Annual Average Solar Radiation Research Articles

Full analysis and deep learning optimization of a sustainable and eco-friendly power plant to generate green hydrogen and electricity; A zero-carbon approach

Among alternative energy sources for fossil fuels, hydrogen has emerged as a promising candidate; however, its production methods, reliant on fossil fuels, constrain its widespread adoption as a sustainable energy source. To transcend this limitation, researchers have proposed the concept of green hydrogen production, leveraging renewable energy sources, as a viable solution. This study presents a comprehensive techno-economic analysis that seeks to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a multi-generation green power plant in Iran. Extensive climate data from diverse locations across Iran were collected to determine the most influential design parameters. A mathematical model was developed to simulate the entire system, and an innovative neural network algorithm was employed to optimize the objective functions, given the substantial computational time required for the optimization process. The results of the optimization revealed Qeshm island as the optimal location for the green power plant, considering its favorable annual average temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation intensity. Remarkably, the proposed green power plant boasts a robust power generation capacity of 10.1 MW, enabling the production of 250 tons of hydrogen per year, exhibiting a 10 % improvement in exergy efficiency, and a 6 % reduction in LCOE, in comparison to similar studies. Furthermore, it exhibits an impressive total exergy efficiency of 41.6 %, resulting in a substantial annual income of $3.9 million and achieving a commendable payback period of 1.8 years.

Predicting solar radiation in the urban area: A data-driven analysis for sustainable city planning using artificial neural networking

Predicting solar radiation in cities using the Artificial Neural Network model (ANN) is a pioneering step in transforming future-oriented city planning using solar energy. This research harnesses vast datasets to forecast the average annual solar radiation, considering minimal urban information across various urban attributes, including coordinates (X, Y, Z), average height, inhabited and non-occupied areas, and the Azimuth angle. Our method employed parametric design and remote sensing to generate this dataset and then used the ANN model to make predictions and simulations. Urban attributes of 20 cities were examined, including Casablanca, Abu Dhabi, Cape Town, Dublin, Havana, Melbourne, Rome, Singapore, Nairobi, Mumbai, New York, Nagoya, Sao Paulo, Tehran, Madrid, Toronto, Antananarivo, Beijing, Lisbon, and Paris. This data-driven approach trains our ANN model to discern complex and nonlinear relationships between independent and dependent variables and thus enables our model to predict solar radiation in urban cities. Our data training results indicate that the output (the minimum solar radiation each year of the cities) can be predicted using the study input variables with a loss of 0.01, a mean squared error of 0.01, and an R2-squared value of 85%. Such predictions can refine urban designs of buildings, public spaces, and various urban infrastructures to optimize solar energy use, reducing environmental impacts and fossil fuel reliance, thus aiding climate change mitigation and sustainability. Our findings underscore the integral association between solar radiation and sustainable urban evolution, giving urban planners and researchers sustainable strategies for advancing energy efficiency and ecological equilibrium.

Estimation of Global Solar Radiation at Mid Hill Region, Okhaldhunga

Global solar radiation knowledge can be valuable in fulfilling energy demands and exploring numerous applications of solar technology. Since only a few meteorological stations are available and the installation of additional stations is complicated because the cost is very high, a comparative study of various models is essential for accurate global solar radiation prediction rather than measurement. In the present study, four models based on sunshine hour, temperature, and relative humidity for estimating daily global solar radiation were compared using the regression technique for Okhaldhunga (Lat.27.30810 N, Lon.86.50420 E, Alt.1720m.a.s.l.). These models were evaluated and compared based on four statistical error tests. The basis of analysis, model M4, which uses sunshine hour, maximum temperature, and relative humidity, was used for estimating daily global solar radiation with acceptable accuracy. The empirical constants obtained for M4 models were a=0.62, b=0.47, c= -0.003, and d= -0.003. The site's annual average global solar radiation was 4.16 kWh/m2 /day. The results of this study help estimate global solar radiation for similar geographical locations in Nepal.

