Alternative Renewable Energy Sources Research Articles

Solar Tracking and Monitoring System

Abstract: We will eventually have to deal with the depletion of fossil fuels and other non-renewable energy sources as they are running out rapidly. Having a large number of renewable alternative energy sources is crucial. The sun's radiation properties meet both requirements. As a result, new technologies focused on solar energy harvesting are starting to appear. Concentrated or photovoltaic panels may yield the highest efficiency. Due to the planet's rotation, which causes humans to view the sun at different times of the day the efficiency may reduce. Devices that direct a solar panel or concentrating panel during the day are incorporated in the design, along with light-trackers to boost the system's effectiveness. A solar tracker can monitor the sun's radiation in single direction. The device monitors daily tilt of the sun for optimal performance. The work focuses on the fundamentals of solar panel parameters and their application, as well as the design and construction of an automatic solar tracker prototype utilizing Arduino code based on microcontroller. By simulating the sun's 12-month tracking in a matter of minutes, the device incorporates automation mechanisms into the tracking system.

An Emerging Trend in the Synthesis of Iron Titanate Photocatalyst Toward Water Splitting.

Hydrogen gas is a prominent focus in pursuing renewable and clean alternative energy sources. The quest for maximizing hydrogen production yield involves the exploration of an ideal photocatalyst and the development of a simple, cost-effective technique for its generation. Iron titanate has garnered attention in this context due to its photocatalytic properties, affordability, and non-toxic nature. Over the years, different synthesis routes, different morphologies, and some modifications of iron titanate have been carried out to improve its photocatalytic performance by enhancing light absorption in the visible region, boosting charge carrier transfer, and decreasing recombination of electrons and holes. The use of iron titanate photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction has seen an upward trend in recent times, and based on available findings, more can be done to improve the performance. This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles of photocatalysis for hydrogen generation, encompassing the synthesis, morphology, and application of iron titanate-based photocatalysts. The discussion delves into the limitations of current methodologies and present and future perspectives for advancing iron titanate photocatalysts. By addressing these limitations and contemplating future directions, the aim is to enhance the properties of materials fabricated for photocatalytic water splitting.

Demand flexibility and its impact on a PEM fuel cell-based integrated energy supply system with humidity control

The development of efficient energy systems and renewable alternative energy sources has attracted substantial attention owing to the rise in environmental deterioration and energy usage. A combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system can fully use different types of energy with low emissions and offers a viable solution to address these issues. Demand flexibility is a key issue in collaborating with different types of supplies and demands for optimal system operation. In this study, a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell driven CCHP system with humidity control is proposed to fully investigate the impact of demand flexibility on system operation. A novel flexible load regulation strategy was designed for the proposed system. The results show that flexible load regulation can reduce the thermal storage capacity by 25%. Supplement heating and cooling do not need operate in winter and summer. With flexible regulation, the heating load can be reduced by 15.69% in winter, and the cooling and dehumidification loads can be reduced by 30.71% and 6.09% in summer. The reductions in hydrogen consumption can reach 1.98% and 7.51% during winter and summer. The proposed method can simultaneously increase the exergy efficiency and reduce carbon emission, as well as the economy cost.

Comparative Evaluation on Enhancing Fuel Properties of Biocoal from Bagasse Using Hydrothermal Carbonization and Torrefaction Processes

This research investigates the thermochemical conversion of sugarcane bagasse into biocoal using a subcritical aqueous medium (water, 200–250°C) and a limited oxygen atmosphere (nitrogen, 250–300°C). The aim is to discover alternative renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels. The effects of those different methods on the physiochemical properties of the solid product were determined. The best results of fixed carbon (37.13%), carbon content (62.17%), fuel ratio (0.61), and higher heating value (HHV) (25.75 MJ/kg) were obtained under hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) at 250°C. Additionally, the HTC process effectively reduced the ash and sulphur content of the solid products. Moreover, HTC was found to be a promising method for depolymerizing hemicellulose. Hydrochar produced at 250°C is located within the range of lignite, which is typically obtained at lower reaction temperatures compared to biochar samples. Consequently, the conversion of sugarcane bagasse into solid biofuel through HTC shows great potential from a thermochemical perspective.

Enhancement of Biodiesel Production via Ultrasound Technology: AMathematical Study.

