SolarMobil.Manipal Electrical & Electronics Team Recruitment Project Report Name : Samay Goenka Reg. No.

: 110906366 Class & Sec. : 1st Yr. BE (E&E), Sec. O Project Objective: To look up 5 companies manufacturing and selling solar panels and arrays and draw up a comparison based on factors like dimensions, output current & voltage, weight, etc. based on a study of the datasheets available. Companies being compared: MoserBaer Solar Ltd. PHOTONIX Solar Pvt. Ltd. XL Telecom and Energy Ltd. Solar Semiconductor Pvt. Ltd. Reliance Solar Group

Note: The power, voltage and current specifications will be specified as Value A-Value B. A and B are the boundary values for different products in the company's range of offerings. For eg., a P max value of 150200W means the company's range of modules starts from a 150W module and goes upto a 200W module. 1. MoserBaer Solar Ltd. : Solar Modules: Cell Dimensions (mm) Cell configuration in module Module dimensions (mm) Module Weight (Kgs) Cell type Maximum Power (Pmax) (W) Voltage at Pmax (V) Current at Pmax (A) Open circuit voltage (Voc) (V) Short circuit current (Isc) (A) Power tolerance (%) Bypass diodes Front glass 156 X 156 60 cells, 10 X 6 configuration 1661 X 991 X 37 18.7 Multi-crystalline Silicon 200 245 28.02 30.67 7.14 7.99 36.05 37.77 7.95 8.55 3 Yes, 1 Schottky diode per 20 cells High transmission tempered & textured glass, 3.2 mm thick.

Frame Junction box Certifications

Anodized aluminium, 17m thick anodization. IP65 rated, pre-wired. IEC 61215, IEC 61730, IEC 61701, UL, CE, CEC Listed, JET, MCS, ISO 9001:2004

Options available: Lead free, RoHS compliant model. MBSL also makes amorphous silicon thin film solar panels, but the use of those panels is not recommended, as they have low efficiency and low power output. I-V Curves at various irradiance levels, at 25C: (Source: datasheet)

Manufactured at: Noida, Uttar Pradesh ************* 2. PHOTONIX Solar Pvt. Ltd. : Solar Modules : Note : PSPL manufactures panels having a power output ranging from 3 230W. Since this is too much of a variation, and as lower wattage is not required in our application, the below details are pertaining to the range between 200 230W. This also makes the comparison more equitable. Cell Dimensions (mm) Cell configuration in module Module dimensions (mm) Module Weight (Kgs) Cell type Maximum Power (Pmax) (W) Voltage at Pmax (V) Current at Pmax (A) 156 X 156 54 (9 X 6) cells in 200W model. 60 (10 X 6) cells in 230W model. 1495 X 995 X 42 (200W) 1645 X 995 X 42 (230W) 18 20 Multi-crystalline Silicon 200 230 26 29 7.69 7.9

Open circuit voltage (Voc) (V) Short circuit current (Isc) (A) Power tolerance (%) Bypass diodes Front glass Frame Junction box Certifications

32 36 8.4 8.5 35 Yes, 1 diode per 20 cells Tempered glass, low iron. Anodized aluminium IP65 / 4T, weather proof, Nylon 6, prewired. IEC 61215, IEC 61730-1, IEC 61730-2

************* 3. XL Telecom and Energy Ltd. : Solar Modules:

Cell Dimensions (mm) Cell configuration in module

156 X 156 48 (8 X 6) cells in 175W model. 60 (10 X 6) cells in 230W model. 72 (12 X 6) cells in 280W model. 1356 X 1001 X 46 (175W) 1651 X 994 X 46 (230W) 1996 X 1001 X 46 (280W) 16.8 / 20 / 24.6 Multi-crystalline Silicon 175 280 23.95 36.86 7.34 7.62 29.28 44.71 7.87 8.14 14.2 14.71 Yes, 1 diode per 16 / 12 cells. Tempered glass, low iron. Anodized aluminium (double walled). IP65 rated; make: Cixi Renhe IEC 61215, IEC 61730, CE, ISO 9001:2000

Module dimensions (mm)

Module Weight (Kgs) Cell type Maximum Power (Pmax) (W) Voltage at Pmax (V) Current at Pmax (A) Open circuit voltage (Voc) (V) Short circuit current (Isc) (A) Maximium efficiency (%) Bypass diodes Front glass Frame Junction box Certifications

I-P-V Curves at various irradiance levels : (Source: datasheet)

