Development Of Solar Energy Technologies Research Articles

Infrared Fault Classification Based on the Siamese Network

The rapid development of solar energy technology has led to significant progress in recent years, but the daily maintenance of solar panels faces significant challenges. The diagnosis of solar panel failures by infrared detection devices can improve the efficiency of maintenance personnel. Currently, due to the scarcity of infrared solar panel failure samples and the problem of unclear image effective features, traditional deep neural network models can easily encounter overfitting and poor generalization performance under small sample conditions. To address these problems, this paper proposes a solar panel failure diagnosis method based on an improved Siamese network. Firstly, two types of solar panel samples of the same category are constructed. Secondly, the images of the samples are input into the feature model combining convolution, adaptive coordinate attention (ACA), and the feature fusion module (FFM) to extract features, learning the similarities between different types of solar panel samples. Finally, the trained model is used to determine the similarity of the input solar image, obtaining the failure diagnosis results. In this case, adaptive coordinate attention can effectively obtain interested effective feature information, and the feature fusion module can integrate the different effective information obtained, further enriching the feature information. The ACA-FFM Siamese network method can alleviate the problem of insufficient sample quantity and effectively improve the classification accuracy, achieving a classification accuracy rate of 83.9% on an open-accessed infrared failure dataset with high similarity.

Spectrally selective absorption coatings and their applications: A review

Due to the depletion of fossil energy sources and their harm to the environment, renewable energies are gradually becoming indispensable for the future development of society. Solar thermal conversion technologies based on spectrally selective absorption coatings have received great interest, and selective absorption coatings have become attractive to aid collectors to absorb solar radiation efficiently. This review presents an overview of the advances in spectrally selective absorption coatings. The general classification of coatings as well as their preparation techniques and applications are described in detail with an emphasis on the discussion of recent advances in the coating technology and the engineering applications of collectors. In order to promote the further development of solar energy technologies, it is necessary to accelerate the pace of commercialization of new coatings.

Evaluation of the manufacturing processes for solar selective surfaces based on CrxOy from a carbon footprint perspective

Solar selective coatings can improve the performance of solar collectors by reducing heat losses by thermal radiation, so that the surface selectively absorbs solar radiation with wavelengths specific to solar thermal conversion. The demand for low carbon and more sustainable products has evolved rapidly in recent years and selective surfaces are expected to play an important role in the development of solar energy technologies. The objective of this study is to assess the production process of selective surfaces with Black Chrome (CrxOy) obtained by two deposition techniques (sputtering and electrodeposition), using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. To this end, real data were collected from experiments, and detailed inventories of energy and material flows were built to support a LCA that quantified the carbon footprint of each manufacturing process. Per process, the results demonstrated that electrodeposition presented a higher overall carbon footprint (16.912 g CO2-eq) than sputtering (14.271 g CO2-eq). Electricity consumption associated with both processes was responsible for a significant share of the total carbon footprint: 77% for the electrodeposition technique and 59% for sputtering. The prospective LCA presented herein helped identify the hotspots of the processes that have margins for improvement, providing guidance regarding process upscaling.

Using Synergy Approach To investigate the developmental trends of Solar Energy

In recent years, electricity generation using solar energy has become a popular trend. At present, the solar energy output value of China, the United States (US), and the European Union (EU28) together account for more than 70% of the total global output value; therefore, these nations have a significant influence on future development of solar energy technologies.In this study, we analyzed data, including those for patents; key technology; output value; trade surpluses (deficits); research and development (R&D) funds and manpower; energy density, and publications in journals, and collected data related to solar energy use in these countries to analyze trends in its use by applying the synergy theory. The subsystems investigated include the industry, government, and academic, and the study period was 2005–2015. We also integrated resources and linked application statuses to track applications by the considered subsystems.The following results were obtained at the end of this study:(1) Development of solar energy use technology has slowed down in the EU28, is growing in China, and has plateaued in the US. In terms of trends in synergy, the EU28 showed growth up to 2013, after which a rapid decline was observed; an overall growth trend was observed in China; and a plateau in the was noted in the US after 2011.(2) Overall, variations in these trends reduced across the industry subsystems affecting decision-making in companies. Overall investment in research and development (R&D) by the government has plateaued. There appeared to be a growth in the academic subsystems, with the number of studies on solar energy increasing.(3) Patents and published journal articles indicate that, in the EU28, research on key technology for solar energy use has been dominated by theory. However, in China and the US, research is mainly focused on the application of such technology.The observed trends for solar energy technologies in the study areas. However, the environment for the solar energy use can change; it is recommended that future research take market considerations into account to better understand the trends in the development of solar energy technologies.

