Innovations towards making Solar Power Energy more greener and sustainable

अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम्।

उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्॥

This is mine, that is his, say the small minded,

The wise believe that the entire world is a family.

Sun, is a massive source of energy, nutrients, power, inspiration and offcourse the biggest star of our own Milky way galaxy. Since ages, we bharatiya, worship sun because of knowing the fact that ultimate source of energy is Sun solely and when mankind realised that fossil fuels are depleting and are wanton for the nature then scientists discovered the clean and green source of energy. Subhendu Guha, a noted scientist for his pioneering work in amorphous silicon, led the invention of flexible solar shingles, a roofing material and state-of-the-art technology for converting sunlight to electricity in India. 

India's solar power installed capacity was 81.813 GW_AC as of 31 March 2024. India is the third largest producer of solar power globally. During 2010–19, the foreign capital invested in India on Solar power projects was nearly US$20.7 billion.

How actually Solar power energy is harnessed? 

# Harnessing solar energy for electricity is referred to as photovoltaic energy generation. The principle behind the operation of solar panels is the photovoltaic effect, and the electrical energy produced from solar radiation is called photovoltaic energy. 

# A single PV cell typically produces 1-2 watts of photovoltaic energy. To achieve higher voltages, PV cells are connected in series; for higher currents, parallel connections are made.

# Photovoltaic energy is a direct current in nature. To utilize solar energy in our day-to-day use, the photovoltaic energy from solar panels is converted into alternating current using inverters.

# Photovoltaic cells are semiconductor devices containing both P-type and N-type materials forming a PN junction. Similar to a PN junction diode, an electric field is established across the junction due to the movement of electrons towards the positive P side and holes to the N side. When light falls on the PV cell, the photons, which are the electromagnetic energy bundles present in the solar radiation, are absorbed by the cell. The energy associated with the photon gets transferred to the charge carried in the PN junction. In this way, light excites the electrons to the conduction band and starts a free flow of electrons until the light waves are present.

Problems with the Photovoltaic Energy :- 

@ Conversion efficiency is low.

@ Limited to sun rays only, not feasible at night or when cloudy weather and if trees or building shadows cover the equipment, if downgrades the efficacy. 

@ Fragility makes it vulnerable to damage.

@ Transmission for the distant places is difficult. 

@ Disposable of the PV equipments are not bio degradable, thus being greener energy is not longer so greener and environment friendly. 

New Techniques for Harnessing the Solar Power Energy :- 

New trend has been emerged where semi conductor made up of plastics, that permits more durability and price leverage, therefore a good replacement option for silicone. It is done using a juxtaposition of two different polymers where each takes a different charge after absorption and the charge is collected to give a working cell. 

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ( DSCs), are better replacement for the silicon crystals providing low supplies. DSCs uses cheap organic dye molecule and utilising such molecules as light harvesters that carry away charge in inorganic nanoparticles such as titanium dioxide (Institution of Engineering & Technology, 2008). These DSCs can last up to thirty years and undergo numerous turnovers with minimal damage.

Nano-crystalline structures can harvest up to 11% of solar energy due to their enhanced and improved conversion efficiencies via a rapid diffusion across the inorganic polycrystalline network which generate current. Through this technology ample quantity of electric current can be harvested to drive motor vehicles and even light households.  

Futuristic approach states the inevitable exhibition where Photovoltaic cells present on the rooftop and windows of the cars are getting charged with the  electricity and when parked in the sun, meanwhile, are recharging their batteries. Similarly, house appliances can be recharged with photovoltaic cells which is more environment friendly. 

 

Secondly, designing artificial leafs to harness solar energy like ordinary organic plant leaf in the process of photosynthesis. This artificial leafs would be expected to break down the water molecules to hydrogen and oxygen atom and simultaneously forming oxygen - oxygen bonds resulting in exhaustible oxygen molecule for combustion which would be creating a fuel and when combined with the hydrogen molecules. Such can be accomplished by incorporating ruthenium and manganese complexes to mimic photosynthesis. The artificial leaf could as well be utilised in the reduction of carbon levels by mimicking the dark reaction where adenosine tri-phosphate is converted back into adenosine di-phosphate and releasing energy in joules plus an inorganic phosphate a process which requires no light. Therefore, water can be used as a fuel in coming future through artificial photosynthetic process. 

Conclusion - Solar energy harnessing may be taken as the world’s next step to reduce carbon emission from burning of fossil fuels. The new techniques developed in the harnessing of solar energy are providing easier roadmap for the entrepreneurs to come up with solar powered devices that will go into the market soon. Certainly, such developments could be exported and contributing towards the exports of nation plus helping world to come closer to the carbon neutral targets.

The developments made have been made possible through support and funding from organizations around the world that have a aim of reducing energy costs and carbon emission while at the same time developing local communities where infrastructure hasn’t accessed.  With bottom-up influence and motivation, a global community that operates primarily on solar energy could be achieved when young scholars, engineers and scientists are made aware of such advances.