Key Problems About Using Solar Power

The use of large areas of land for power plants with photocells of the first and second generation is needed because of the theoretical limitations in the spectrum transformation into the useful energy (about 30%). For example, it could take several tens of square kilometres for 1 GW power plant. For comparison, hydropower, with the same capacity, takes out from the use significantly larger tracts of land. But the construction of such power solar plants may change the microclimate in the surrounding area, so that photovoltaic power stations of 1-2 MW are usually being installed close to consumers or even as the individual and mobile units. Photoelectric elements of large solar power plants are being installed at a height of 1,8-2,5 m that allows the use of land under the power plants for agricultural purposes such as grazing. The problem of large areas of land finding for solar power could be solved in the case of the solar balloon stations, suitable for both terrestrial and marine, and for high-rise basing.

The flow of solar energy falling on a set at the optimum angle photocell depends on latitude, season and climate and can vary by two times for populated part of land (up to three if sub-Saharan Africa is taken into consideration). Atmospheric phenomena such as clouds, fog, dust etc. not only alter the spectrum and intensity of the solar radiation incident upon the surface of the Earth, but also alter the balance between direct and scattered radiation, which exerts considerable influence on some types of solar power. For example, it may affect concentrators or elements of a wide range conversion.

When solar cells are manufactured, the level of pollution does not exceed the permissible level for enterprises of microelectronic industry. Modern photovoltaic cells have a service life up to 30-50 years. In the process of some types of solar cells manufacturing the use of cadmium bound in compounds aimed to improve the efficiency of transformation, makes a complex issue of recovery. This also has not the acceptable decision from an environmental point of view yet. Although such elements have a slight spread and there a worthy replacement has been found for cadmium compounds in the modern manufacturing.

Recently the production of thin-film solar cells has been developing actively. Solar cells of such type of include only about 1% of silicon in its containing, with as regards to the mass of the substrate on which thin films are applied. Due to the small amount of materials on the absorbing layer, that is to say silicon, thin-film silicon photovoltaic cells cheaper in its production, but still have lower efficiency and fatal degradation characteristics over time. In addition, the production of thin-film photovoltaic cells on the other semiconductor materials is growing, in particular the CIS and CIGS that are worthy competitors to silicon. For example,