Solar chimney power plant and its correlation with ambient wind effect

The use of solar energy in the present era is necessary and important as well. Solar chimney technology for power generation is one of the solar energy harvesting techniques where the direct and dispersed solar radiations are absorbed in the solar chimney power plant. The effectiveness of solar chimneys has been proven for power generation, and it is a promising approach to future energy generation plans. This article provides a comprehensive scenario of the research and development of solar energy technology as well as the history of solar chimneys in the last few decades. It describes the state of empirical and theoretical studies and the physical processes for this commonly used technology. Finally, this paper presents some avenues to cover the practical required approaches for solar chimney power generation plant. In this study, the numerical investigation is also considered to study the stack configuration effect on the performance of a solar chimney power plant. Numerical simulation of the proposed configuration shows that the speculated geometry can reduce the throttling effect of the deflected plume.

Study of photovoltaic solar materials development trend by deductive logic method using big data

In recent years, the development of solar materials in the field of science and technology has experienced many major breakthroughs. This study collects relevant data to evaluate the development of solar energy technology based on deductive reasoning approach in the popular types, and then utilize big data to investigate the trend of smart materials development in solar energy research. This study aims to understand the impact of materials science on the development of photovoltaic solar energy and understand the trends in the research field from the number of published journals in past years.The period of study in this paper is from 1970 to 2018. The research scope is limited to an analysis of solar journals from Web of Science®, which indicates that various solar materials have very obvious difference in growth trends.From 1970 to 2010, although the United States was the country with the largest number of published solar journals, the percentage gradually decreased. Then from 2011 to 2018, China became the first among the top countries in solar energy materials publications.Among them, the field of “Dye-sensitized solar” grew the most, the highest research publications in the field of solar energy research is “Materials science”.

Has Cuba exposed the myth of “free” solar power? Energy, space, and justice

Given the many problems with fossil energy, the fact that solar energy still only constitutes an insignificant fraction of global energy use requires explanation. The most common explanation is that multinational corporations with vested interests in fossil fuels have been actively preventing the development of solar energy technologies. But this explanation is difficult to apply to the case of Cuba. This article takes Cuban energy policy since the 1990s as a starting point to understand the sociometabolic prerequisites of a renewable energy transition. In 2014, Cuba embarked on a new renewable energy strategy while 95% of the island’s electricity was still generated from petroleum products. To explain Cuba’s halting renewable energy transition, we demonstrate that modern energy technologies are always embedded in global flows of resources and processes of capital accumulation. The requisite investments of capital and labor in energy technology represent substantial, indirect land requirements beyond the space occupied by the technological infrastructure itself. The theoretical argument is that energy technologies should be perceived not simply as local, politically neutral accomplishments of engineering but as sociometabolic displacement strategies, appropriating space from elsewhere. From an interdisciplinary perspective, this means that assessments of a technology’s “power density” also need to consider the spatial demands of the global economic context that makes the technology feasible. The Cuban case illustrates how visions of a renewable energy transition in both mainstream and Marxist thought will need to be based on a radically transformed ontology of technology attentive to global political economy and energy justice. Ultimately, the global anticipation of a transition to renewable energy implicates illusory assumptions about “technology” that have been taken for granted since the Industrial Revolution.

