar powered pump, push it through a solar panel, and let it come out back into an isolated part of the cylinder as heated water, which has a pump to escort it to the user’s house. These pumps will come equipped with two ball valves to stop the pumps in case the solar panel is no longer in use.

A new way to power rural communities

A new way to power rural communities

A new way to power rural communities

02/10/17

“How is Nigeria combating climate change and rural poverty in a most ingenious way?”
Nigeria is a country in western Africa which is home to nearly one hundred million people without electricity. In addition, because of it’s geographic location, it will be disproportionately affected by climate change. Luckily, this country is not a complacent one, and has already begun fighting back. A company called Lumos based in the Netherlands has developed a “micro micro grid” for the Nigerian market in which a single 80W solar panel will be attached to a housing unit which provides energy to a suitcase size battery which will power a home. These units have an upfront cost of only $75.00, and the electricity can be paid for using simple mobile phone text. after four years of using a model, the users will no longer have to pay for ongoing electricity use! This technology has the potential to electrify millions of rural homes in a safe and sustainable manner.