Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Faculty of Engineering Technology

BNB31403:
ELECTRICITY & ENERGY SUPPLY

PROJECT REPORT

SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC AS A
RENEWABLE SYSTEM AT UTHM,
PAGOH

LECTURE NAME : ENCIK OMAR BIN ABU HASSAN

GROUP MEMBERS:

NO NAME MATRICS NO SIGNATURE

1 MAS AZEERA BINTI MAT GHAZALI DN160224
2 NUR ASLINI BINTI ROSLAN DN160043

3 NURUL SHAFIQAH BINTI AHMAD SATA DN160063

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TABLE OF CONTENT

NO. CONTENTS PAGES

1. Abstract 1

2. 1.0 Introduction 1

3. 1.2 Problem Statements 2

4. 1.3 Objective 2

2.0 Design and Construction of Renewable Generation System

2.1 Design
2.2 How Does it Work?
5. 2.3 Equipment 3 ̶ 12
2.4 Example of Calculation
2.5 Generation Process
2.6 The Process of Solar Energy Transfer
2.7 The Major System Components in Solar Power Energy

3.0 Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Photovoltaic

6. 3.1 Advantages 13 ̶ 16

3.2 Disadvantages

7. 4.0 Conclusion

8. Reference 19

9. Appendices 20

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 SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC AS A RENEWABLE SYSTEM AT UTHM, PAGOH

Mas Azeera Binti Mat Ghazali, Nur Aslini Binti Roslan and Nurul Shafiqah Binti Ahmad Sata

Faculty of Engineering Technology (Building Services)

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

_________________________________________________________________
ABSTRACT–The aim of this study is to collect the information and data
regarding the new design concept for an inexpensive solar panel support system on
top of flat roof building in tropical region. The main reason of choosing the solar panel,
in Malaysia there are two seasons summer and monsoon. At Pagoh, in summer the
heat of sunlight is high and following that the solar panels are very suitable made in
Edu. Hub, Pagoh. It also emphasized on the benefits and the disadvantages of the
solar panel to generate the electrical energy on this area. A survey had been done by
research on the journal available which related with the solar panel production which
had already been applied in Malaysia. This project also had the cost calculated on the
system where it will be built in Pagoh which the assuming electricity produced will be
able to supply 1.5MW to the area nearby.

Keywords: Electrical energy, Energy efficiency, Solar power renewable

1.0 INTRODUCTION

As the technology arise in our country, the government of Malaysia had done the
research and applied on the renewable energy conversion to electrical system which reducing
the usage of the fuel. Solar energy is the energy obtained by capturing heat and light from the
Sun. Energy from the Sun is referred to as solar energy. Technology has provided a number
of ways to utilize this abundant resource. It is considered a green technology because it does
not emit greenhouse gases. Solar energy is abundantly available and has been utilized since
long both as electricity and as a source of heat. Solar technology can be broadly classified as:
Active Solar − Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic systems, concentrated
solar power and solar water heating to harness the energy. Active solar is directly consumed
in activities such as drying clothes and warming of air. Passive Solar − 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.

At Malaysia have a solar farm, a solar farm is designed to produce enough electricity
for thousands of homes and business. They are just like the solar panels you install on your
roof to generate power for your individual needs. Solar farms in Malaysia usually sell electricity
to the grid. However, in order to sell power to the grid first you need approval from SEDA.
Malaysia in recent years has become one of the largest solar PV manufacturers in the world.

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It has one of the most resource-efficient solar farms in the world. One of the biggest is in Ayer
Keroh with 29,092 solar panels, generating enough energy to power 1,800 houses every day.
The entire solar power industry in Malaysia is currently producing 67% of the 270MW of
renewable energy.

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENTS

Problem Today, the whole world uses electricity it’s impossible to imagine a life
without it. We depend on it for refrigeration, heating, transportation, hospitals,
communication systems and many other essential services that maintain our way of
life. The major sources of electricity production that we utilize are coal and oil, both of
which produce pollutants to the atmosphere and the environment. By relying on these
non-renewable energy sources, the price of energy will increase exponentially, and
eventually be too expensive to incorporate into power stations. We had acknowledged
this pressing issue and had decided to focus on solar energy to replace nonrenewable
resources. With improved and more advanced solar panels being designed each year,
there is a way out of the fossil fuel slope as solar energy becomes as cost efficient as
coal and oil. However, with this new field there are many problems to tackle before it
can take its place as the leading energy source. We decided to use this solar energy
as renewable energy in UTHM Pagoh area because high demanding of uses electricity
in our life and to safe environment factor.

