Japanese company shines with solar energy solutions

Tag : Power Supply Tester

Japanese electrical company Sanyo's local solar division iswitnessing increasing client interest, following the country'spower crisis.
Sanyo divisional manager for energy power solutions, Win Kurzyca , tells Engineering News that the power supply shortage has made people more aware of theneed for energy savings.
He adds that hybrid systems such as solar energy, wind farms, gasand biodiesel are being implemented worldwide in an effort to saveenergy.
"Solar systems never fail when they are designed andengineered correctly. Sanyo offers a multilayer cell system, whichgenerates power much earlier in the morning and later in theafternoon than many other systems. Where normal peak sunshine hoursare normally five to six hours, Sanyo's solar panels can provideeight hours, thus contributing to higher energy production,"he says.
Kurzyca explains that Sanyo's solar panels have an effectivemono-crystalline design, and boast solar energy conversionefficiency of 22,3%, which is 5% higher than the industry average.
The technology responsible for this increased output is calledheterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT), which are panelsmade up of layers of crystalline silicone wafers, as well as thinamorphous silicon. The HIT PV-modules have a much smaller footprintand lighter weight than ordinary panels, but still provide theequivalent power output.
Sanyo offers its solar energy systems to households, offices orfactories, while energy requirements for each case can bedetermined according to the total kilowatt an hour needed by theclient. From that figure, Sanyo works out the size of the solarpanels and the number of batteries required to guarantee that levelof power supply.
The design of different Sanyo solar power systems suits individualenergy needs. For the residential, commercial and industrialapplication, the main function would be as an uninterruptible powersupply to maintain energy levels during load shedding.
Other systems are intended for applications like telecommunicationsunits, game lodges or farms, that have no mains power and needsustainable, adequate power. Stand alone equipment, such as waterpumps or global systems mobile masts, can be operated without anyconnections or maintenance.
Within the telecommunications industry, Sanyo is a provider ofsolar energy systems to cellular network Vodacom, and provides itssystems to network operator Telkom.
Kurzyca states that, especially in South Africa, Sanyo has takenextreme measures to combat the theft of solar panels by placing thelightweight panels 15 m onto the masts, making them practicallyunreachable for thieves.
In addition, Sanyo also provides a portable solar panel tester(IV-curve tester), which can be used on-site to test solar panelsand establish the efficiency of a solar energy system. The R120 000tester, which is manufactured by a specialist company in Germany,is the only one of its kind in South Africa.
"If solar panels have to be tested, they are sent to factoriesand tested using a flash tester, which is very expensive. Sanyo'stester offers a less expensive alternative to this process,"he says.
Besides its South African projects, Sanyo has erected solar panelmasts, also known as quick deployment masts, in Lesotho,Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania.
"The deployment of these masts involves no concrete work,while each piece of metal can be handled by two people. Non-skilledstaff are supervised by two Sanyo technicians during itsdeployment, which only takes a few days," he says.
Sanyo's solar energy division has also been requested to providegreen power to the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg, as well asDurban's Moses Mabhida stadium, which are hosting venues for the2010 FIFA World Cup.