Biodiesel is one of the alternative renewable energy sources that has received a lot of attention since it is clean, green energy. Different sources can be used for the production of biodiesel, but the most appropriate and economical method relies on the transesterification of methanol with the nonedible vegetable oil from the fruit of the Jatropha curcas plant. Molar ratio, vessel diameter, catalyst concentration, and ultrasound all have a substantial influence on the synthesis of biodiesel by the transesterification process. Among these factors, the diameter of the vessel and the ultrasonic effect through mass transfer limitations have a significant impact on successful reaction completion. In this research work, we have developed a mathematical model to analyze the three-step transesterification process and side saponification reaction in the presence of a potassium hydroxide catalyst. The model considers the influence of mixing intensity variations, including ultrasound, on the mass transfer in different phases. The mass transfer rate is calculated using the modified Dittus-Boelter correlation. An optimal control approach through the minimum principle by Pontryagin is applied to maximize the production of biodiesel at minimal cost. The novelty of this research, which we have derived from our analytical as well as numerical results, considering industrial processes, is that more than 97% biodiesel yield conversion is to be obtained at 50 kHz ultrasound frequency, a 6:1 methanol-to-Jatropha-oil molar ratio, and 1 m of vessel diameter within 50 min using optimal control theory.

Environmental evaluation and comparison of hybrid separation methods based on distillation and pervaporation for dehydration of binary alcohol mixtures with life cycle, PESTLE, and multi-criteria decision analyses

To achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, improving energy efficiency in the chemical industry is crucial. The study focuses on an environmentally friendly hybrid distillation (D)-pervaporation (PV) process to enhance energy efficiency and purity in ethanol–water and isobutanol-water mixtures, these are typical wastes in the chemical industry. Three configurations—D + PV, D + PV + D, and D + PV + D with partial Heat Integration (HI)—are evaluated for separation of ethanol–water and isobutanol-water mixtures employing the Life Cycle Assessment with Environmental Footprint (EF) V3.1 (adapted) and ReCiPe 2016 Endpoint (H) V1.08 methods, using SimaPro V9.5 software and Ecoinvent V3.9.1 database. The study also incorporates a PESTLE analysis and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis to identify the most advantageous process for ethanol and isobutanol scenarios. The research evaluates these systems in a comprehensive manner, including technology, CO2 emissions, impacts on human health, ecosystems, resources, and Total Annual Cost (TAC). The exploration of hybrid process enhancements includes alternative renewable energy sources (i.e., solar, wind, hydro, and biofuel) and comprehensive heat integration based on Pinch Analysis using Hint V2.2 software. Results indicate that D + PV + D is the most suitable for isobutanol-water scenarios based on MCDA and Pinch analysis. In isobutanol scenarios, D + PV + D + HI reduces CO2 emissions, and human health, ecosystems, and resources impact by 15.5 %, 11.2 %, 12.6 %, and 14.6 %, respectively, with a significant 40.0 % decrease in TAC compared to D + PV. Integrating renewable energy sources further enhances its sustainability, achieving a single score of approximately one-third lower than fossil fuel consumption. Promoting renewable energy and Integrating energy flows align seamlessly with Green Chemistry and Engineering principles, representing a crucial stride towards sustainable and eco-friendly industrial practices.

Environmental assessment of an innovative adhesive for the footwear industry: road map for product development

Abstract Purpose This work presents an environmental assessment of two adhesives to evaluate the replacement of the traditional adhesive (PU) used in the footwear industry by a novel adhesive based on a microencapsulation approach (PUMC) which is more favorable from the safety and technical perspectives. The PU adhesive is polyurethane-based, while the PUMC adhesive is polyurethane-based but with its isocyanate compounds microencapsulated, increasing storage life and reducing risks related to the exposure of workers with the adhesives. Methods The potential environmental impact of the adhesives was evaluated using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. A detailed process model was developed (both for laboratory and for a pilot-scale implementation) to investigate the environmental impacts associated with these processes. The functional unit was one kilogram of adhesive (PU and PUMC adhesives) produced. A cradle-to-customers’ gate approach was defined. The system boundary starts from extraction of resources, through material production, until adhesive use. This includes microcapsule production in the case of the PUMC adhesive. This study investigates the important drivers behind the environmental impacts to help guide commercialization efforts. A scenarios study/sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the response of the PUMC adhesive system to the variability of the model, scenarios, and parameters. Results The results show that the PU adhesive environmental impact is due to acetone and polyol consumption in the production stage. In the PUMC adhesive system, acetone consumption and microcapsule production are the major factors responsible for the environmental impact. Polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), dichloromethane (DCM), and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) consumption are the major factors responsible for the environmental impact of the microcapsules’ production. A sensitivity analysis was conducted using three alternative scenarios focused on the reduction in material consumption and increase in material recuperation, as well as using an alternative renewable energy source. Although the traditional PU adhesive has a lower impact, it was found that the three alternative PUMC adhesive systems can become comparable to the traditional PU adhesive. Conclusions This study shows the advance and development of a new technology for microencapsulation of isocyanate in adhesives and its environmental advantages and disadvantages with respect to a traditional product that uses non-encapsulated isocyanate. Finally, it was shown that there is significant potential for minimizing some environmental impacts of the PUMC adhesive, such as optimizing the microcapsules’ production stage, increasing the production efficiency to decrease the required material consumption.

