Improvement Of Power Supply Using Alternative Power Sources Using Solar Energy

ABSTRACT

One of the major hindrances to rapid development in any country such as Nigeria or any developing nations is the absence and inadequacy of electricity to power technological devices and indeed the world to look for alternative power supply such as solar energy. Unfortunately, utilization and development of solar energy is rising in other parts of the world but encountered with low pace of development and utilization in Nigeria. They have also read and heard about solar energy as alternative power source. They were therefore well informed about solar energy equipment as majority of them have alternative power source (mostly power generating sets).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWELDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION
• BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
• PROBLEM STATEMENT
• AIM/OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
• ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY
• DISADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY

CHAPTER TWO

2.0      LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1      REVIEW OF THE STUDY
2.2     PRESENT ENERGY SITUATION

CHAPTER THREE

3.0       DESIGN METHODOLOGY

3.1      CONVERTING SOLAR POWER INTO ENERGY GENERATION

3.2     UTILISATION OF SOLAR ELECTRIC POWER

3.4     CONCLUSIONS

3.5    RECOMMENDATION

3.6     REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                             INTRODUCTION

1.1                                               BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Power supply is one of the major problems many developing nations of the world have faced in the recent years. This has been exacerbated because of population explosion and the economic pressure to generate more power supply to meet the domestic, social and economic needs of the nation. In response to lower energy prices and reinvigorated economic growth, demand for all forms of energy is increasing steadily. With the growing realization that man’s resources, to a great extent, are not natural resources but the result of human ingenuity aided by knowledge and experience, it would appear that the only barriers to unlimited growth of the world’s energy supply are political and economic.

Energy resources, supply and utilisation play a significant role in the economy of each developed and developing country in the world. This was particularly evident during the world oil crisis, when the Western world could no longer get oil at cheap prices. Energy technology programmes aimed at reducing dependence on imported oil sources, developing indigenous resources, promoting energy conservation and harnessing renewable sources flourished from that time. These programmes continue in importance and have been refined in each of the developed nations. The agencies that direct the programmes are now well established and publication and promotion of the knowledge gained is an important function. Within each nation are government agencies that have particular responsibility for energy, its policy, economics and technological development (Brookes, 2008).

World energy demand grows spontaneously. The developing countries find their populations and incomes increasing as a result of manufacturing, mining, and agriculture being farmed out to labour-intensive societies. The developed economies provide such services as knowledge and its application, finance, insurance, real estate, research, and development. Electrification, which is especially energy intensive, is receiving primary attention in the developing world, Nigeria inclusive. There are three trends that are currently discernible, with the prospect of becoming more apparent as time goes on: Many energy-intensive industries such as the process group (petrochemical manufacturing, etc.) will gravitate to countries where labour and natural resource costs are minimal; there will be a lessening of demand for energy-consuming goods in the more advanced countries; and because of the heightened efficiency in overall energy consumption, there will be a lowered demand per unit of economic activity (Ghosh, 2010).

Nuclear power is growing faster from the year 2000; acid deposition, the greenhouse effect, and ozone depletion are rapidly becoming of major concern, and, relatively speaking, nuclear power is the cleanest and safest of the currently available means for generating electricity. Hydropower and renewable energy sources is expected to make but a minor contribution to the marginal needs for the balanced of the century. Full use of hydropower was once predicted to come about in the developing world where untapped resources still remain, and also in such developed nations as Canada, whose hydropower power potential is enormous and whose political climate is most amenable to further development. Renewable such as biomass, solar power, and wind power have yet to affect the economies on the scale that is conducive to further development.

Many of the alternative technologies utilize a direct conversion from potential to electrical energy. Photovoltaics and fuel cells for example do not use a generator in electricity production and thus, have essentially no moving parts. The increased reliability should preclude the need for flexibility in generation capacity. Photovoltaic and wind power depend on many factors for the level of their output, most of which are outside the control of the operator. Although these facilities can be dispersed to reduce the variation in total output, only through the addition of electricity storage facilities will these technologies be useful for more than marginal production. Storage adds capital cost to technologies which are already expensive.

Solar energy is an important tool in eliminating pollution and creating a highly reliable electricity backup to electrical/electronic. Solar energy is an energy source that involves tapping the radiant light energy that is emitted by the sun and converting it into electricity. Homes that are powered by solar energy have been installed with batteries that have a capability of storing power that can operate electrical appliances such as computers, television, radio, laptops, i-pads, tablet, and refrigerators. Solar energy is the sun’s rays (solar radiation) that reach the earth. This energy can be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat and electricity. Solar energy, radiant light, and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever- evolving technologies. Solar energy technologies include solar heating, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal electricity, solar architecture and artificial photosynthesis, which can make considerable contributions to solving some of the most urgent energy problems the world now faces, Nigeria inclusive. Solar energy technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert, and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the sun, selecting materials with favourable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.

