Field Of Solar Energy Research Articles

The Texas Motel

The Texas Motel Jill Talbot (bio) I don’t think I knew I was going until I pulled onto the highway. That was five miles back. It’s Saturday, mid-morning, mid-summer. I’m forty miles from Dallas on I-35 North. Up ahead, dark clouds drape the sky like a stage curtain. I wonder if I should turn back. When I hear the high guitar notes of Bob Welch’s Sentimental Lady, I turn up the volume. Sentimental gentle wind blowing through my life again. Ranches, acres of clear land, and solar energy fields line both sides of the highway, and traffic thins out as the lanes narrow from four to two. For years I’ve been wondering about the difference between memory and imagination. If there is a difference. I-35 begins in Laredo, Texas, on the Mexican border, and winds vertically through the middle of the country all the way to Duluth, Minnesota. In Texas, the highway cuts through San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas before it runs through the last town, Gainesville, population 16,441. 503.9 miles. The last Texas exit, 504, appears just before the bridge over the Red River, [End Page 51] the Texas/Oklahoma border. I live in Denton off Exit 465A, where the sign of a 7-Eleven rises above the overpass. I read somewhere that Bob Welch wrote Sentimental Lady in the Gorham Hotel in New York City in 1955. That hotel no longer exists. What happens to our stories when the rooms that once held them disappear? Traffic slows, merging to one lane. Ahead, a stout construction worker stands in the middle of the lane with a STOP sign while southbound traffic slowly passes. After a while, he turns his sign to SLOW. I wave as I pass him, thinking about a story I once heard when I lived in Utah for a few years about fifteen years ago. I don’t remember who told me. Maybe a colleague? Maybe a man sitting next to me at a bar? But here’s the story: A construction worker on I-15 outside of Park City stopped traffic. He stood in the middle of the highway, next to the first car waiting in the line. The driver rolled down his window and asked the worker how he was doing. The driver was Robert Redford. I also lived in northern New York for a while, in my late thirties, not far from the Canadian border. The landscape open, hushed. I’d go on drives along the quiet routes in search of abandoned buildings. There are plenty. There’s even a website: “Old Abandoned Buildings of Northern New York.” Collapsed barns, lonely silos, fences struggling to stand. Motor lodges strangled by brush, stone schoolhouses, stores with signs still intact. Pete’s Place. But it was the abandoned tavern on County Road 24 that fascinated me the most. Its faded sign, Turnpike on the stucco wall and above the entrance, wood cutouts of a mug, a martini glass, and a wine glass. A Harley Davidson sticker on the glass door. The place reminded me of a bar in Utah, one with a concrete floor and a sign behind the bar, Memberships $12 a year. A Utah law back then. I’d go afternoons after teaching class, arrive about the same time the salt-and-pepper-haired man did, the two of us setting down the day with the first pint. I don’t remember his name, but I remember his plaid shirts and weariness, his starched Wranglers and [End Page 52] stories, the ones about digging graves, waiting for the last mourner to leave before filling it. The toughest, he once told me, were the ones who stayed until he had stamped the raised earth with a shovel before heading to the excavator parked several feet away. He always felt bad leaving the mourner at the mound. What stories were told from the barstools inside the Turnpike? And how long ago did last call end with raised glasses of farewell before shadows spilled from the door and onto the gravel of the parking lot for the last time? The parking lot where I stood...

Solar energy potential assessment for electricity generation on the south-eastern coast of Iran

Among the types of renewable energy, solar energy has received more attention due to its ability to convert directly into electricity and heat, its ease of use, its possibility of storage, and its endlessness, so in recent decades, a lot of research has been done on solar energy systems in the world and in Iran. Considering Iran's potential in the field of solar energy and the country's need for this type of energy, it is necessary to locate and identify suitable sites for the use of solar energy. In this research, the potential of generating power from solar energy on the ocean coasts of south-eastern Iran has been investigated. The geographical data of the solar radiation map of Iran was used to estimate the power of electrical energy from spatial limiting criteria for the feasibility of installing photovoltaic panels at the power plant scale. Finally, the total power of electricity that can be extracted from suitable places in the region was calculated; results showed that 37.5% of the Makran area is exploitable as solar farms. With a conversion efficiency of 15% and an area factor of 70%, annual electricity production for the exploitable area is roughly 17200 GWh, which can be a driving force for the industrial, economic and social development of Makran region.

Techno–Econo–Enviro Energy Analysis, Ranking and Optimization of Various Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Types in Different Climatic Regions of Iran

Iran is one of the most energy-consuming countries, especially in the construction sector, and more than 40% of its energy consumption is in the construction sector. Therefore, considering the very high potential of Iran in the field of solar energy, the need to pay attention to providing part of the energy required by buildings by solar energy seems necessary. The study of the effect of climate on the performance of a BIPV has not been done in Iran so far. Also, the use of ranking methods using the weighting of parameters affecting the performance of BIPV has not been done so far. The purpose of this study is to investigate the power supply of BIPV connected to the grid in the eight climates of Iran. Technical–economic–environmental energy analyses were performed by HOMER 2.81 software. In order to study different types of BIPV, four angles of 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° were considered for the installation of solar cells. The effective output parameters of HOMER software were weighted by the Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method based on the opinion of experts, and it was observed that payback time (year) has the highest weight among the studied criteria. Then, different cities were ranked using the evaluation based on distance from the average solution (EDAS) method. The results showed that Jask is the most suitable and Ramsar is the most unsuitable city. Also, the results of the EDAS method were confirmed by Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS), Weighted Aggregates Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS), and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods.

