Master of Science in Renewable and Clean Energy Engineering (MSRCE), Wright State University, 2016, Renewable and Clean Energy

Solar Energy is a renewable energy source which is used widely in recent times. Photovoltaic panels collect the sun's energy and convert it to electricity. Photovoltaic panels are being widely used in both domestic applications, commercial applications, and small-scale power generation applications. Photovoltaic panels are easy to install, they generate most of their power when electrical demands peak, prices of photovoltaic panels are dropping rapidly, photovoltaic panels require low maintenance, their operating costs are minimal, and they are highly suitable for remote applications. The amount of electricity produced by photovoltaic panels depends on the amount of sunlight the panel captures. The orientation of the panel relative to the sun's rays is an important consideration in optimizing this energy collection. This thesis deals with developing analytic equations that determine the optimum orientation of solar panels including the effects of a clear-atmosphere. This is done for three types of tracking: two-axis tracking, single, horizontal east-west axis tracking, and single, horizontal north-south axis tracking. While doing a literature search on the development of analytic equations that determine the optimum orientation of solar panels, it was found that Braun and Mitchell were the first to develop the equations that determine the optimum orientation of solar panels using the three types of tracking mentioned above. They developed these equations assuming there is no atmosphere on earth and that there is no reflection of the sun's rays off the earth's surface. Thus, the only component of solar radiation that they considered was that coming in a straight path from the sun to the earth, this is called beam radiation. The no-atmosphere optimum solar panel orientation equations have been around for decades and they are in many textbooks on solar energy. At this time, it appears that analytical relationships that account for the effects of the atmosphere on t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James Menart Ph.D. (Advisor); Daniel Young Ph.D. (Committee Member); Hong Huang Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Alternative Energy; Energy; Engineering; Mechanical Engineering