Summary

Solar energy is the renewable form of energy and is freely available everywhere. Since ancient times, solar energy has been employed as a source of energy for different process heat applications. With the sky clearness of over 342 days/year and the long term solar insolation received between 2200 – 2700 kWh/m2 throughout the country, makes Oman as one of the most preferred destination in the region for harnessing the solar energy for different applications.

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar thermal devices (that based on solar flat plate and solar concentrators) are used to harness the solar energy into usable form. Solar PV systems coverts the light energy from the sun rays into the electrical energy while solar thermal systems convert the thermal part of solar radiations into to heat. Solar thermal devices include the solar flat plate collectors and the concentrators while the silicon-based PV panels are used in solar PV systems for generating electrical energy. However, energy conversion efficiency of solar PV system is affected with the increasing temperatures. The PV systems in general, have lower energy conversion efficiency, which reduces further with the increasing ambient temperatures and the excessive solar radiation conditions> it has been observed that e very 1oC rise in P V cell temperature, decreases the PV system.

Moreover, several industries require hot air in the medium temperature range of 45-55oC for several heating and drying applications. Thus, these installed PV-T systems can not only produce and supply the electrical energy but also produce the hot air for different applications in the industries, while improving the overall system efficiency and the output from the PV-system.

This project aims to enhance the efficiency of the solar PV system by cooling the PV panels by using the air that flows over the panels at its bottom, and absorbs the heat. This will cool while reducing the solar PV panel temperature and produce the hot air. This will not only increase the PV panel output but also produce the hot air which can be used in the food industries in drying the food products. A combined output of electrical and thermal energy can be obtained using a PV-T system. This combined PV-T unit can be installed at locations remotely in Oman. This PV-T unit has the potential to provide employment opportunities for the small family units and the young population at these remote locations in Oman. In addition to this, for small farmers, this unit can be supportive in converting their crop/agricultural yield directly into the commercial products or for long term storage in a more cost-effective manner. Further to add, this unit will reduce the use of non-conventional fuels used otherwise for drying of food/agricultural products.

Objectives

1- Develop a Photovoltaic-Thermal air-drying unit for drying of food products.

2- Performance improvement of a solar Photovoltaic system.

3- Testing and data analysis of the PV-T unit for at least two local food/agricultural products.

4- Analyzing the performance of the system for different weather conditions at Muscat.

5- Conservation of conventional fuels and the bio resources used in the traditional methods while utilizing the non-conventional solar thermal energy for drying of food products.

6- Creating employment opportunities in the rural regions of Oman while promoting the utilization of solar thermal energy in the country.

Funding Agency:

MOHERI