Suitability Mapping of Solar Energy Potential of Selected Areas in Camarines Sur using ArcGIS

Abstract— Solar energy, the most common and scalable renewable energy, has a huge potential to supply the increasing electricity demand. Hence, proper site selection for deploying solar PV systems is required. This paper presents the development of a solar suitability map to identify potential sites for solar PV systems in the selected areas in the Rinconada District of the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. ArcGIS analyzed the annual average solar radiation, weather datasets, and geographical conditions and performed suitability mapping combined with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to identify the weights of the nine criteria of suitable site selection. Based on these factors, twenty-seven (27) barangays were found suitable, where the central and eastern parts of Barangay Malawag in Nabua and a massive part of Barangay Causip in Bula are the most suitable locations for large-scale solar PV installation.

A comprehensive scientometric analysis on hybrid renewable energy systems in developing regions of the world

Energy crises, increasing electricity prices, and having no access to the grid electricity are the leading issues in developing countries of Asia, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Developing hybrid renewable energy systems in off-grid or grid-connected modes is the best way to overcome developing countries' economic and energy crises. However, the development of hybrid renewable energy systems faces severe technical and related economic challenges. This article provides an updated and comprehensive resource and economic overview of developed hybrid renewable energy systems in different locations in these aforementioned regions. The resource assessment shows that for economical hybrid energy system the average annual wind speed and average annual solar radiation should be 5 m/s and 5 KWh/m^2 respectively. This paper also provides a big picture of renewable energy impacts, challenges in the architecture of hybrid systems, and key organizations working in this domain in the developing regions. According to our review, hybrid optimization model for electric renewable, particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm are frequently used tools for the optimization and sizing of hybrid energy systems. The map of hybrid renewable energy system research in developing regions is not available. Our study gives energy scenario and clear map of hybrid energy in developing regions of the world. The scientometric review of 2000 bibliographic data obtained from the Scopus database to perform co-author and co-occurrence analysis in this study. The data is used to trace the research pattern and thus to identify the most impactful authors, institutions, and countries in the hybrid renewable energy systems domain to obtain recommendations and make policies for the future uninterrupted and carbon dioxide emission free energy systems. The results of scientometric analysis shows that the Wang X. is the most prolific author, while India and Tanta University are the most productive country and institution in this domain. The scientometric analysis result will be beneficial in determining the future research directions in the hybrid renewable energy systems field.

Thermodynamic and economic analysis of a directly solar-driven power-to-methane system by detailed distributed parameter method

The transformation of solar energy into easily transportable and storable fuel brings a prospective solution to the issue caused by its intermittency and non-dispatching. Relying on well-established infrastructures and mature technologies for application, methane can be an attractive energy carrier for improving the penetration of solar energy in the future energy structure. To evaluate the feasibility of solar-to-methane from technical and economic views, this paper proposes a directly solar-driven power-to-methane system integrating photovoltaic plant, solid oxide electrolysis cell, methanation reactor, and membrane module. The detailed distributed parameter method is employed for thermodynamically modeling the core components of the system to consider the profiles of current density, temperatures, and composition concentrations. A comprehensive thermodynamic and economic analysis is further conducted for the system, and the results indicate that the power-to-methane efficiency, total energy efficiency, and total exergy efficiency of the system can reach 68.41%, 9.88%, and 11.08%, respectively. With the annual average solar radiation of 557.43 W/m2, the system achieves an annual synthetic natural gas yield of 914.51 MWh/y. A high total product unit cost of 186.57 $/MWh is obtained in 2020, whereas it is predicted to decrease to 91.51 $/MWh (about 51% reduction) in a future scenario with a payback period of 4.66 years due to the significant decrement of the photovoltaic investment cost. The present work reveals the engineering realizability and economic viability of solar-to-methane and provides a competitive option for the development of solar energy.