Manufactured at: Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh. ************* 4. Solar Semiconductor Pvt. Ltd. : Solar Modules: Cell Dimensions (mm) Cell configuration in module 156 X 156 36 (9 X 4) cells in 135W model. 60 (10 X 6) cells in 225W model. 72 (12 X 6) cells in 270W model. 1500 X 670 X 42 (135W) 1660 X 990 X 42 (225W) 1987 X 994 X 42 (270W) 13 / 20 / 27 Mono / Multi - crystalline Silicon 135 270 17.8 35.5 7.58 7.61 22.3 44.5 8.22 8.30 13.43 14.18 Yes Tempered glass, 4mm thick. Silver anodized aluminium IP65 rated, 4T, pre-wired

Module dimensions (mm)

Module Weight (Kgs) Cell type Maximum Power (Pmax) (W) Voltage at Pmax (V) Current at Pmax (A) Open circuit voltage (Voc) (V) Short circuit current (Isc) (A) Maximium efficiency (%) Bypass diodes Front glass Frame Junction box

Certifications

IEC 61215, IEC 61730, CE, UL 1703, ISO 9001:2008

Manufactured at: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. ************* 5. Reliance Solar Group : Solar Modules: Note: RSG manufactures mono-crystalline modules ranging from 135-280W, as well as multicrystalline modules from 125-250W. Since multi-crystalline cells are better suited and have many advantages over mono-crystalline cells, the below details are pertaining to the multicrystalline modules. Cell Dimensions (mm) Cell configuration in module 156 X 156 36 (9 X 4) cells in 125W model. 60 (10 X 6) cells in 215W model. 72 (12 X 6) cells in 250W model. 1503 X 679 X 43 (125W) 1662 X 997 X 43 (215W) 1980 X 997 X 43 (250W) 12.4 / 18.6 / 26.1 Mono / Multi - crystalline Silicon 125 250 17.4 34.8 7.2 7.4 21.6 43.4 7.95 8.2 3 Yes, 1 SB1240 (12A) diode per 18 / 20 / 24 cells. Tempered glass, 3.2 - 4mm thick. Anodized aluminium alloy 6063 IP65 rated, 4T, pre-wired IEC 61215, IEC 61730, CE, UL 1703, ISO 9001:2008

Module dimensions (mm)

Module Weight (Kgs) Cell type Maximum Power (Pmax) (W) Voltage at Pmax (V) Current at Pmax (A) Open circuit voltage (Voc) (V) Short circuit current (Isc) (A) Power tolerance (%) Bypass diodes Front glass Frame Junction box Certifications

I-P-V Curves at various irradiance levels, at 25C: (Source: datasheet)

************* Notes: All modules listed above have an operating temperature of -40 - +85C All cells have an anti-reflective coating. Wind pressures of approximately 2000-2400 Pa can be withstood. Snow loads of approximately 5000 Pa can be withstood.

Recommendations: SMM should consider MoserBaer Solar Ltd. as it's primary choice for solar modules. It has the following advantages: Weight is on the lower side compared to other makes. It has most number of international certifications. MoserBaer is a world renowned company with an excellent reputation. It has good manufacturing facilities, and tight quality control. As a second choice, Reliance Solar Group could be considered.

Project Objective: To study the effect of different weather conditions on the output and performance of solar cells and modules. Despite their fragile appearance, solar panels can withstand fairly extreme weather conditions and emerge unscathed. The following conditions will be discussed: High and low temperature Clouds/Mist Rain Hail & wind Snow & Frost

1. Temperature: The output and efficiency are inversely related to temperature.A decrease in temperature increases the outout. An increase in temperature, especially above about 80C, results in a decrease in the power output of the solar module. This was tested on a 6V, 250mA solar cell and a 150W halogen lamp at a distance of 55mm as a heat source. The temperature rose to 75C across a period of 40 minutes.

The graph above shows the relationship between temperature in degrees Celsius (horizontal axis) and the solar panel power output measured in milliwatts (vertical axis). Because of the way the halogen lamp took one minute to reach full brightness the results from 25-30 degrees Celsius should be ignored. Between 30 and 42 degrees there was only a small drop in power output from a peak of 749 mW down to 730 mW. After that there was a consistent drop in power output of around 8.3mW (1.1% of peak output) per degree rise in temperature. Voltage under load went from a peak of 6.21V at 0.12 Amps down to just below 5V at 0.09 Amps. The total power loss due to the increase in temperature was from around 750 mW down to just 458 mW - a fall of almost 40%! Had the solar panel been pre-cooled in the fridge before the experiment was started the peak power output would certainly have been even higher. [Test Source: Internet article] 2. Clouds/Mist: When the weather is cloudy, output will be markedly reduced, though some electricity will still be generated because some solar energy will still penetrate the clouds. Sky condition Clear and sunny Misty Partly Cloudy Mostly cloudy Overcast Percentage sunlight reaching panels (%) 90-115* 85-100 60-120* 30-100 20-60

Densely overcast 10-40 *Sunlight levels may be increased beyond 100% due to reflection from nearby clouds.