Potential of <i>Mikania micrantha</i> for biogas production

Invasive weeds are one of the major ecosystem-degrading elements and also a threat to crop production. The conventional approaches of weed control appear ineffective for Mikania micrantha which is one of the notorious invasive weeds having vigorous propagation characteristics. The manual method of control is otherwise effective provided the manpower cost involved in the collection is recovered. This study attempts an innovative approach to energy recovery from Mikania micrantha biomass. The suitability of Mikania biomass as a source of biogas production is investigated using a commercially available biogas reactor. The study primarily aims to understand the techno-economic feasibility of achieving the benefits of weed control and the generation of clean cooking fuel taking into consideration of collection, and handling of Mikania biomass and its subsequent conversion into biogas for a typical rural situation. In general biogas production potential of hydrolyzed Mikania is comparable with several weed biomasses and even more than cow dung. The time spent to remove Mikania micrantha to protect crops and the ecosystem is justified by its fuel value as biogas. Outcomes of the current study concerning the benign control of invasive weed, will be useful to materialize the multifaceted benefits of biogas technology such as clean fuel (an alternative renewable source of energy) and nutrient recycling from the large-scale conversion of Mikania biomass into biogas and organic fertilizer.

Predicting Battery Storage of Residential PV Using Long Short-Term Memory

Solar power panels, or photovoltaic (PV), have recently grown rapidly as a renewable alternative energy source, especially since the increase in the basic electricity tariff. PV technology can be employed instead of the state electricity company to reduce the electricity used. Indonesia is one of the countries that have great potential in producing electricity from PV technology, considering that most of Indonesia's territory gets sunlight for most of the year and has a large land area. Considering the benefits of PV technology, it is necessary to carry out predictive monitoring and analysis of the energy generated by PV technology to maximize energy utilization in the future. The Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing system was developed in this research to monitor and collect data in real-time within 27 days and obtained 7831 data for each parameter that affects PV production. These data include data on the light intensity, temperature, and humidity at the location where the PV system is installed. The feature selection results using Pearson correlation revealed that the light intensity parameter significantly impacted the PV production system. This research used the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) method to predict future PV production. By tuning hyperparameters using 3000 epochs, the resulting RMSE value was 171.5720. The results indicated a significant change in the RMSE value compared to 100 epochs of 422.5780. This model can be applied as a forecasting system model at electric vehicle charging stations, given the increasing use of electric vehicles in the future.    Keywords— Forecasting; energy; Photovoltaic; LSTM; Internet of Thing.Â

Production of Methane and Hydrogen from Mild-Strength Industrial Wastewater

Over the past two decades, fossil fuel reserves have sharply shrunk, which has resulted in a global fall in energy sources. Alternative carbon-neutral renewable energy sources have caught the interest of experts due to the erratic nature of energy prices and their severe ecological effects. The treatment plant’s mild-strength effluent from an equalization tank at an industrial factory was used in this study to generate hydrogen and methane. This mild-strength effluent had a chemical oxygen demand (COD) content of 2.8 ± 1.0 g COD/L. A double stage anaerobic digestion system’s hydrogen-generating digester was run at a hydraulic retention time of 8 h while the methane-generating digester was run at a hydraulic retention time of 24 h. The highest methane production rate (MPR), methane yield (MY), methane content and COD elimination were, in order, 71 ± 30 mL/L-d, 57 ± 10 mL/g COD, 90 ± 1% and 77%, respectively. In this experiment, energy efficiency was assessed using the following criteria: Maximum heating was at a value of 2.1 × 108 kcal/y. Utilizing energy-equivalent coal, natural gas, or fuel reduced annual carbon emissions by 8.7 × 104 kg CO2/y, 5.1 × 104 kg CO2/y and 7.1 × 104 kg CO2/y, respectively.