Estimation of evapotranspiration in Eucalyptus plantation and mixed forests based on air temperature and humidity

Soil evaporation, Air temperature and humidity inside and outside the forest and river flows were continually monitored in eucalyptus plantations (EU) and coniferous broadleaved mixed forests (MFs) to investigate the reasons for the decreased runoff recorded in EU. The applicabilities of four estimation methods based on air temperature and humidity were evaluated and verified. Our results show that: (1) the average annual solar radiation penetration rate of the EU canopies was 1.75 times that of the MFs canopies, and temperatures were lower inside the two forests than outside the forests. The daily average temperatures inside the EU and MFs were 20.7 ℃ and 20.8 ℃, respectively, which were 1.5 ℃ and 1.4 ℃ lower than those outside the forests. The daily average relative humidity was 0.8% higher in the MFs than in the EU. (2) The evapotranspiration of EU and MFs accounted for 80.2% and 76.3% of the total rainfall respectively, of which the soil evaporation was 12.8% and 8.9% respectively, and the runoff production coefficients were 0.198 and 0.237 respectively. The main reason for the decrease of the EU production was that soil evaporation in EU was 43.8% higher than that in MFs. (3) The deviation of EU and MFs evapotranspiration (ET0) from the measured values was estimated by the ET0Valian(T, RH) and ET0Alt/rs(T, RH) methods as less than 10%. (4) Using the product of the extraterrestrial solar radiation and the surface solar emissivity of the forest instead of the extraterrestrial solar radiation in these four formulas, the variation trend of the estimated forest soil evaporation was highly similar to the measured value. ET0Valian(T, RH) and ET0Alt/rs(T, RH) had the highest accuracy in soil evaporation estimation (2.0–3.4% lower than the measured values). The results provide a theoretical basis for studying the ecohydrology of subtropical plantations in the Northern Hemisphere.

Effect of solar radiation and operating factor of the PV module on the loss of load probability of a PV-Battery system

A photovoltaic Battery (PV-Battery) system is considered one of the most promising renewable energy off-grid systems. In a conventional design of PV systems generally, an annual average solar radiation of a site and a constant operating factor of the PV module (0.75) are considered. This research aims to find the effect of the two design parameters (solar radiation and operating factor (OPV) of the PV panel) on the Loss of Load Probability (LLP) of the PV-Battery system and to find out the optimum PV array size which is adequate to supply the energy requirement of an agricultural farm, under the climatic conditions of Haldia, India. Four different global solar irradiation have been considered for the design of the PV-Battery systems based on worst month radiation (4.05 kWh/m2/day), yearly average radiation (4.84 kWh/m2/day), yearly average radiation without rainy season months (5.14 kWh/m2/day), and best month radiation (6.28 kWh/m2/day) along with three different OPV of the PV panel (0.7, 0.75 and 0.8). The monthly LLP, yearly LLP variations, PV panel size, and the area required for the installation of PV panels are studied. The results of the study find the LLP as 0 of the system at the radiation of 4.84 kWh/m2/day with the OPV as 0.75 while LLP is in the range of 0.01–0.05 for the radiation of 5.14 kWh/m2/day with the OPV as 0.7. The model developed should be able to design PV systems for any agricultural load designed with the desired LLP.

Application of smart DC-Grid for efficient use of solar photovoltaic system in driving separately excited DC motor: Dynamic performance and techno-economic assessments

Solar energy is one of the solutions to the global threats - climate change, environmental pollution, fossil fuel depletion and high cost of energy - associated with increased energy demand. In this research, the techno-economic feasibility and dynamic performance assessment of a smart solar Photovoltaic (PV) Direct Current grid (DC-grid) powered Separately Excited Direct Current Motor (SEDCM) is presented. The energy mapping was done at Agbani City (6°18.3′N, 7°33.8′E), in Enugu State, Nigeria. Agbani city was identified to have a good amount of solar energy with an annual average solar radiation of 4.67 kWh/m 2 /d. The dynamic performance assessment of a smart solar PV DC-grid powered SEDCM was conducted with the help of MATLAB/SIMULINK software. The result show that a change in sun intensity affects the photon-generated current and it has effect on the open-circuit voltage of the solar panel. This change in the intensity can be compensated for by the use of a boost converter. The whole system was optimized in HOMER Pro simulation software to assess the techno-economic feasibility of the system. From the techno-economic study, it was observed that the proposed DC-grid PV system is feasible for the generation of electricity to power the SEDCM. The cost of energy was calculated and the categorized result from HOMER Pro shows that the capacity of the DC-grid PV system (35.67 kW) with 120 Surrette S-260 batteries gives the cheapest configuration. This configuration has a cost of energy of 0.11 $/kWh and a Net Present Cost (NPC) value of 0.048 million dollars and was used as optimum system configuration. Comparing the system with the national grid, the proposed DC-grid PV configuration has a cost saving of 35% with 1.679 gCO 2 ~eq/kWh greenhouse gas emission, while the national grid emits a significant amount of greenhouse gas up to 15,104 kg/y.

