Development and Performance Evaluation of Nano Solar PV Energy System

Abstract

Solar energy is becoming one of the primary sources of energy replacing fossil fuels due to its abundance. Its versatility, abundance and environmental friendly have made it one of the most promising renewable sources of energy. Photovoltaic (PV) systems behave in an extraordinary and useful ways; they react to light by transforming part of the incoming photons into electricity. Since PV installations require no fuel to operate, produce no pollution while producing electricity, they require little maintenance and are modular. These unique properties make the technology a cost and energy-effective means of permitting a wide range of solar- electric applications. Solar cells convert this solar energy into Electrical Energy used to drive various appliances. Thus, innovative design and manufacture of PV devices and equipment, offers a new vision for consumers and business as to how power can be provided. The amount of traditional energy sources are finite and the ecological impact of continuing to produce energy using fossil fuels will only exacerbate the carbon footprint. It is for these reasons that photovoltaic modules are becoming a larger and more necessary part the world s electricity production paradigm. newlineThe aim of this research is to investigate the technical and environmental performance of thin film amorphous Silicon Solar energy system. The use of silicon as base material implies a non- toxic and abundant materials supply, free from heavy materials like indium and tellurium. The low cost substrates use low process temperatures (around 2000C) and it leads to moderate energy consumption, as well as shorter energy payback times. Thin film is a more cost-effective solution and uses a cheap support onto which the active component is applied as a thin coating. Since in silicon solar cell technology the term thin-film usually covers a range of 0.1 to 100 micrometers thick layers. As a result much less material is required (as low as 1% compared with wafers) and costs are decreased.