Solar energy technologies and open innovation: A study based on bibliometric and social network analysis

This paper aims to identify the development of solar energy technologies through open innovation. Manuscripts about solar energy and open innovation published between the years 2000 and 2014 in journals indexed by Web of Science Core Collection were used to create a database and terms related to solar energy and open innovation were sought in papers title, summary and keywords. By using words “cooperation” and “collaboration” as a proxy to map open innovation, it was found that this approach exist widely for solar energy researches and most important publications was developed collaboratively. Social network analysis methodology was used to identified clusters of local, national and international partnerships, which prove that researches cooperation to solar energy technological development is true. International cooperation is prevalent in countries like the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain and Germany. National partnership occurs in Japan, United States, France, Italy and South Korea. China has predominant local cooperation profile, but it will be major international collaborative actor in solar energy researches next years. Also, a set of recommendations based on findings was provided to construct a better environment for cooperation and to improve solar energy researches.

Slow Photons for Photocatalysis and Photovoltaics.

Solar light is widely recognized as one of the most valuable renewable energy sources for the future. However, the development of solar-energy technologies is severely hindered by poor energy-conversion efficiencies due to low optical-absorption coefficients and low quantum-conversion yield of current-generation materials. Huge efforts have been devoted to investigating new strategies to improve the utilization of solar energy. Different chemical and physical strategies have been used to extend the spectral range or increase the conversion efficiency of materials, leading to very promising results. However, these methods have now begun to reach their limits. What is therefore the next big concept that could efficiently be used to enhance light harvesting? Despite its discovery many years ago, with the potential for becoming a powerful tool for enhanced light harvesting, the slow-photon effect, a manifestation of light-propagation control due to photonic structures, has largely been overlooked. This review presents theoretical as well as experimental progress on this effect, revealing that the photoreactivity of materials can be dramatically enhanced by exploiting slow photons. It is predicted that successful implementation of this strategy may open a very promising avenue for a broad spectrum of light-energy-conversion technologies.

Solar Energy Resource Assessment of the Geba Catchment, Northern Ethiopia

The global shift towards renewable energy is manifested in developing countries such as Ethiopia primarily because of continuous economic growth in the last two decades and secondly due to the vast untapped potential resources. In addition to other factors, the lack of accurate data of the resources has, however, hampered the development of solar energy technologies. The aim of this paper is to investigate the resource estimation by undertaking direct measurements at selected sites in the Northern part of Ethiopia.This paper presents an assessment of the solar energy resource based on the primary data collected between January 2011 and December 2012. The daily and monthly average global solar radiation is analyzed based on the 10minute interval measurement retrieved from the data loggers.From the analysis it is seen that the measured values give a better accuracy and distribution of the global solar radiation than earlier Fig.s that were based on satellite images and model calculations. Furthermore, these results can be used to determine the solar resource potential of Northern Ethiopia for further energy development.

Application of PV Roof on Large Space Structure System

Future development of solar energy technology will focus on photovoltaic (PV) component. Analyzing the application of PV roof on large space structure system, this paper points out that key points of application of this technology are PV cells and roof bearing body. Besides, the discussion of what is important in structure design of PV roof shows that the calculation of Building-attached Photovoltaic roof (BAPV roof) should consider the influence of load applied on the windward side and leeward side, the synergic action of panels and supporting frames and whipping effect; while the calculation of Building-Integrated Photovoltaic roof (BIPV roof) should put bearing load on the first place and satisfy insulation work as well as waterproof work of roof. The conclusion is that the future development direction of roof is the two-in-one PV roof.

Transient Heat Conduction and Thermal Stress Analyses of a Compound Plate Subjected to Concentrated Sunlight

Since solar energy is nonpolluting and will not be depleted, the development and spread of concentrating solar power technology have been promoting. The study and development of new energies have been also promoting in Miyazaki prefecture. The research project team in faculty of engineering, University of Miyazaki continues to work on study and development of solar energy technologies by making use of Beam-down Solar Concentrator. In the present study, a flat compound plate composed of different kinds of materials is considered in order to examine the heat transfer characteristic and strength at elevated temperature of flat type receiver in which concentrated sunlight is converted to thermal energy. The analytical development of heat conduction and thermal stresses for the compound plate is treated. Then, effects of materials and thickness on the temperature and thermal stresses in the plate are discussed from the theoretical point of view.

