FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF STAND-ALONE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM INSTALLATION

The Earth is experiencing degradations and natural disasters like flooding, wildfires, loss of lives and agricultural farms, economic losses and so on, triggered by global warming and climate change. This is due to the reckless use of fossil fuels and by extension, carbon emission into the atmosphere. As a result of the aforementioned, the world is gradually experiencing a paradigm shift from the use of fossil fuels for power generation, industrial and domestic use and even in the transportation industry to the adoption and use of renewable energy by governments at all levels across the nations of the world and stake holders. This is geared towards achieving a clean energy that is eco-friendly, pollution free, nature friendly and sustainable devoid of depletion.There are different sources of renewable energy some of which are hydroelectric power, solar energy, wind energy. Solar energy system which has its source extracted from the sun, a free gift of nature is sub divided into on-grid and off-grid or stand-alone solar energy systems. But this text focuses on off-grid solar energy system installation and its fundamental principles.The use of solar energy dates back to the creation of man and the inception of the world, early men and our forefathers used the sunlight to dry their crops and other agricultural produce to prepare them for storage so that they don’t perish or get spoilt. Even before the discovery of the modern solar energy system using solar panels, inverters, batteries and so on, the solar energy is used to dry washed clothes by spreading them under the sun for heat penetration.The different sub-systems of a solar energy system, their basic functions, contributions, importance, their various types and so on as they relate to system setup and installation are treated and analyzed in this text. Relevant design methodologies, mathematical calculations and formulars to aid effective learning are also included. By the end of this course, students should be able to analyze load requirements, design, install and upgrade already installed solar energy systems.The author, Richard Olufemi Ajayi obtained both undergraduate and postgraduate (graduate) qualifications in electrical/electronic engineering, electrical power engineering, electrical machine engineering and information technology (IT). He is also an Indian trained project planner and manager. He has designed, supervised and executed several electrical installation projects including stand-alone (off-grid) solar energy system installations for homes, offices, small and medium scale businesses.Richard is an environmental activist, an enthusiast of renewable energy, a crusader of clean, green and sustainable energy devoid of depletion. His driving force for writing this book was born out of the desire to ensure there is high level of explicability and clarity in teaching solar energy system installation as an electrical power engineering course in institutions of higher learning.As a strategy, writing this book is also meant to ensure there is a paradigm shift from the use of fossil fuels to the use of renewables, through inclusive participation of all, especially undergraduates in the project of saving the Earth from global warming and by extension, natural disasters. These global warming induced natural disasters like flooding, wildfires and so on are triggering effects and aftermaths of carbon emissions into the atmosphere due to reckless use of fossil fuels. Read more