FAQ

WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY?

Solar energy is capable of providing all our planet's energy needs. Each year the planet receives 23000 times more energy than the annual energy consumption.The sun is the source of life. At the dawn of human history, it was venerated and adored by the earliest civilisations.Mankind has always tried to harness this energy.

- In 214 BC, Archimedes used solar reflectors to set fire to the Roman fleet of Marcellus laying siege to Syracuse.

- In 133 BC, Hero of Alexandria used solar energy to pump water.

- In 1744, Lavoisier invented the first solar oven.

- In the 19th century, Professor Augustin Mouchot displayed a printing machine operating on solar power at the Universal Exhibition of Paris.

Since then, many products operating under solar power have been developed. Unfortunately, the solar field was somewhat abandoned when cheap oil became available and the easiest solution was chosen. The true worth of solar power was not recognised until the oil crisis of 1973, since when many products have been created throughout the world, especially in the photovoltaic, thermal and thermodynamic fields.

WHAT IS PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR ENERGY?

The photovoltaic process is the only efficient method of converting daylight into electricity. This technology, discovered in 1839 by the French physicist Antoine BECQUEREL, is still being developed one hundred years later by researchers at the BELL TELEPHONE LABORATORIES in the USA. The conversion principle makes use of semi-conducting materials already used in the electronics industry (transistors, diodes, etc.).The major leap for photovoltaics only came in the 1950s, at the start of the space age, when it was used to provide electrical power on satellites. Land-based applications had to wait until the 1970s, but since then their use has multiplied and diversified into many fields, such as electrical power for:

- radio relays (telecommunications)

- airborne and maritime beacons

- radio transceivers

- isolated villages

- battery chargers for watches, pocket calculators, etc

Although solar energy itself is free, until the 1990s these applications were much more costly to install than conventional equivalents. This meant that solar energy was only used at isolated sites, because the electricity grid was unavailable or electrical generator fuels were hard to supply. Nowadays, several hundred thousand houses throughout the world have a solar panel roof, especially in Japan and Germany.

WHAT IS A PHEBUS® PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR PANEL ?

The PHEBUS solar panel is made up of cells of highly purified doped silicon wafers, obtained by chemical processing of sand. These photovoltaic cells directly convert the sun's rays into electricity.
This process begins when light particles, called photons, strike the thin surface of silicon (semi-conductor). As they do so, they transfer their energy to the electrons in the cell. This creates an electrical field which produces a positive and negative charge. They are separated and collected on the front and rear surfaces of the cell which then acts like a direct current generator.
The conversion of daylight into electricity is a natural physical phenomenon requiring no mechanical movement.

The number and area of these cells is calculated according to the power required from the panel. They are connected together by a circuit laminated between several layers providing resistance to moisture, UV stability and electrical insulation. They are also encapsulated under vacuum to make them weatherproof and shock resistant. They are then assembled in a light but sturdy anodised aluminium frame. The back is made up of several layers of polymer, resistant to abrasion, tearing and perforation.
This assembly forms the PHEBUS module, which is the main module of the solar generator.

All these factors combine to give PHEBUS solar panels an operating life of more than 20 years, under utilisation conditions of -40°C to +90°C and 0 to 100% humidity.

WHAT IS A PHEBUS® PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR GENERATOR ?

A photovoltaic solar generator is a set of equipment used to produce, store and regulate electrical energy produced from daylight.
It normally comprises:

1 - PHEBUS photovoltaic solar panels fitted with anti-return diodes and connection boxes
2 - A solar panel support structure and electrical connection cables
3 - Solar batteries for storing energy
4 - A regulator monitoring battery charging and discharging
5 - A direct current/alternating current converter for the 220 V power supply

The size and power of the solar generator varies according to the consumption and the geographical site of the installation. Solar radiation and climatic conditions differ from one site to another and a very precise dimensioning calculation is necessary, taking into account all the following parameters:

- solar radiation at the installation site (in KWh/m2)
- the power in W of the equipment requiring power
- the power supply voltage of this equipment (12, 24 or 220 V)
- the operating duration of the equipment (in hr/day).

PRINCIPE OF OPERATION

WHAT IS A PEAK WATT (Wp)?

The power of PEBUS solar panels is indicated in Wp, a term used in the photovoltaic profession to indicate the energy produced by a module. The photovoltaic cells are exposed to solar radiation of 1000 W/m2, at a temperature of 25°C with the module placed perpendicularly to the sun's ray.

There are 3 types of photovoltaic installation:

1  small installations: very straightforward systems used for mobile homes, mountain refuges, camping cars, caravans, pleasure craft, airborne and maritime beacons or public lighting and signalling.

2  medium-sized installations: "standalone" installations used for power supplies in isolated houses, chalets, pumping stations, radio relay stations, etc.

3  large installations: with a power output of more than 3 kW, providing a power supply to isolated villages or connected to the electricity grid. We hope this brief outline will have shed some light on photovoltaic technology.