Present Solar Energy Potential and Strategies in China

Facing great pressure of economic growth and energy crisis, China pays much attention to the renewable energy. Renewable energy development is one of the main targets of the Chinese government on the way to the sustainable development and climate change mitigation. China's energy policy target is to reach 15.4% renewable energy share by 2020 and 27.5% by 2050. China's total installed electrical power capacity reached 700 GW by the end of 2007 and is predicted to surpass 900 GW in 2010. A similar goal exists for the solar photovoltaic power sector which China intends to increase generating capacity from 0.14 GW as of 2009 to over 1.8 GW by 2020. In order to achieve this target, the Government has implemented many instruments from laws and policies and financial incentives. The paper gives introduction to the present situation of the solar energy development in China and overviews the main policies that China uses to promote and develop the solar energy. Also, the suggestions for the further development of solar energy technologies in China are given.

A method for improving global pyranometer measurements by modeling responsivity functions

Accurate global solar radiation measurements are crucial to climate change research and the development of solar energy technologies. Pyranometers produce an electrical signal proportional to global irradiance. The signal-to-irradiance ratio is the responsivity (RS) of the instrument (RS = signal/irradiance = microvolts/(W/m 2)). Most engineering measurements are made using a constant RS. It is known that RS varies with day of year, zenith angle, and net infrared radiation. This study proposes a method to find an RS function to model a pyranometer’s changing RS. Using a reference irradiance calculated from direct and diffuse instruments, we found instantaneous RS for two global pyranometers over 31 sunny days in a two-year period. We performed successive independent regressions of the error between the constant and instantaneous RS with respect to zenith angle, day of year, and net infrared to obtain an RS function. An alternative method replaced the infrared regression with an independently developed technique to account for thermal offset. Results show improved uncertainties with the function method than with the single-calibration value. Lower uncertainties also occur using a black-and-white (8-48), rather than all-black (PSP), shaded pyranometer as the diffuse reference instrument. We conclude that the function method is extremely effective in reducing uncertainty in the irradiance measurements for global PSP pyranometers if they are calibrated at the deployment site. Furthermore, it was found that the function method accounts for the pyranometer’s thermal offset, rendering further corrections unnecessary. The improvements in irradiance data achieved in this study will serve to increase the accuracy of solar energy assessments and atmospheric research.

G119 ソーラートライジェネレーションシステムの開発(新技術フォーラム-5 : クリーンで快適な都市を作り出すための分散エネルギーの新展開)

Previous development of solar energy technologies was progressed from two sectors of thermal and photovoltaic utilizations. Presently, each of technology such as solar hot water unit and PV system is in commercial stage. From the viewpoint of effective use of solar energy, solar hybrid collector generating heat and electricity from the sun was developed. This is called solar co-generation from the meaning of produce or supply of heat and electricity. Although this is one of the most useful methods of solar energy, we can use effectively solar energy than before if fuel is produced by solar energy. One of the methods to realize this idea is solar tri-generation. In this paper, we propose the methods of solar tri-generation producing heat, electricity and fuel from the sun.

Achieving a secure energy future: environmental and economic issues

Energy, economics, and the environment are interdependent. Land, water, atmospheric, and biological resources are being degraded by current high energy consumption. U.S. energy consumption is the highest in the world and the U.S. Department of Energy reports that the United States has only about 10 years of known and potentially discoverable oil reserves. The U.S. should reduce its energy consumption by one half to help restore the quality of the environment while improving the American standard of living by strengthening the economy and increasing the number of jobs. Because of the interdependence of energy, economics, and the environment, energy efficiency and transition to renewable energy sources are critical. An estimated 40% of current energy consumption could be produced employing solar energy technologies, but would require about 20% of total U.S. land area. Therefore, the development of solar energy technologies to substitute for fossil energy is projected to compete for land required for agriculture and forestry as well as have other environmental impacts.