Techno-economic analysis for the role of single end energy user in mitigating GHG emission

BackgroundHouseholds, as end energy users, consume grid electricity to meet their energy demands. However, grids across the globe for energy production are majorly based on fossil fuel technology and make the highest contributions to global warming and climate change due to greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. This generic study aims to investigate the minute role of a single-end energy consumer in GHG mitigation by switching to a rooftop PV system to meet his energy demands and trading surplus energy to the grid through its techno-economic analysis.MethodFor the study impact, NASA Meteorological Data are used to select an ideal single energy user equipped with a 10-kW PV system based on annual average daily solar radiation and ambient temperature through MATLAB/Simulink, for 11 populous cities in Pakistan. Helioscope software is used to select tilt and azimuthal angles to maximize the solar radiation intercept. Afterward, RETScreen software is used for cost, financial and GHG analysis.Result and conclusionA single end energy user equipped with a 10-kW PV system switched to a green energy source from a fossil fuel-based grid has the potential to avoid the burning of 3570.6 L of gasoline by producing 16,832 kWh of green energy per annum, while financially recovering the 10-kW PV system’s 7337$ grid-tied investment in 5 years (equity) and in 9 years (equity) in a 9077$ stand-alone system over its 25-year life. This approach provides relief to end energy users from high priced grid electricity through environmental friendliness by mitigating 8.3 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions per annum from energy production, while providing relief to the main grid by grid stabilization through peak shaving, in the broad sense.

Malar stripe size and prominence in peregrine falcons vary positively with solar radiation: support for the solar glare hypothesis

Many falcons (Falco spp.) exhibit a distinct dark plumage patch below the eye, termed the malar stripe. This stripe is hypothesized to reduce the amount of solar glare reflected into the eyes while foraging, thereby increasing hunting efficiency in bright conditions. Here, we use a novel, global-scale correlative approach to test this 'solar glare hypothesis' in peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus), the most widespread falcon species, using web-sourced photographs from across the species' global range. We found that the size and prominence of the malar stripe were positively associated with average annual solar radiation, but not with other environmental variables, such as temperature and rainfall. Our results provide the first published evidence for the hypothesis that this plumage feature functions to reduce the amount of solar glare reflected into the falcon's eyes, thereby improving the ability to pinpoint and target agile prey in bright conditions.

OPTIMIZATION OF HYBRID RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM

In this paper, an off-grid hybrid energy system consisting of micro run-of-river hydro power plant, photovoltaic system, wind turbines, diesel generator as a back-up power source, batteries and converters is studied. The objective of this research is to obtain the cost effective configuration of the system, which will meet consumption demands, respecting the total net present costs. HOMER software is used to simulate the system and to determine the most appropriate combination of renewable energy resources. Sensitivity analysis is also performed in order to examine how the average annual wind speed, average annual solar radiation and the fuel price will affect the configuration of the system. At the end the emissions analysis of the verious types of the hybrid energy system is also carried out.

Prediction of daily global solar radiation using different empirical models on the basis of meteorological parameters at Trans Himalaya Region, Nepal

Global Solar Radiation (GSR) is the cleanest and freely available energy resource on the earth. GSR was measured for six years (2010 -2015) at the horizontal surface using calibrated first-class CMP6 pyranometer at Kathmandu (Lat. 27.70o N, Long. 85.5oE and Alt. 1350m). This paper explains the daily, monthly, and seasonal variations of GSR and also compares with sunshine hour, ambient temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation to GSR. The annual average global solar radiation is about 4.16 kWh/m2/day which is a significant amount to promote solar active and passive energy technologies at the Trans-Himalaya region. In this study, the meteorological parameters are utilized in the regression technique for four different empirical models and finally, the empirical constants are found. Thus obtained coefficients are utilized to predict the GSR using meteorological parameters for the years to come. In addition, the predicted GSR is found to be closer to the measured value of GSR. The values are justified by using statistical tools such as coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), mean percentage error (MPE), and mean bias error (MBE). Finally, the values of R2, RMSE, MPE, and MBE are found to be 0.792, 1.405, -1.014, and 0.011, respectively for the model (D), which are based on sunshine hour, temperature and relative humidity. In this model, the empirical constants, a = 0.155, b = 0.134, c = 0.014 and d = 0.0007 are determined which can be utilized at the similar geographical locations of Nepal.
 BIBECHANA 18 (2021) 159-169