1.2                                                      PROBLEM STATEMENT

One of the major hindrances to the penetration of some of technological development such as information and communication technology (ICT) devices in under-served and un-served areas in the developing nations is the absence and inadequacy of electricity to power technological devices (Amaefule, 2012). Inadequate supply from the national grid, land and water pollution from oil spillage in the oil producing communities among other factors have led Nigeria and indeed the world to look for alternative power supply such as solar energy. Unfortunately, utilization and development of solar energy is rising in other parts of the world but encountered with low pace of development and utilization in Nigeria. This low pace of development is due to the associated problems such as awareness, purchasing power, technology of installation and fabrications, governmental policy and politics, culture, Nigerian factor, among many other variables. It is in the light of this that this study intends to carry out a survey on the improvement of power supply using alternative power supply using solar energy.

1.3                                                  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This study aims to achieve the following:

1. Find out the rate of knowledge of solar energy as alternative power source
2. Examine the level of awareness of solar energy as alternative power source
3. Investigate the rate of power supply in Nigeria.
4. Determine if the deployment of solar energy is cost effective
5. Find out the problems militating against abundant power supply in Nigeria

1.5                                       ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY

1. Renewable Energy Source: Among all the benefits of solar panels, the most important thing is that solar energy is a truly renewable energy source. It can be harnessed in all areas of the world and is available every day. Solar energy will be accessible as long as we have the sun, therefore sunlight will be available to us for at least 5 billion years when according to scientists the sun is going to die.
2. Reduces Electricity Bills: Since one will be meeting some of your energy needs with the electricity your solar system has generated, your energy bills will drop. How much you save on your bill will be dependent on the size of the solar system and your electricity or heat usage.

3. Diverse Applications: Solar energy can be used for diverse purposes. You can generate electricity (photovoltaics) or heat (solar thermal). Solar energy can be used to produce electricity in areas without access to the energy grid, to distil water in regions with limited clean water supplies and to power satellites in space. Solar energy can also be integrated into the materials used for buildings.

4. Low Maintenance Costs: Solar energy systems generally don’t require a lot of maintenance. You only need to keep them relatively clean, so cleaning them a couple of times per year will do the job.  Most reliable solar panel manufacturers offer 20-25 years warranty. Also, as there are no moving parts, there is no wear and tear. The inverter is usually the only part that needs to be changed after 5-10 years because it is continuously working to convert solar energy into electricity and heat (solar PV vs. solar thermal). Apart from the inverter, the cables also need maintenance to ensure your solar power system runs at maximum efficiency.

5. Technology Development: Technology in the solar power industry is constantly advancing and improvements will intensify in the future. Innovations in quantum physics and nanotechnology can potentially increase the effectiveness of solar panels and double, or even triple, the electrical input of the solar power systems.

1.6                                        DISADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY

1. Cost: The initial cost of purchasing a solar system is fairly high. This includes paying for solar panels, inverter, batteries, wiring, and the installation. Nevertheless, solar technologies are constantly developing, so it is safe to assume that prices will go down in the future.

2. Weather-Dependent: Although solar energy can still be collected during cloudy and rainy days, the efficiency of the solar system drops. Solar panels are dependent on sunlight to effectively gather solar energy. Therefore, a few cloudy, rainy days can have a noticeable effect on the energy system. You should also take into account that solar energy cannot be collected during the night.

3. Solar Energy Storage Is Expensive: Solar energy has to be used right away, or it can be stored in large batteries. These batteries, used in off-the-grid solar systems, can be charged during the day so that the energy is used at night. This is a good solution for using solar energy all day long but it is also quite expensive.

4. Uses a Lot of Space: The more electricity you want to produce, the more solar panels you will need, as you want to collect as much sunlight as possible. Solar PV panels require a lot of space and some roofs are not big enough to fit the number of solar panels that you would like to have. An alternative is to install some of the panels in your yard but they need to have access to sunlight. If you don’t have the space for all the panels that you wanted, you can opt for installing fewer to still satisfy some of your energy needs.

5. Associated with Pollution: Although pollution related to solar energy systems is far less compared to other sources of energy, solar energy can be associated with pollution. Transportation and installation of solar systems have been associated with the emission of greenhouse gases.