3. Rain: Some amount of rain is actually necessary for the proper operation of solar panels because they are self cleaning, meaning that they are cleaned by the rain. Without the rain they would eventually be covered by a layer of dust and dirt to such an extent that the suns rays could not fully penetrate, thus output would be reduced. However, if a grid is not sealed or is mounted incorrectly, rain water can cause water damage that will cause the system to fail. 4. Hail and wind: These are dangerous to panels due to their potential to cause physical damage to the solar modules. However, modern solar panels have a very high resistance to wind pressure generally above 2000 Pa. Hence, everyday winds do not pose a serious problems to the performance of solar cells. 5. Snow and frost: During heavy snowfall, there will of course be heavy cloud cover and this will certainly have an adverse effect on the output from your solar panels. When the skies clear however, provided the snow covering the panels is not too thick, this can actually have a positive effect. This is because diffuse light can still penetrate a thin layer of snow, plus additional light will be reflected from the thicker snow on the ground. In addition the snow will keep the panels cool.

Project Objective: to discuss the connection of solar cells to form modules, and that of solar modules to form arrays. We have two types of connections possible: series and parallel. In serial connections the voltage increases, whereas in parallel circuits the current value increases. This means that the solar cells of a parallel circuit have the same voltage but a higher current. What is important about the parallel circuit is that both of the solar panels have the same voltage output value; if this wasn't the case then there could be issues with the parallel circuit. Individual solar cells usually have a very low output voltage (~0.6V), but a moderately high value of output current (~8A). It is impractical to work with such a low voltage. Therefore, we need an increase in the voltage. Solar cells are usually connected in series in modules, creating an additive voltage. So, if we have, say, 40 cells of 0.6V each, and we connect them in series, we have a voltage of 24V, which is a practically usable voltage level. The current remains the same, which is approximately 8A. Now we have achieved our required output voltage, but we need more power. So, we have to increase the current. To do so, we connect a number of solar modules in parallel with each other. Now, voltage remains same, but current increases with every module added in parallel. This parallel connection of solar modules forms a solar array. However, parallel connections have significant problems. For example, shadow effects can shut down the weaker (less illuminated) parallel string (a number of series connected cells) causing substantial power loss and even damaging excessive reverse bias applied to the shadowed cells by their illuminated partners. This essentially means that, if one of the cells connected in series stops working, or part of the module comes under shade, the module, instead of sourcing current, now starts sinking it. Thus, as far as possible, strings of series cells should be handled independently and not connected in

parallel, save using special paralleling circuits. Although modules can be interconnected in series and/or parallel to create an array with the desired peak DC voltage and loading current capacity, using independent MPPTs (maximum power point trackers) provides a better solution. In the absence of paralleling circuits, shunt diodes can be used to reduce the power loss due to shadowing in arrays with series/parallel connected cells. This will, in effect, solve the problem of the modules sinking current, by blocking the reverse current flow. In practise, there is a diode for every 20-24 cells in series. There are two uses of diodes in solar arrays: Blocking Diodes: [Source: Internet]

The diagram above shows a simple setup with two panels charging a battery (for simplicity no controller is shown) with a blocking diode in series with the two panels, which are also wired in series. When the sun shines, as long as the voltage produced by the two panels is greater than that of the battery, charging will take place. However, in the dark, when no voltage is being produced by the panels, the voltage of the battery would cause a current to flow in the opposite direction through the panels, discharging the battery, if it was not for the blocking diode in the circuit. Blocking diodes will be of benefit in any system using solar panels to charge a battery. Blocking diodes are usually included in the construction of solar panels so further blocking diodes are not required.

By-Pass Diodes: [Source: Internet] Now let's consider what happens if one of the panels in the above diagram is shaded. Not only will that panel not be producing any significant power, but it will also have a high resistance, blocking the flow of power produced by the unshaded panel.

This is where by-pass diodes come into play as shown in the diagram above. Now, if one panel is shaded, the current produced by the unshaded panel can flow through a by-pass diode to avoid the high resistance of the shaded panel. By-pass diodes will not be of use unless panels are connected in series to produce a higher voltage. They are most likely to be of benefit where an MPPT Controller or String Inverter involves panels connected in series to produce voltages well above that items minimum input voltage. Nowadays, most solar panels (including all panels which have been discussed in this report) are constructed with the cells divided into groups, each group having a built-in by-pass diode.