1.3 OBJECTIVE

In order to complete this project according to the task required, we had set on
the objectives which for solar photovoltaic renewable system at UTHM Pagoh, the
objectives included:

i. To safe environment

ii. To achieve energy efficiency

iii. To avoid pollution around UTHM Pagoh area

iv. To increase the source of power energy in the UTHM, Pagoh area.

v. To encourage further activities in renewal of electricity among residents in the

UTHM, Pagoh area.

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2.0 DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF RENEWABLE GENERATION SYSTEM

2.1 Design

The floating PV generation complex is constructed by connecting unit

structures using bolts or steel bars to minimize the transfer of any bending
moment induced by the unstable movement of the water surface. Unit structure
fabricated on the ground are connected on the water and moored using an
anchor system.
Solar photovoltaic system or Solar power system is one of renewable
energy system which uses PV modules to convert sunlight into electricity. The
electricity generated can be stored or used directly, fed back into grid line or
combined with one or more other electricity generators or more renewable
energy source. Solar PV system is very reliable and clean source of electricity
that can suit a wide range of applications such as residence, industry,
agriculture, livestock, etc.

Figure 2.1.1 Block diagram flow solar energy function

Sizing of Solar Photovoltaic:

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 Solar energy systems are an increasingly common sight on rooftops all across
the U.S., but unless you climb up onto a roof, it can be difficult to figure out how big
solar panels are and how much they weigh. This article will help you understand solar
panel size, solar panel weight, and whether your roof can support solar panels. The
average size of solar panels used in a rooftop solar installation is approximately 65
inches by 39 inches, or 5.4 feet by 3.25 feet. There is some variation from brand to
brand, and if you’re installing a large-scale solar panel system (such as for a
warehouse or a municipal building) your panels will be closer to 6 feet long.

Every solar panel is made up of individual solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells
come in a standard size of 156 mm by 156 mm, which is approximately 6 inches long
and 6 inches wide. Most solar panels for rooftop solar installations are made up of 60
solar cells, while the standard for commercial solar installations is 72 cells (and can go
up to 98 cells or more).

The number of solar cells on one panel is directly related to its length. 72-cell
commercial solar panels are approximately 13 inches longer than 60-cell residential
panels.

Figure 2.1.2: Sizing of solar in building

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 Figure 2.1.3 : Sizing of Solar Photovoltaic

How much electricity does a solar panel produce?

How big are solar panels?

When we say “solar panel,” what we’re talking about is a typical silicon
photovoltaic panel for residential use. These days, most solar panels are about
5 and a half feet tall and a little more than 3 feet wide:

If you look closely at the solar panel in the image above, you’ll notice 60 little
squares. These squares are actually individual solar “cells,” which are linked
together by wires. The cells are where electricity is made, and the wires carry
the electricity to a junction box where the panel is hooked into a larger array.

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 30-100 kW

Commercial solar arrays of this size require special systems to protect the grid
from all the electricity they can generate, and need special permission from
your local electricity network (DNSP) to connect to the grid. A commercial solar
system specialist is recommended for business systems this size (and larger).

Commercial solar systems in this size range are typically installed on medium
sized office buildings, local clubs and small retail businesses. For our design
we choose the commercial building which is consists 30-100 Kw.

2.2 How does it work?

When light energy, or photons, strikes a photovoltaic cell, electrons are

"knocked" loose from a layer in the cell designed to give up electrons easily.
The charge difference that is built into the cell pulls the loose electrons to
another cell layer before they can recombine in their originating layer. This
migration of electrons creates a charge between layers in the photovoltaic cell.
Electrically connecting the positively and negatively charged layers of a
photovoltaic cell through a load (e.g. a light bulb) will produce electricity as the
electrons flow through the circuit, thus, lighting the light bulb as they are
attracted back to the positive layer of the cell.

Photovoltaic cells integrated into a system, or photovoltaic module, create

electricity. This energy is then converted through the inverter to be used by
electric machines, appliances, lights and so on.

PV systems range from small, rooftop-mounted or building-integrated systems

with capacities from a few to several tens of kilowatts, to large utility-scale

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 power stations of hundreds of megawatts. Nowadays, most PV systems are
grid-connected, while off-grid or stand-alone systems only account for a small
portion of the market.

Operating silently and without any moving parts or environmental emissions,

PV systems have developed from being niche market applications into a
mature technology used for mainstream electricity generation. A rooftop
system recoups the invested energy for its manufacturing and installation within
0.7 to 2 years and produces about 95 percent of net clean renewable energy
over a 30-year service lifetime.

