Electro-Mechanical

Systems Lab Project

Report
Project Instructor: Engr. Maham Ghauri
Group Members:

Mohammad Azeem Jumani 17K-2358

Muhammad Talha Alam 17K-2369

PROJECT TITLE: Syed Allay Haider 17K-2368

Muhammad Hasnat Rehman 17K-2357

Construction of a
Tariq Hussain Dahri 17K-2388
Solar Powered
Ahmed Aslam 17K-2390
Charging Station
Batch 2017-2021 BS(EE) Section: B
 Introduction

In our EMS Lab Project, we have constructed a Solar Powered Charging Station. Our country is
going through major energy crises. The lack of dams is causing us to produce electricity through
non-renewable means and non-renewable energy resources such as coal and natural gas are
declining in quantity in a rather exponential fashion. In such cases, the smartest solution to
produce electricity is through solar energy. Nowadays, we rely on portable technology, which
includes our smartphones, laptops, wireless headphones/earphones etc. However, our devices
often run out of battery and finding a socket to charge in the whole university is quite a
headache. This is the reason why we came up with a solution of making a solar powered
charging station which will be located where students mostly visit such as the cafeteria
stairs(outside), Dhabba, shades etc.

The inspiration for this project came from this initiative by the University of Houston, where
they constructed multiple solar cellphone charging stations on various places in the university,
where student can charge their cellphones on the go. We decided our project could be more
versatile so that it not only charges cellphones, but it could also charge laptops and other devices.
The reason for using solar energy as the sole energy source for this project is that the amount of
solar radiation in a city like Karachi is very high in magnitude. Secondly, it also provides you
easy to maintain, environmental friendly and almost free energy.
 Components Used & Cost Analysis

No. Component Price of each Component Quantity Cost

1 Solar Panel (150 W) Rs. 8000/- 1 Rs. 8000/-
2 DC Battery (33 Ah / 12 V) Rs. 6300/- 1 Rs. 6300/-
3 Solar Charge Controller (10 A) Rs. 500/- 1 Rs. 500/-
4 Solar Panel Stand Rs. 1000/- 1 Rs. 1000/-
5 Extension Board Rs. 550/- 1 Rs. 550/-
6 DC - AC Inverter Rs. 1500/- 1 Rs. 1500/-
7 4 mm DC wire Rs. 100 / meter 4 meters Rs. 400/-
8 Lux Rs. 10/- 6 Rs. 60/-
9 Nuts/Bolts Rs. 10/- 12 Rs. 120/-
10 Transportation Cost - - Rs. 800/-
TOTAL ITEMS 25
TOTAL COST Rs. 19,230/ -
 Project Diagram

Rough Sketch:

Graphical Sketch:
 Working Of Every Component

Solar Panel (150W 12V):

The Solar Panel is the key component of our project as it is required to generate electricity
through solar means. Solar panels consist of solar cells which generate electricity through sun
rays. Solar Panels might not be very economical when it comes to its setup, but it provides
energy at absolutely no cost and its maintenance charges are also very low. Please note that the
current obtained from the solar panel is DC.

Solar Charge Controller (10A):

The power output from the solar panel fluctuates by high margins depending upon the amount of
sunlight it’s receiving. Due to the movement of the sun around the sky as the day progresses, it
receives different amount of power every time. Therefore, we use a solar charge controller. This
device regulates the power coming from the solar panels with the right voltage and current to the
battery. By using this device, we can safely and efficiently charge our battery.

Battery:
Power coming through the charge controller travels to a battery for storage. A battery stores the
power generated from your solar panel based on its amp hour rating. The battery we used was
rated 33aH.
DC to AC Inverter:
Batteries and solar cells provide DC current. This means that our current will flow in a single
direction. However, most of the devices we use require AC current to charge to their full
potential. This is the reason why we use a DC to AC inverter to convert the direct current
generated by the solar panel to alternating current.

Extension Board:

Through the extension board, we can connect our devices to charge them.
 Project Methodology

1. First of all, DC voltage gets generated by the solar cells of the solar panel by the help of
sunlight. The solar panel we used is rated 150W.

2. As we know the intensity of the sun rays keep on varying. This results in the fluctuation
of the power generated by the solar panel. Here, we use the solar charge controller to
regulate the power coming from the solar panel to the correct voltage and current to
charge the battery safely and efficiently.

3. The power generated by the solar panel and regulated by the charge controller is finally
stored in the battery.

4. Then, we will further connect a DC to AC inverter of 500W. It will step up the 12V DC
voltage generated by the solar panel to AC voltage of 220V.

5. Then we will connect our extension board with the inverter for charging other devices.

6. This setup is capable enough to charge a laptop and also a phone which supports fast
charging to its maximum capacity.
 Future Tasks and Application

After successfully constructing our solar power station, we generated 500W, which is enough
power to charge 3 Laptops or fast-charge 2 phones all at once. If we would’ve bought a solar
panel of a higher rating, we could’ve generated enough power to run a whole refrigerator.

Further Applications:

1. Solar energy can be used to power all the household appliances such as refrigerator,
televisions, fans, tube lights, air-conditioners etc. very cheaply.

2. Solar energy can be used to generate power without any sort of pollution making it
environmental friendly.

3. It can be used to power heavy duty agricultural machinery such as tube wells etc.

4. If the solar panels are planted at a higher scale it can even provide enough power to run
some small industries.

5. It can run devices like printers, photocopy machines, computers, 3d-printers in offices.