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26 Introduction to SolarPowerfortheWorld Annex: Some Facts on PV • Thickness The thickness of PV modules is essentially determined by the supporting pane, normally glass. Solar cells are less than 1/3 mm thick when they are made of silicon crystals and not more than 1/1000 mm thick when they are thin film. • Areas The area of a PV array of PV modules takes normally less than 10 m 2 /kW. It depends on the cell efficiencies and the packing density; 1 MW of PV occupies less than 1 ha (2.5 acres); 1 GW occupies an area of less than 10 km 2 (3.86 square miles). • Electricity Production For complete PV systems well oriented south at a fixed inclination corresponding to the latitude of the site, the annual electric energy production is better than 1000 kWh for every kW installed, even at bad or mediocre solar climates. The average for Germany in central Europe is 900 kWh/kW, a capacity factor of 11%. This takes into account that a non-negligible part of the system park is not perfectly oriented south, or that systems have technical flaws. In parts of Germany with a better solar regime, up to 1300 kWh can be produced in a year. In the south of Europe, the yields are higher up to 2000 kWh. The same is true in most of the United States. PV systems employing solar tracking may yield some 15% to 30% more than the corresponding fixed-plate arrays; on the other hand, installation and operation costs are higher: a difficult tradeoff. • Energy Payback Time for Solar Cells Crystalline silicon cells have a payback time of less than 2 years, i.e. they are operated for less than 2 years at an
Introduction to SolarPowerfortheWorld 27 average solar regime before the energy invested in cell production is recovered. This is more favourable than the case of nuclear power plants. Thin-film modules have to be operated for only less than half a year to recover the energy invested. Dr Wolfgang Palz Independent energy expert, editor
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editor Wolfgang Palz What You Wante
Page 3 and 4: SOLAR POWER for the World
Page 5 and 6: editor Wolfgang Palz What You Wante
Page 7 and 8: Contents List of Contributors Hymn
Page 9 and 10: Contents vii 2.3.3 PV Costs and Ben
Page 11 and 12: Contents ix 9 Solar Cell Developmen
Page 13 and 14: Contents xi 23 Solar Power in Genev
Page 15 and 16: Contents xiii 31.5.1 Renewable Ener
Page 17 and 18: Contents xv 40.6 Changing DC Curren
Page 19 and 20: Contents xvii 44.2.6 Solar Energy I
Page 21 and 22: Contents xix 44.4 Solar Prize, Hand
Page 23 and 24: Contents xxi 44.4.4.1 Market-based
Page 25: List of Contributors Franz Alt, Ger
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Page 31 and 32: Introduction to SolarPowerfortheWor
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