2.3 Equipment

Determine Power Consumption Demands

The first step in designing a solar PV system is to find out the total power and energy
consumption of all loads that need to be supplied by the solar PV system as follows:

i. Calculate total Watt-hours per day for each appliance used

ii. Calculate total Watt-hours per day needed from the PV modules

Size the PV Modules

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 Different size of PV modules will produce different amount of power. To find out the
sizing of PV module, the total peak watt produced needs. The peak watt (Wp) produced
depends on size of the PV module and climate of site location. We have to consider
“panel generation factor” which is different in each site location.

i. Calculate the total Watt-peak rating needed for PV modules

ii. Calculate the number of PV panels for the system

Inverter Sizing

An inverter is used in the system where AC power output is needed. The input rating
of the inverter should never be lower than the total watt of appliances. The inverter
must have the same nominal voltage as our battery.

Battery Sizing

The battery type recommended for using in solar PV system is deep cycle battery.
Deep cycle battery is specifically designed for to be discharged to low energy level and
rapid recharged or cycle charged and discharged day after day for years. The battery
should be large enough to store sufficient energy to operate the appliances at night
and cloudy days.

Solar Charge Controller Sizing

The solar charge controller is typically rated against Amperage and Voltage
capacities. Select the solar charge controller to match the voltage of PV array and
batteries and then identify which type of solar charge controller is right for the
application. Make sure that solar charge controller has enough capacity to handle the
current from PV array. [6]

2.4 Example of Calculations

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 Figure 1: Example of design calculations
Source: (Leonics, 2013)

2.5 Generation Process

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 Figure 1: The process of solar energy transfer
Source: (John Lee, 2014)

Nowadays, Malaysia stands in a high modern lifestyle include all factors among
neighbour in the world. As time was go on, we are famous with renewable energy to produce
electricity to supply it to users. As we know, the current renewable energy used in our country
was solar power energy. Solar panel systems have become one of the fastest-growing
sources of energy in the Malaysia. The popularity of solar power has led to the rise of another
renewable technology which is solar batteries that can store extra solar power for later use. In
our project, we use solar power storage by the batteries. We are developing batteries that can
be installed with solar panels to create solar-plus-storage systems for our location.

Besides, solar power is arguably the cleanest, most reliable form of renewable energy
available, and it can be used in several forms to help power the building or business. Solar-
powered photovoltaic (PV) panels convert the sun's rays into electricity by exciting electrons
in silicon cells using the photons of light from the sun. This electricity can then be used to
supply renewable energy to buildings or business.

Furthermore, Solar batteries work by converting the DC energy being produced by

your solar panels and storing it as AC power for later use. In some cases, solar batteries have
their own inverter and offer integrated energy conversion. When we install a solar battery as
part of our solar panel system, we are able to store excess solar electricity at your home
instead of sending it back to the grid. If the solar panels are producing more electricity than
we need, the excess energy goes towards charging the battery. Later, when the solar panels

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are not producing electricity, we can draw down the energy we stored earlier in the battery for
night use. [7]

2.6 The Process of Solar Energy Transfer

Figure 2: The process of solar energy transfer for commercial building

2.7 The Major System Components in Solar Power Energy

Solar PV system includes different components that should be selected according to

your system type, site location and applications. The major components for solar PV
system are solar charge controller, inverter, battery bank, auxiliary energy sources and
loads (appliances).

a) PV Module

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  converts sunlight into DC electricity
b) Solar Charge Controller
 regulates the voltage and current coming from the PV panels going to
battery and prevents battery overcharging and prolongs the battery life
c) Inverter
 converts DC output of PV panels or wind turbine into a clean AC current
for AC appliances or fed back into grid line
d) Battery
 Stores energy for supplying to electrical appliances when there is a
demand.
e) Load
 electrical appliances that connected to solar PV system such as lights,
radio, TV, computer, refrigerator
f) Auxiliary Energy Sources
 renewable energy sources (Sun)
g) meter

 To access the full value of the electricity that your system generates,
it’s a requirement that your meter change over to a two-way (bi-
directional) meter. This is one that not only reads your consumption, but
the amount of electricity you’re exporting to the grid.

 A system installation may occur prior to the bi-directional meter. But in

the interim, any surplus power you generate will spin your current meter
backwards. I.e. just provide a credit at the current market rate.

 Costs vary by state and distribution network provider. If there is a cost,

your electricity retailer pays it and includes it on your next electricity bill.
Energy Matters does not perform the changeover, but will assist in
meter changeover arrangements.

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3.0 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC

3.1 Advantages

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. We
cannot run out of solar energy, unlike some of the other sources of
energy. 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 you 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. Moreover, not only will
you be saving on the electricity bill, there is also a possibility to receive
payments for the surplus energy that you export back to the grid. If you
generate more electricity than you use (considering that your solar
panel system is connected to the grid).

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 distill 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. Not long ago Sharp introduced transparent
solar energy windows.
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. If in doubt, you can always rely on
specialised cleaning companies, which offer this service. Most reliable

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 solar panel manufacturers offer long term warranty. Also, as there are
no moving parts, there is no wear and tear. The inverter is usually the
only part that needs to changed after 5-10 years because it is
continuously working to convert solar energy into electricity and heat.
Apart from the inverter, the cables also need maintenance to ensure
your solar power system runs at maximum efficiency. So, after covering
the initial cost of the solar system, you can expect very little spending
on maintenance and repair work.