Cellulose-coated emulsion micro-particles self-assemble with yeasts for cellulose bio-conversion

In the quest for alternative renewable energy sources, a new self-assembled hybrid configuration of cellulose-coated oil-in-water emulsion particles with yeast was formed. In this research, the addition of yeasts (S. cerevisiae) to the micro-particle emulsion revealed a novel self-assembly configuration in which the yeast cell is connected to surrounding cellulose-coated micro-particles. This hybrid configuration may enhance the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process by substrate channeling. Glucose produced by hydrolysis of the cellulose shells coating the micro-particles, catalyzed by cellulytic enzymes attached to their coating, is directly fermented to ethanol by the yeasts to which the particles are connected. The results indicate ethanol yield of 62%, based on the cellulose content of the emulsion, achieved by the yeast/micro-particle hybrids. The functionality of this hybrid configuration is expected to serve as a micro-reactor for a cascade of biochemical reactions in a “one-pot” consolidated process transforming cellulose to valuable chemicals, such as biodiesel.

Review on Invention of Hybrid Solar panel using Nano particles for High Efficiency Energy

Identification and exploitation of alternative renewable energy sources is important in meeting the rising energy challenge globally. Solar energy is one source of energy which has been earmarked as a promising renewable energy source that will play a better role in reducing the depletion of the existing source of energy. Thus, the use of photovoltaic panels and technologies to fulfill the current energy requirement as well as reducing the carbon emission appears very possible. To this end, the study reviewed the possibilities of improving the hybrid solar panel via nano additive addition to improve its thermal efficiency. From the study, it was established that nano additives have the capacity lessen the surface temperature experienced by the panel and hence helped in the enhancement conversion of energy into power as well as improving the overall efficiency of the panel. This study provides insights for driving the sustainability of solar energy as a renewable energy source.

The evaluation of renewable energy alternatives in Turkey using intuitionistic-fuzzy EDAS methodology

In recent years, high energy costs, increases in carbon emissions, and concerns about energy supply security have led countries to prioritize renewable energy sources in their sustainable energy policies. The selection and ranking of alternative renewable energy sources is a critical issue in establishing an effective energy policy and ensuring environmental improvement at the national and global levels. This study evaluates Turkey’s best renewable energy options using the institutional fuzzy assessment based on distance to mean solution (IF-EDAS) method and aims to find Turkey’s best renewable energy alternative. The decision model alternatively uses wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, wave, hydroelectric, and hydrogen energy options. According to the study’s empirical findings, while the best alternative renewable energy source for Turkey is solar energy, the best criterion in terms of criteria evaluation is “Technology Maturity”. The study also carried out sensitivity analysis, and the results were shared.

The effect of initial pressure on the thermal behavior of the silica aerogel/PCM/CuO nanostructure inside a cylindrical duct using molecular dynamics simulation

Amidst escalating fuel expenses and growing concerns over greenhouse gas pollution, the adoption of renewable alternative energy sources has become increasingly imperative. In response, scientists are fervently dedicated to identifying energy-saving solutions that are readily adaptable. Notably, silica aerogels have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in temperature management under both hot and cold conditions, while phase change materials are renowned for their capacity to store thermal energy. The study examines the effect of initial pressure on the thermal performance of silica aerogel/PCM/CuO nanostructure in a cylindrical duct. This was investigated using MD simulations and the LAMMPS software. The study will investigate several elements, such as density, velocity, temperature patterns, heat flux, thermal conductivity, and charge time or discharge time of the simulated structure. According to the results, with an increase in the initial pressure, the maximum density increases from 0.0838 atom/Å3 to 0.0852 atom/Å3, and the maximum velocity decreases from 0.0091 Å/fs to 0.0081 Å/fs. Also, the findings show that, by increasing the initial pressure, the temperature decreases from 931.42 K to 895.63 K, and thermal conductivity and heat flux decrease to 1.56 W/m.K and 56.66 W/m2 with increasing the initial pressure to 5 bar. Finally, the results show that charging time increases to 6.34 ns at 5 bar. The increase in charging time with increasing initial pressure may be attributed to the reduced mobility of particles within the structure as a result of the higher pressure. The findings of this study can help for a better understanding of energy-saving solutions, advanced thermal management systems, and the design of efficient energy storage technologies tailored to specific pressure-related operating conditions.

ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ ОТБОР КАК ФАКТОР ПОЛУЧЕНИЯ АЛЬТЕРНАТИВНЫХ ИСТОЧНИКОВ ЭНЕРГИИ В СОВРЕМЕННОМ СКОТОВОДСТВЕ

Experts believe that global animal husbandry is an obstacle to the environmental safety. It is estimated that meat and milk production has increased from 758 million tons in 1990 to 1247 million tons in 2020, and continues to grow. At the same time, biogas emitted by animals provides energy for cars and space heating: 7.5 million vehicles in the world run on methane, 27 million on propane-butane. (Research Purpose) The research purpose is studying technological breegin as a factor in producing biogas, an alternative source of renewable energy. (Materials and methods) Carried out an analysis of literature data, theoretical and practical developments of the issue under consideration in the Russian Federation and foreign countries with developed dairy and beef cattle breeding. Methods of creating statistical groupings using system and statistical models, comparison, generalization and analysis of parameters and modes given in scientific and reference literature and obtained in industrial practice were applied. (Results and discussion) It was established that the selection of cattle to increase productivity is also manure breeding: in 1865, a cow gave 40 kilograms of methane per head per year with a productivity of 5,000 kilograms of milk per lactation, with an increase in milk yield to 8-9 thousand kilograms of milk, it produces almost 60 kilograms, that is, several gas cylinders daily. It has been shown that intensive animal husbandry increases not only milk yields and weight gain, but also gas exhaust. It was determined that technological features are taken into account in breeding plans and programs for the development of herds. (Conclusions) It was revealed that under the Kyoto Protocol, through the use of advanced technologies, a number of European countries plan to reduce emissions and become climate neutral in the following periods: Finland by 2035, Sweden by 2045, Germany to reduce emissions by 95 percent by 2049, Russia by 2050.

Anaerobic biodigester as a community-based food waste processor (case study: Canteen area of PT PLN Nusantara Power UP Muara Karang)

In 2022, DKI Jakarta disposed of ± 8,000 tons/day of waste to the Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST) Bantar Gebang. Among them, 3,761.90 tons/day of organic waste were generated from domestic activities. Considering the amount of organic waste, the potential to convert it into biogas through anaerobic biodigester was feasible. As the organic waste decomposes, it produces methane (CH4) gas, which holds value as a renewable alternative energy source. Processing food waste into biogas is not only perceived as an effective way to reduce CH4 hazards but also provides economic benefits for the community. PT PLN Nusantara Power UP Muara Karang, located in Pluit - North Jakarta, attempted to make a breakthrough in waste management, especially in the Pluit Sub-district, through a methane capture and processing facility. Employing quantitative methods with primary data, this research was conducted from May to August 2023 and focused on the canteen area whose tenants came from the Pluit neighborhood. The anaerobic biodigester facility has a design capacity of up to 5 m3 or 800 kg of food waste. In its initial operation (May to August 2023), the food waste processed 363.5 kg and produced 40.7 m3 of methane gas, or 1.4009 GJ, and was used by canteen tenants for their daily operations. Annually, based on its initial condition, the activity conducted in this research can reduce greenhouse gases by 690 kg CO2e and provide economic benefits of Rp 16,000,000.

Amaranthus hybridus waste solid biofuel: comparative and machine learning studies.

The diminishing supply of fossil fuels, their detrimental environmental effects, and the challenges associated with the disposal of agro-waste necessitated the development of renewable and sustainable alternative energy sources. This study aims at developing bio-briquettes from Amaranthus hybridus waste, with cassava starch as a binder; both are agricultural wastes. Before and following delignification, alkali-treated Amaranthus hybridus (TAHB) and untreated (UAHB) briquettes were evaluated in terms of combustion and physicochemical parameters. FTIR and SEM were utilized to monitor the morphological transformation and bond restructuring of TAHB and UAHB samples. EDXRF was used to assess the Potential Toxic Elements (PTEs) composition and environmental friendliness of both TAHB and UAHB. Furthermore, Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering machine learning models were used to optimize the production process and predict the efficiency of bio-briquettes. After delignification, a lower lignin value of 11.47 ± 0.00% in TAHB compared to 12.31 ± 0.01% (UAHB) was recorded. Calorific values of 10.43 ± 0.25 MJ kg-1 (UAHB) and 12.53 ± 0.30 MJ kg-1 (TAHB) were recorded at p < 0.05. EDXRF results showed a difference of 0.016% in Pb concentration in both samples. SEM reveals morphological restructuring, while FTIR reveals a 4 cm-1 difference in the C-O stretch. The root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and mean absolute error (MAE) gave values of 0.0249, 2.104, and, 0.0249; (MAE, training) and 0.0223 (MAE, testing) respectively. This shows that the model's predictions match the reality, thereby suggesting a strong agreement between the predicted and experimental data. The finding of this study shows that delignification-disruption improved the solid biofuel's ability to burn cleanly and sustainably.

