[Planning of Photo-Voltaic (PV) Generation in Power System using Geographical Information System (GIS)]

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Acknowledgement

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University .

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Table of Contents

Chapter One: Photo-Voltaic7

Photo-Voltaic7

A Typical Photovoltaic Cell9

Solar Thermal10

Photovoltaic Technology11

How Do Photovoltaic Panels Work?11

It's All In The Angles…12

How Much Do Solar PV Panels Cost?14

How does PV work?15

Performance of PV systems16

Chapter Two : Solar Radiation19

SOLAR RADIATION AND THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM20

SOLAR RADIATION ENTERING THE EARTH SYSTEM21

Solar Radiation Striking the top of the Earth's Atmosphere21

IRRADIANCE DATA SOURCES22

Diffuse and Direct Solar Radiation23

Measurement23

Chapter Three : GIS27

How does a GIS work?27

Relating information from different sources27

Data capture30

Data integration31

Projection and registration32

Data structures32

Data modeling33

Networks36

Overlay37

Data output39

Framework for cooperation40

Mapmaking41

Site selection42

Emergency response planning48

Three-dimensional GIS50

Graphic display techniques51

Visualization53

Adding the element of time53

Serving GIS over the Internet54

The future of GIS55

Chapter Four: Solar Radiation in Saudi Arabia59

Introduction59

Experimental64

Results and Discussion64

International Joint Programs66

Joint Program with the United States66

Joint Program with Germany68

Independent Solar Programs of KACST Solar Powered Highway Devices Project69

Photovoltaic Research Project69

Solar Energy Laboratory70

Development of Solar Water Heating Systems70

Solar Dryers70

Energy Databases71

Solar Energy Education and Training Project71

Miscellaneous Projects71

Other Projects on Solar Energy72

References89

Chapter One: Photo-Voltaic

Photo-Voltaic

Photovoltaics is the direct conversion of light into electricity at the atomic level. Some materials exhibit a property known as the photoelectric effect that causes them to absorb photons of light and release electrons. When these free electrons are captured, an electric current results that can be used as electricity.

The photoelectric effect was first noted by a French physicist, Edmund Bequerel, in 1839, who found that certain materials would produce small amounts of electric current when exposed to light. In 1905, Albert Einstein described the nature of light and the photoelectric effect on which photovoltaic technology is based, for which he later won a Nobel prize in physics. The first photovoltaic module was built by Bell Laboratories in 1954. It was billed as a solar battery and was mostly just a curiosity as it was too expensive to gain widespread use. In the 1960s, the space industry began to make the first serious use of the technology to provide power aboard spacecraft. Through the space programs, the technology advanced, its reliability was established, and the cost began to decline. During the energy crisis in the 1970s, photovoltaic technology gained recognition as a source of power for non-space applications.

The diagram above illustrates the operation of a basic photovoltaic cell, also called a solar cell. Solar cells are made of the same kinds of semiconductor materials, such as silicon, used in the microelectronics industry. For solar cells, a thin semiconductor wafer is specially treated to form an electric field, positive on one side and negative on the other. When light energy strikes the solar cell, electrons are knocked loose ...