strategy for sensitive customers. Due to current high costs, fuel cells are best suited
to environmentally sensitive areas and customers with power quality concerns.
5.3.6 Biomass Energy
Biomass is regarded as a renewable fuel and has considerable potential for use in
distributed energy cogeneration systems, including those already discussed. For
electricity generation, the potential energy stored in biomass is typically extracted
directly by combustion or through processing. Direct combustion of biomass within
a boiler can produce steam to drive a steam turbine. In this case, specific biomass
materials are used in order to avoid ash accumulation, which decreases efficiency
and increases costs. Alternatively, biomass can be processed through a gasifier,
which converts liquids and solids into a combustible gas. This gas can then be
used as fuel for a gas turbine.
5.3.7 Photovoltaic System
In 1839, French physicist Edmund Becquerel discovered that certain materials
produce small electric currents when exposed to light. His early experiments were
about 1–2% efficient in converting light to electricity and precipitated research into
photovoltaic effects. In the 1940s, materials science evolved, and the Czochralski
process of creating very pure crystalline silicon was developed. This process was
used in 1954 by Bell Labs to develop a silicon PV cell that increased the efficiency of
light to electricity conversion to 4%.
PV systems are commonly known as solar panels and are composed of discrete
cells, connected together, that convert light radiation into electricity. The PV cells
produce DC electricity, which must then be inverted for use in AC systems. Current
units have efficiencies of 24% in the laboratory and 10% in practical applications,
both of which are below the 30% maximum theoretical efficiency that can be
attained by a PV cell.
Insolation is a term used to describe the solar energy available for conversion to
electricity. Factors affecting insolation include the intensity of light and the operating temperature of PV cells. Light intensity is dependent on the local latitude and
climate and generally increases the closer a site is to the equator.
Photovoltaic systems produce no emissions, are reliable, and require minimal
operational maintenance. They are currently available from a number of manufacturers for both residential and commercial applications, and improvements mean that
installation costs continue to reduce while efficiency increases. Applications for
remote power are quite common.
5 Realizing a Local Low-Carbon Society Through Urban-Rural Linkage
117
to environmentally sensitive areas and customers with power quality concerns.
5.3.6 Biomass Energy
Biomass is regarded as a renewable fuel and has considerable potential for use in
distributed energy cogeneration systems, including those already discussed. For
electricity generation, the potential energy stored in biomass is typically extracted
directly by combustion or through processing. Direct combustion of biomass within
a boiler can produce steam to drive a steam turbine. In this case, specific biomass
materials are used in order to avoid ash accumulation, which decreases efficiency
and increases costs. Alternatively, biomass can be processed through a gasifier,
which converts liquids and solids into a combustible gas. This gas can then be
used as fuel for a gas turbine.
5.3.7 Photovoltaic System
In 1839, French physicist Edmund Becquerel discovered that certain materials
produce small electric currents when exposed to light. His early experiments were
about 1–2% efficient in converting light to electricity and precipitated research into
photovoltaic effects. In the 1940s, materials science evolved, and the Czochralski
process of creating very pure crystalline silicon was developed. This process was
used in 1954 by Bell Labs to develop a silicon PV cell that increased the efficiency of
light to electricity conversion to 4%.
PV systems are commonly known as solar panels and are composed of discrete
cells, connected together, that convert light radiation into electricity. The PV cells
produce DC electricity, which must then be inverted for use in AC systems. Current
units have efficiencies of 24% in the laboratory and 10% in practical applications,
both of which are below the 30% maximum theoretical efficiency that can be
attained by a PV cell.
Insolation is a term used to describe the solar energy available for conversion to
electricity. Factors affecting insolation include the intensity of light and the operating temperature of PV cells. Light intensity is dependent on the local latitude and
climate and generally increases the closer a site is to the equator.
Photovoltaic systems produce no emissions, are reliable, and require minimal
operational maintenance. They are currently available from a number of manufacturers for both residential and commercial applications, and improvements mean that
installation costs continue to reduce while efficiency increases. Applications for
remote power are quite common.
5 Realizing a Local Low-Carbon Society Through Urban-Rural Linkage
117