Ign and Control Analysis Of An Automatic Active Domestic Solar Water Heating System

Solar water heating technology is one of the cost-effective ways of heating water in residential and public buildings. This study presents the design technique for an automatic active domestic solar water heating system (ADSWHS) to meet the hot water demand for a residence in Wum (10.43°E, 6.23° N) with a daily hot water demand of 500 litres at 70 o C, using flat plate solar collectors and an arduino microcontroller. The solar data used in this analysis were obtained from Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS) and the method used is the active direct roof mounted solar water heating. The system design process consist of evaluating the optimum collector tilt angle, the thermal analysis of the flat plate collector and hot water storage tank and finally modelling a low cost automatic controller for the system using an Arduino in the Proteus software. The optimum annual average solar radiation on the tilted solar collector was obtained following the calculation of the conversion ratios of the direct , diffuse and reflected radiations. At annual time scale, the appropriate tilt angle (I²) that maximizes the collection of solar energy was 11 o and the corresponding optimum average irradiance of 432 W/m 2 wasobtained. The analytical results presented for the performance of the heater indicate that the system operates at an annual thermal efficiency of 55.49%. The control system simulation results indicate that the system uses 4.5kWh and 2.075kWh of energy to run the pump and the auxiliary heater respectively and produces 26.187kWh of energy to heat up the cold water from 25 o C to 70 o C for a single day.

Creation of Turkey's Solar Exergy Potantial Atlas (SEXPATR)

In this study, Turkey's annual and monthly solar exergy potential atlases (SEXPATR) in ArcGIS software has been created by calculating exergy of solar radiation values for all provinces in Turkey (MJ/m2yr). Annual solar radiation exergy values for Turkey 4346,67 MJ/m2yr and 5613,68 MJ/m2yr calculated and the average annual solar radiation exergy amount was set at 5034,37 MJ/m2yr. The highest value was determined for Karaman province and the lowest value for Bartın province. The average monthly solar radiation exergy value was determined as 160,25 MJ/m2months in average at the lowest December and 665,06 MJ/m2months in July at the highest. The annual exergy / energy ratio was calculated between 92,95% and 94,17%, with an annual average value of 93,39%.

SURVEY OF SOLAR ENERGY USAGES & ITS APPLICATIONS IN LIBYA

Due to its hot climate of Libya, especially in the summer and the length of the radiation of the Sun throughout the year and increasing degree of radiation of the Sun year after year because of other factors, and also the adoption of Libya in power generation on oil and that prices may vary, either as it becomes a large popularity, leading to a rapid depletion in Libya, and either rise, leading to higher energy production costs , It was necessary to use renewable energies of Libya and most of this renewable energy is solar energy. Whereas the annual average solar radiation on a horizontal surface (m2) between 5.5 kWh per day on the coastline of Libya and 7 kWh per day, of southern areas and also a lifetime of sunshine during the year up to approximately 3100 hours in the coastline and 3900 hours to the South. According to this research, the most important objectives required to achieve are production of electricity at the lowest possible cost and environment friendly and take advantage of the massive solar power in Libya.So I have in this research study how to convert solar energy into electrical energy and The expected benefit because of it in Libya, and a focus on cost element in preparation the solar cells, and the most important activities that we can exploit in use of solar energy, and a focus on economic efficiency of solar cells, and also the comparison between the use of solar cells and most stations operating in Libya using fuel oil , We also study solar systems components and factors affecting the performance of the solar cell, and because Libya depends on this heavily, and study of the most important activities and current uses of solar energy in Libya.Accordingly, it was concluded some of the conclusions and recommendations and proposals and some possible solutions that serve this side of the subject.

