Kabir Bajaj

INTRODUCING SOLAR PANELS TO GLOBAL STEEL

GLOBAL STEEL INDUSTRIES FZCO• Global Steel Industries, established in the year 2002 in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai,

is currently one of the Leading Pipe Manufacturers in the Gulf Region.

• The factory floor is automated. It is a continuous process with one machine flowing into another. There is minimal human intervention to change any settings in the machine regarding the shape and size of the steel pipe that is being manufactured.

PROCESS • Imports steel coils from China, Malaysia, Indonesia etc.

• Slitting machine

• Recoiler machine

• Uncoiler machine

• Welding point

• Turning table

• Reverse loop accumulator (RLA)

• Forming loops (DC motor)

• High frequency welder

• Electrical resistance welder

PROCESS (CONTD)• Free galvanize ink spray

• Cooling (water)

• Sizing point

• Trunk head assembler

• COC

• Incoder (AC motor)

• Run out table

• Sab blade

• Numeric cylinder

• Facing machine

PROCESS (CONTD) • Straightening machine

• Bundling

• Multiple quality inspection tests to maintain the international standard specifications set by the ASTM, BS,EN, DIN etc.

UAE SOLAR GCC • Solar update :-

The UAE began actively promoting the development of solar power generation in April of 2008. Both emirates have ambitious initial targets: Abu Dhabi wants solar to account for 7% of its output by 2020, while Dubai is aiming for 5% by 2030. Abu Dhabi has launched projects using both photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) technology, while Dubai is currently focusing on PV systems.

HOW DOES A SOLAR PANEL WORK?• Photovoltaic cells are made of special materials called semiconductors such as silicon,

which is currently used most commonly. Basically, when light strikes the cell, a certain portion of it is absorbed within the semiconductor material. This means that the energy of the absorbed light is transferred to the semiconductor. The energy knocks electrons loose, allowing them to flow freely.

SOLAR CELL – DESIGN

FACTORS AFFECTING SOLAR CELLS • Weather

• Cost of equipment

• Cost of of labor to implement it

• Current required

• Efficiency of the solar cells

• Power generated

• Time of order

WEATHER • Dubai’s weather condition is suitable and will support the project to implement solar cells

to power the entire factory floor including the office. Dubai receives sunlight for more than 12 hours in the day which can be absorbed using solar cells. In turn, this sunlight could provide for the 10-12 hours of work that is done in the day. Further, this power could be stored using generators and could be used in hours where there is not enough sun light or the required amount of power .

ELECTRICITY(CURRENT) REQUIRED The tube mill on the right in comparison to the tiger cage on the left consumes much less power. With almost 160 steel pipes being produced everyday the amount of electricity required in the factory floor is tremendous. At an average each solar panel has an output of 200W. Therefore global steel would require at least 600 of such panels to support the running of the factory.

COST OF RUNNING THE SOLAR PANELS • The Emirate of Dubai set a new world record for the cost of solar power on May 1, 2016

with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) receiving bids for the 800 MW Sheikh Maktoum Solar Park Phase III as low as 3.00 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This not only marks the lowest cost ever for solar power, but also easily beats all available fossil-fuel options in Dubai on cost.

• Global steel makes up to 70 pipes in an automated flow line in an 8 hour working day.

• The approximate cost of running the machinery is 300 kW or 300,000 W per hour.

• Therefore the total cost of running only the machinery in the factory on the floor line is 3.00 US cents (cost per hour) x 300 (hourly consumption) = 900 cents per hour

TIME OF ORDER • Adding solar panels to supply power to the entire factory floor involves the factor of time

or number of orders. Changing the system from electricity requires setting up solar panels, adjusting wires to and from the machines, wires to the office etc. This means that all production would have to be ceased until the project of implementing solar panels is completed.

• Therefore the factor of time plays an important role in the implementing of solar panels.

EFFICIENCY OF THE SOLAR CELLS • The power required and the efficiency of the solar cell tells us the rating of the solar cell

that is required and the amount of solar energy that it needs to absorb to create a certain amount of electricity.

• Typical efficiency of a solar cell in dubai = 0.85

• Therefore the amount of money saved in an 8 hour period (one working day) = 8 x 0.4 x 1000 /0.85 = 3764 AED/day

COMPARISON WITH CURRENT SYSTEM (ELECTRICITY) • In terms of cost, the current system is prone to be expensive as the price of electricity is

constantly increasing. On the other hand, Dubai has just recorded the cheapest price of solar panels all over the world.

• In terms of productivity, electricity may be better as it will guarantee a supply of power at any hour of the day whereas solar cells may cause a time delay or may malfunction and disrupt the production process.

• It may be time consuming in order to access the solar cell system. It would take time to begin production everyday whereas this is not the case for the system run by normal cable wires.

EXISTING METHODS USING RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY • Global steel currently operates by powering some of their machines by hydroelectric

power. Most hydroelectric power comes from the potential energy of dammed water driving a water turbine and generator.

• Its not possible to run the entire factory on hydroelectricity because the power that can be generated is limited due to the availability of water stored at a high potential. Hence running the factory floor on hydroelectricity would mean that the global steel initially have to build a place that could store water and push it with force into the turbines. This machine would itself take a lot time and space for construction, and would be unsuitable with respect to the Dubai weather

IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT • Solar power tends to be a more productive and efficient source to the production of steel

pipes at global steel.

• An advantage to global steel in this case is that it has a very large roof top area which is always available hence installing a massive number of solar panels to generate the high consumption machines is possible.

• Solar panels is an up coming source to provide current and it will most likely develop further in the coming years.

• With the hydroelectric power station already implemented global steel does benefit from reduced costs in the long term .

• Solar power is a non renewable source of energy which can never be exhausted and will therefore help the whole society in the long term.

ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR CELLS • Solar power is a renewable source of energy which means it will never get exhausted.

• It will be available at full strength throughout the day (8 hours of work).

• Space could be used up more efficiently (roof top panels)

• Cheaper in the long run in terms of costs while the same power is being created.

DISADVANTAGES OF SOLAR PANELS • There is a slight chance that Dubai might have a rainy day which may not be suitable for

any production and would delay the production process.

• Implementing the solar panel technology is very costly. It involves wiring, purchasing, maintenance etc.

• The maintenance costs are high. They require cleaning on regular basis.

• The production process would have to be halted for 15-20 days so that all adjustments to the machines can be made.

• Many additional components are needed to be bought to complete the circuit.