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.

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3.2 Disadvantages

1. Cost
The initial cost of purchasing a solar system is fairly high. This includes
paying for solar panels, inverter, batteries, wiring, and for 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. On the other hand, if you also require your
water heating solution to work at night or during wintertime,
thermodynamic panels are an alternative to consider.

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. In most cases, it is smarter to just use solar energy during
the day and take energy from the grid during the night (you can only do
this if your system is connected to the grid). Luckily your energy demand
is usually higher during the day so you can meet most of it with solar
energy.

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

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 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. There are also
some toxic materials and hazardous products used during the
manufacturing process of solar photovoltaic systems, which can
indirectly affect the environment. Nevertheless, solar energy pollutes
far less than other alternative energy sources.

4.0 CONCLUSION

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 Solar power is an immense source of directly useable energy and ultimately creates
other energy resources: biomass, wind, hydropower and wave energy. Most of the Earth's
surface receives sufficient solar energy to permit low-grade heating of water and buildings,
although there are large variations with latitude and season. At low latitudes, simple mirror
devices can concentrate solar energy sufficiently for cooking and even for driving steam
turbines. The energy of light shifts electrons in some semiconducting materials. This
photovoltaic effect is capable of large-scale electricity generation. However, the present low
efficiency of solar PV cells demands very large areas to supply electricity demands. Direct use
of solar energy is the only renewable means capable of ultimately supplanting current global
energy supply from non-renewable sources, but at the expense of a land area of at least half
a million km2.

It is clear that there is a strong need to integrate more renewable energy sources into
the grid of the future. These kinds of energy sources, when coupled with energy sources, can
greatly benefit the grid by offering a variety of ancillary services and daily peak load reductions.
Storage technologies will vary according to different renewable energy sources and a greater
variety of sources will lead to more grid stability. With the current amount of storage on the
grid, renewable energy sources still face a very hard road to full integration with the grid. But
it is also worth noting that renewable energy may play a much bigger role in decentralized or
distribution power system than in the gigantic centralized power system we that we have
today.

Renewable energy technologies could reduce CO2 emissions by replacing fossil fuels
in the power generation industry and the transportation sector. It is because some negative
and irreversible externalities in conventional energy production, it is necessary to develop and
promote renewable energy supply technologies and demand for renewable energy. Power
generation using renewable energy sources should be increased in order to decrease the unit
cost if generation. Energy consumption depends of several factors including economic
progress, population, energy prices, weather and technology.

Solar panels provide clean and renewable energy for cities, buildings and homes. They
capture sunlight and generate electricity. Solar panels do not use any fuel or gas, and they do
not produce gasses that can ruin the fresh air we breathe. Some homes, businesses and other
buildings already use solar panels, but that is not enough to solve the energy crisis. A group
of scientists magnified light using a convex lens and aimed it at a solar panel. The light
concentrated by the convex lens generated twice the amount of power then light directly hitting
the solar panel. This innovative idea occupied less space of the solar panel. Why waste money

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by mounting massive solar panels on buildings, when people could use solar panel half the
size.

Solar panels can provide clean and renewable energy for our planet and the
concentration of light by using convex lens could save money. Also, the concentrated light
would double the amount of power generated. People would wake up every day breathing
fresh air and smog and also cities could use clean and renewable energy. Instead of seeing
and smelling pollution.

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REFERENCE

[1] Richard Stephenson. (2007) Fundamental Properties of Solar Cell and Paste for Silicon
Solar Cell. United State of America.
[2] Milligan, Michael, Erik Ela, Jeff Hein, Thomas Schneider, Gregory Brinkman, and Paul
Denholm, (2005) Renewable Electricity Futures Study. Volume 4: Bulk Electric Power
Systems: Operations and Transmission.
[3] Eric Anderson, Chris Dohan, Aaron Sikora. (2003) Solar Panel Peak Power Tracking
System, Worcester Polytechnic institute.
[4] Adams, S. (2006) A Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation for Energy Projects
International working group.
[5] Akinyele, D. O. and Rayudu, R. K. (2014) ‘Review of energy storage technologies for
sustainable power; Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, vol. 8, pp. 74-
91(online). DOI:10.1016/j.seta.2014.07.004
[6]

Ziantara, B. (2019, January 02). Solar Power Rocks.com. Retrieved from How much
electricity does a solar panel produce?: https://www.solarpowerrocks.com/solar-
basics/how-much-electricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce/

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5.0 APPENDICES

Figure 5.1 shows the progress of making a model

Figure 5.2 shows the complete model

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