Investigation of the Geometric Shape Effect on the Solar Energy Potential of Gymnasium Buildings

Gymnasium are typically large-span buildings with abundant solar energy resources due to their extensive roof surface. However, relevant research on this topic has not been thoroughly conducted to investigate the effect of the geometric shape of gymnasium buildings on their solar potential. In this paper, an investigation of the geometric shape effect on the solar potential of gymnasium buildings is presented. A three-dimensional radiation transfer model coupled with historical meteorological data was established to estimate the real-time solar potential of the roof of a gymnasium building. The rooftop solar potential of three typical building foundation shapes and different types of roof shapes that have evolved was systematically analyzed. An annual solar potential cloud map of each gymnasium building is generated. The monthly and annual average solar radiation intensities of the different types of roof shapes are investigated. Compared to the optimal tilt angle, the maximum decrease in the average radiation intensity reached −20.42%, while the minimum decline was −8.64% for all types of building shapes. The solar energy potential fluctuated by up to 11% across the various roof shapes, which indicate that shape selection is of vital importance for integrated photovoltaic gymnasium buildings. The results presented in this work are essential for clarifying the effects of the geometric shape of gymnasium buildings on the solar potential of their roofs, which provide an important reference for building design.

Technical feasibility analysis of the use of solar chimneys in Brazil

Solar chimneys are power generation plants, which use solar radiation to promote a flow of heated air, whose kinetic energy is extracted by turbines located at the base of the chimney. The literature regarding this technology is extensive and many studies have been conducted to verify numerical and mathematical models, as well as analyzes of technical and economic viability. However, none of those studies has considered the potential of the application of this technology in Brazil, and this analysis is a decisive factor for the implementation of this kind of energy model as a successful enterprise. Considering that, this work aims to map the energy potential for the use of solar chimneys in Brazil, using a mathematical and numerical model of extreme precision. The results indicate a great potential for the use of this technology in the country, especially in the Northeast, Midwest, and in a state of the Southern region. Considering the annual average solar radiation levels, the city of Cuiabá-MT is the one which has the highest power generation potential, with a daily average of 50 MWh and a peak generation of 5.10 MW, followed by the city of Propriá-CE, generating 49.53 MWh and a peak generation of 5.01 MW. The results were promising and, although the overall efficiency of this technology is not very high, around 1.3%, these plants present low operating costs, long service life, and use materials with low emissions rates of CO2 in their manufacturing process.

Relation of Global Solar Radiation with Temperature, Rainfall, Sunshine Duration and Clearness Index at Western Himalayan Region, Nepal

The global solar radiation is measured at the horizontal surface by calibrated pyranometer at Jumla(29.27°N to 82.18°E, 2514.0m). The effect of different physical as well as meteorological parameters to the intensity of global solar radiation was analyzed. This paper compares global solar radiation with sunshine duration, temperature, and rainfall and clearness index. This paper also explains the monthly, seasonal variation of global solar radiation. The annual average global solar radiation is 18.36MJ/m2 /day which is sufficient to promote solar active and passive solar energy technology at Himalaya terrain Jumla and other similar geographical locations. This novel result can be used for location of similar meteorological and geographical characteristics at which solar data are not available.

GEOSPATIAL EVALUATION OF BELGRADE FOR THE PURPOSES OF DETERMINATION OF SUITABLE LOCATIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PV PLANTS

<p>The aim of this paper is to identify the most suitable locations for the construction of Solar Photovoltaic Plants (PVP) on the territory of the City of Belgrade (Republic of Serbia). The city is rich in natural resources and abundant in energy potential. The climatic and spatial characteristics favor the use of solar energy: the average annual solar radiation in Belgrade is 1446.8 kWh/m2 /year, and the sunshine duration is around 2200 h/year.</p><p>The analysis covered the area of 3240.7 km2 (administrative area of Belgrade). Geospatial evaluation was based on three basic criteria: aspect, slope and land use. The Method of elimination in combination with modern methods in geospatial research (GIS) was applied. Based on the mentioned geospatial factors, thematic maps were made and later, their overlapping resulted in obtaining a synthesis Map of the suitability of the terrain for the construction of the PV plants. Of the total considered area, 13.68% were evaluated as suitable for the given purpose.</p>