Solar Solutions and Large PV Power Plants

Oscar Araujo Business Development Director Americas

Solar Business of Schneider Electric

The Solar Business of Schneider Electric is focused on designing and developing renewable energy products and solutions and providing best-in-class, global customer services and technical support. Our innovative products help you to get the most efficient solar harvest from your installation, and you benefit from having a single supplier for all of your components. Our products and solutions are present at every link in the energy chain and contribute to your total energy savings.

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Brief history
Antoine Becquerel first described the photovoltaic effect in 1839, and Albert Einstein explained the mechanisms in 1912
When a material is exposed to sunlight, exposed atoms release electrons The free Electrons create a continuous low voltage

In the 1950s teams of Bell Laboratories manufactured the first crystalline silicon cell
First commercial applications with space programs

A real interest born from the second oil shock (early 1980) for terrestrial energetic applications
In 1963 the first cells are installed in Japan Today, photovoltaic cells are present in various applications
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Some examples of applications

General public applications

(few watts)

Installation in the residential

(1 to 5 kW)

Installations in buildings
(few 100 kW)

Solar Farms
(few megawatt)

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Current generation
A cell 70 mm

A photovoltaic cell is made from a slice of silicon

The silicon is doped with impurities. This creates an area with excess electrons (N zone) and a deficit of electrons or holes (P zone)

Photons

N doped zone
300 m

P doped zone

- - - - + + ++ +
+

A slice of silicon

The energy of photons from the sun will release electrons The electrons will recombine with holes through the external circuit to balance the junction : A direct electrical current is generated
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The main manufacturing technologies

Mono crystalline silicon cells ( M-Si )

Higher efficiency Quite high manufacturing costs

Poly crystalline silicon cells ( P-Si )

Widely used Cheaper than mono crystalline

Thin film or amorphous silicon cells ( a-Si )

Lower efficiency but better than crystalline on diffuse radiation Cheaper than polycrystalline Suitable to large building projects , roof or cladding systems Flexible and lightweight
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Structure of a photovoltaic system

Junction box Photovoltac generator

Energy production
A photovoltaic generator produces DC

Energy conversion
An inverter converts direct current into alternating current .
Inverter

The connection and protection of continuous and alternative circuits

Raccordement au rseau

Junction boxes DC and AC protection enclosures

Protection enclosure

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Off Grid and Solar Back-up Power Systems

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Residential Grid-Tie Systems

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Small Commercial Grid-Tie Systems

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Utility Scale Grid-Tie Systems

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Schneider position and offer: leader in offering the lowest LCOE possible
Increase O&M efficiency Offer high level of Equipment reliability Decrease Construction price

O&M costs

investment Life time

Decrease O&M costs

production High level of Bankability By Reduction of risks taxes Financing costs Reduction of Construction time
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The Bigger The Better

Below 10 MW, CAPEX is strongly increased
As an example, cost of electricity is increased by 15% if the power plant size is 5 MW instead of 50 MW
Price (100% for 24 MW)
150% 145% 140% 135% 130% 125% 120%

CAPEX as a function of size

115%
110% 105% 100% 95% 90% 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

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MW
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How is a Solar Farm Built ?

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Civil work :
Land leveled if needed,

Screws or piles are positioned to support structures

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Structures :
Aluminum or steel construction

Pre-assembled or easy to put together on-site

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Modules :
Crystalline or thin-film

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Array boxes :
Connect strings Cables are usually trenched

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PVBox for Power conversion

Includes Inverters Transformers MV protection Cooling equipment Typical Size: 1MW

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Large power plants are made of 1MW (or larger) blocks

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Grid-Tie Substation
Includes transformers Circuit breakers energy meters

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Large power plants are just " Copy-and-Paste " of smaller blocks
1MW (or larger blocks) 20 000m

Olmedilla, Spain, 60 MW

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Schneider Electric offers a comprehensive solution

50 % - Panels 50 % - Civil work Structures Electrical Equipment
27 % - Schneider Electric equipment 7 % - Engineering & Commissioning 15 % - Civil works

36 % - Screws, structures & panel mounting

15 % - Cables & Electrical installation

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SE Business Models
3
Electrical EPC Adequate packages + Project Management Electrical Engineering Electrical Installation Security system Operations and Maintenance Services Commitment on availability level

2 1
Products/Equipment Inverters Transformers Switchgears Solution Package: PV Box Grid Box Array Box Monitoring/SCADA

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