Study of The Potential and Feasibility of Utilizing Biogas Energy as Power Plant at PT. BTSB Jember

The limitation and scarcity of energy sources derived from fossil fuels necessitate the solution of utilizing renewable and replenishable alternative energy sources such as biogas. PT. BTSB (Biro Teknik Sinar Baru) is one of the companies in Jember Regency that has started utilizing biogas energy. However, the utilization of biogas is limited to cooking purposes only. Despite being used only for cooking, biogas can also be utilized as a source of electrical energy.Therefore, in this study, an analysis is conducted to determine the potential of biogas at PT. BTSB that can be utilized as a source of electrical energy. The first step taken in this research was to collect data from PT BTSB Jember regarding biogas which includes: number of cow, target of biogas volume, temperature in digester tank, pressure in digester tank, and methane (CH4) content in biogas. Based on this data, further calculations will be performed for mol of biogas, volume of biogas, electrical energy and power, conversion and production of energy and electrical power, and cost of energy production. Based on the research results, it is known that PT BTSB yields an average of 5.15 m³ of biogas per day and a potential of 57.53 kWh of electrical energy per day. With a cost of around Rp. 23,274,117 per day for each kWh, electricity from PT. BTSB’s biogas proves to be cost-effective. Thus, the biogas energy at PT. BTSB has the potential to be used as a biogas power plant.

Stochastic operation model for readiness assessment of small wind turbines based on Markov theory

AbstractWind energy is now one of the most important alternative sources of renewable energy. The development of wind power generation is a prerequisite to meet environmental and sustainable development requirements while achieving energy security goals. The condition for the effectiveness of the proper operation of a wind power plant is its ability to perform the intended functions, which can be expressed by the coefficient of technical readiness. This article presents an original analysis of the readiness of small wind turbines. As part of the research, an original stochastic operation model was developed based on the application of the Markov process theory. Based on the collected data, a 3‐state phase space of the studied process was identified. Various analyses were carried out to calculate the operating coefficients of wind power plants. The ergodic (boundary) probabilities were calculated using three methods. The conditional probabilities were then determined based on the initial distribution. The resulting readiness factors, not exceeding 30%, indicate the low operational efficiency of the small wind turbines in question. Furthermore, an analysis of the sensitivity of the performance factors was carried out for the analysed objects.

Controlling and Modelling a Grid Connected Photovoltaic System for Performance Investigation Purpose

The world restriction of fossil power sources reserves and its side effect on the environmental pollution have impelled strongly using the photovoltaic technology as alternative renewable energy sources. The essential problem is the difficulty of importing and installing solar panels without having a fully knowledge about its effectiveness in the climatic conditions of the university site. Hence, the motivation of this study is to investigate the operational efficiency of the PV system in the Iraqi environmental conditions by modelling, controlling, and simulating the system using MATLAB/Simulink program. The proposed model has been driven based on the principle mathematical equations that depict the behaviour of the PV solar system. The proposed model is designed to affect with the sunlight irradiance, ambient temperature, AC loss, DC loss, the temperature of the panels’ surfaces, and the efficiency of the used inverter. Preliminary results showed a strong correlation between sunlight irradiance and ambient temperature with the power generated by solar panels. Thus, these two parameters are chosen as the major inputs to the model. While, the electrical output power and the accumulative energy are set as the output of the simulated model. The study investigates the performance of the proposed model at the hottest day and coldest day throughout the year 2022. The results proved that the system generates more energy during the summer than in the winter due to the strength and a long period of the radiation falling on the ground during this season. Moreover, the investigation study evidenced that the system efficiency decreases as ambient temperatures increase. As the results, the cumulative energy during one day decreased by around 41.366% from the summer to winter. Finally, the authors recommend installing the suggested solar cell system in Iraq because its effectiveness was theoretically proved.