Voltage measurement of each element and noting of the values in a logbook. Check appearance: case normal, not distorted, clean terminals (if not clean them), no visible deposit at the bottom of the plates (which indicates a loss of actor material, visible when the case is transparent). Check the connections: terminal clamps tight, cables in […]

Solar panels Clean the surface with plain water: remove dirt, sand, any spider’s webs or insects (also in the junction box). Cut back any vegetation around the panels. Check the appearance of the modules: no brown cells, no water leakage, no other damage. Check the stands: check for any corrosion, tighten the mechanical fixings. Note: […]

Figure A2.1 Solar radiation in Europe. Average values of global solar radiation (expressed over 24 h in December) for orientation due south and a tilt of 60° from the horizontal (in kWh/т2/day) Country Place Lat. Long. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Norway Bergen 60.2° N 5.2° E Gh […]

Total emission: lumens (lm) Luminous efficacy of a lamp (quantity of lumens emitted compared to the electric power consumed): lumens per watt (lm/W) Illumination received on a surface within the sensitivity of the human eye (400-700 nm): lux (lx) = lm/m2 (equivalent to W/m2) Example: Illumination on a desk: 300 lx.

Instantaneous solar radiation received on a surface: watts per square metre (W/m2) 1 W/m2 = 0.1 mW/cm2 Integrated (or cumulative) solar radiation over a period of 24 h (= energy): watts x hour or kilowatts x hour per square metre per day (Wh/m2/day) or (kWh/m2/day) Appendix 1 343 Example: Average cumulative solar radiation per day […]

Wavelength of light radiation Micrometres (pm) = 10-6 m Nanometres (nm) = 10-9 m Example: Radiation of colour green: 1 = 550 nm = 0.55 pm Energy of a photon hc E(electron-volt, eV) = hv = — 1 where h is Planck’s constant, v is the frequency, c is the speed of light and 1 […]

Electrical characteristics of an appliance Instantaneous data P: electrical power in watts (W) 1 kW = 1000 W = 100,000 mW I: current consumed in amperes (A) 1 A = 1000 mA = 100,000 pA V or U: operating voltage in volts (V) 1V = 1000 mV P = U x I(W) = (V) x […]

A small agricultural commune in the Vaucluse Department of southern France built a wastewater treatment plant below the village far from any electricity lines. They planned to dig a trench to make a connection to the grid, but the owner of the field that had to be crossed refused permission. The plant was finished and […]