Lanitits Solar Systems

Project Background and objectives

In the last 100 years the need for energy consumption has increased dramatically. The modern way of life and the current use of fossil fuels have created two serious problems for humanity:
a) The energy resources of the planet are diminishing
b) The pollution of the environment.
When power stations burn coal, oil, gas to create electricity, they release harmful gases which pollute the atmosphere. Thus, our dependence on fossil fuels has to end soon.
On this basis, scientists all over the world have been led to search for alternative energy resources that:
a) will be renewable , with no time limit
b) will at the same time, protect the environment from being further polluted
Renewable energy can be produced using the wind, the sun, waves and hot springs. The sun is one of the greatest sources of energy. Although it is 150 million kilometres away its powerful energy supports all life on our planet. It does not create pollution or harmful emissions. It is plenty and is free. All in all, it is a renewable source of energy.
Based on the above ideas, this project deals with solar systems which collect and store the energy from the sun and which have now became a part of the new sustainable technological development; they are the sustainable technology that promises not only plenty of energy but plenty of clean air and waters.

Primary Sustainable technology

Cyprus is a very sunny country of an average sunshine of 13 hours a day. That makes the Lanitis solar systems and all the photovoltaic systems in generally a very sustainable technology. There are two kinds of systems: 1) the Grid-connected system and 2) the Stand-alone system. The main element of the two Lanitis solar systems is the Photovoltaic panel.

1. Definition
“Photo” refers to light and “voltaic” to electricity. Each panel consists of many photovoltaic cells connected together in parallel or in series according to the desire output.

2. How the PV works
The remarkable technology of these cells lies in the material of which they are made of. This material is called silicon and it has the unique ability to free electrons when sunlight photons hit it. Therefore direct current electricity is produced. To use this electricity we must convert it into alternative current and that is the Inverter’s job which is also installed in both systems.
Photo caption

3. Advantages
a) Energy Pay Back
The exact energy payback for PV systems is obviously depended on the available solar resource and on the degree to which the system is operational. The customer has a choice of two 15-year contracts, to sign up with the Electricity Authority of Cyprus. The first one is to have 55% subsidy and sell the generated power to Authority of Cyprus at the price of 12 cent / kWh by which he will have a two-month income of about CY₤150 and the second one is to cover the total cost by himself and sell the generated power to EAC at the price of 22.4 cent / kWh and have two-month income of about ₤280. Basically both of the incomes cancel out the average electricity bill of a household.
b) Wide Application
Photovoltaic systems have a wide area of application. They can be used to provide high-reliability power into all types of buildings, from remote inhabited homes and villages to public buildings and factories; they can be used for electrifying traffic control systems, remote cameras, irrigation systems, etc and also to provide the energy to run satellites that orbit the Earth. PV systems are also considered to be an excellent solution for emergencies like power outages where critical equipment is needed.
Usually the Stand-alone System is used in houses that are in remote areas away from any public grid. This is the main difference it has from the Grid-connected system which requires connection with the public grid as it sends the extra electricity to it for the proportional cost. The other important difference is that the Stand-alone system uses solar batteries to store the electricity but the Grid-connected system does not because the grid acts like a battery with an unlimited storage capacity.
Photo caption

c) Preserve fossil fuels reserves
Buying solar systems and using solar energy help preserve the earth’s finite fossil-fuel resources.
d) Environmentally Friendly
Photovoltaic systems are very environmentally friendly because their electricity is generated from a renewable source and is the only renewable energy technology that is proven, available now and has no barriers to installation. The generating component produces electricity silently and does not emit any harmful gases during operation.
e) Maintenance
Maintenance requirements are negligible. The modules are self-cleaned through rainfall when they are attached on a tilled or flat roof with a slope of at least 20˚. Generally, the cleanliness of system panels ensures greater efficiency.

4. Disadvantages or Draw-backs
a) Installation area
A thirty to forty square meters (30-40 m2) free surface is needed, which should be at least available roof-area with no shadow from features such as antennas, buildings, etc. Also the sloping surface should ideally point in a southerly direction. Now if the roof is flat, a special mounting structure is used and a free surface of (45 – 50 m2) is required.
b) Cost of installation
The cost of installation can be a major draw-back as it is quite expensive at present. In Cyprus, for an average house the cost of installation can amount to CY£16.000.
c) Permission
Another possible draw-back can be permission. In order for a photovoltaic system to be installed in Cyprus, permission from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and occasionally from the Town Planning Services is required. This procedure can have an extra cost and it is also time consuming.

Political and Financial Effects

1. Solar energy can be regarded as one of the best solutions for a peaceful and technologically civilized future. As the lifespan of fossil fuels is shortening, it is possible that desperate countries will start scrapping for what remains. The one thing that will maintain peace is plenty of energy and the sun has more of it than any other energy resource.

2. At this point, countries with a high technological development should consider helping financially the under develop countries to start using solar systems, as these countries might have a great source of renewable solar energy but very little financial ability to support sustainable technological development. In the long-run, the under developed countries will be financially independent, once the renewable energy starts paying back.

3. Governments all over the world should, at the same time, offer opportunities to all the people to use solar systems.

Sustainable development from a global prospective

Our planet needs safe sources of energy that do not pollute the environment and to maintain the civilization and services we have built up demands new energy resources urgently and on a massive scale.
Moreover, solar energy is considered as one of the best ways to save our planet from the climate changes that are threatening Earth. At the same time, it can put an end to our dependence on fossil fuels before all the reserves run down.
While growing at a rapid pace, solar electric energy globally still only accounts for around 0.1 % of primary energy demand. This means that relatively small increases in market penetration by solar energy as costs decline, lead to very rapid growth rates in this industry.
Photo caption

To sum up, in order to build a clean world, free from pollution, financially and technologically strong but most of all peaceful, we must all work together using the renewable energy that is offered to us so plentifully by the Sun.
This project suggests that we can rely on solar energy as the renewable energy resource of the future and solar systems should be widely used to save our planet!

References:__**

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/generate_your_own_energy/types_of_renewables/solar_electricity
http://www.greenenergy.org.uk/pvuk2/technology/index.html
http://www.pvsystems.com/
http://www.enfotonsolar.com/
http://www.lanitis-solar.com/
http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm
http://www.tahoesolardesigns.com/solarelectricity