BAT inspired regression model for prediction of power loss in solar panel

Solar energy is an increasingly popular and environmentally friendly source of renewable energy. The performance of solar panels can be significantly affected by various factors, including shading or shadowing. The shadowing effect on solar panels has been a topic of significant interest and research in the field of solar energy. Shadows cast on solar panels can have a detrimental impact on their performance, affecting their efficiency and power output. Shadows can cause hotspots, voltage drops, and current imbalances, negatively impacting the overall efficiency and output of the solar panel system. In this paper, we have used a bat inspired model to find optimum parameters which are further used in a regression model to predict the amount of power loss that can happen with the area of cells exposed to shadow in a solar panel. This model can help further researchers to know the exact amount of power loss from the shadow effect and accordingly, they can plan to mitigate the issue.

Investigating the structure and evolution of the innovation network of catching-up countries in the field of solar energy using patent citations analysis

در طول سه دهه گذشته، پژوهش‌ها بر این موضوع متمرکز بوده‌است که کشورهای متأخر چگونه و تحت چه شرایطی توانسته‌اند به تولیدکنندگان اصلی فناوری‌های جدید همچون انرژی‌های تجدیدپذیر تبدیل شوند و در این حوزه فرارسی فناورانه نمایند. این موضوع برای کشورهای در حال توسعه از آن جهت مورد تاکید است که از سویی بیشترین رشد تقاضای انرژی در سال‌های آینده در این کشورها خواهد بود و از سوی دیگر پنجره فرصت سبزی است تا سایر کشورهای در حال‌توسعه بتوانند با در نظر گرفتن آن به درس‌آموزی و یادگیری پرداخته و در جهت فرارسی در این حوزه‌ها تلاش نمایند. در این پژوهش سعی شده‌است تا فرارسی فناورانه از طریق تحلیل ساختار و تکامل شبکه نوآوری حوزه انرژی خورشیدی با استفاده از تحلیل استنادات پتنت بررسی شود. بدین منظور پتنت‌های این حوزه از پایگاه نوآوری دِرونت و در بازه زمانی سال 1980 تا 2017 استخراج و پاکسازی شد. سپس شبکه استنادات تشکیل و با استفاده از روش‌های تجزیه و تحلیل شبکه‌های اجتماعی ساختار کلی شبکه و ویژگی‌های سطح کشور بررسی شد. نتایج نشان داد که کشورهایی که از طرفی به مرور ظرفیت جذب خود را از طریق پیوستن به شبکه جهانی نوآوری و حرکت در خط سیر فناوری‌های کشورهای پیشرو از طریق افزایش استنادات به پتنت‌های این کشورها، افزایش دادند و از طرفی دیگر پتنت‌های باکیفیتی در حوزه‌های جدید ثبت کرده‌اند، مورد استناد روزافزون سایر کشورها قرار گرفته‌ و موفق شدند در شبکه جایگاه ویژه‌ای به عنوان واسط و میانجی انتقال و اشاعه فناوری پیدا کنند و موفق به فرارسی فناورانه شوند.

Solar Energy Technology: Step Towards Bright Future of the World

There are two sorts of energy resources: sustainable power resources and non-sustainable power resources. Due to some negative ecological effects including air pollution, climate change, and resource rot, people are concentrating on using sustainable energy resources to produce electricity. Solar energy, usually referred to as sun-oriented energy, is one of the most frequently researched environmentally beneficial power resources. In order to fulfill the growing demand for energy and increase energy efficiency, new developments and advancements in the field of solar energy are required. There are two sorts of energy resources: sustainable power resources and non-sustainable power resources. Due to some negative ecological effects including air pollution, climate change, and resource rot, people are concentrating on using sustainable energy resources to produce electricity. Solar energy, usually referred to as sun-oriented energy, is one of the most frequently researched environmentally beneficial power resources. In order to fulfill the growing demand for energy and increase energy efficiency, new developments and advancements in the field of solar energy are required. The traditional solar energy cell's inability to create power in the evening is a horrible flaw. This investigation focuses mostly on solar-powered energy and discusses its evolution, improvements, and future perspectives.

Model Predictive Control for Four-Switch Buck–Boost Converter Based on Tuning-Free Cost Function With Smooth Mode Transition

Four-switch buck-boost (FSBB) converter has the capability of bidirectional voltage step-down and step-up, which has attracted attentions in the fields of energy storage and solar energy. However, it faces the challenges in multimode operation and smooth mode transition, which rely on the complex mode detection scheme and cumbersome parameter tuning. In this article, the inherent limitation is analyzed through inconsistent frequency response and noncontinuous duty cycle operation region aspects. Then, a model predictive control (MPC) method characterized by tuning-free cost function is presented to achieve multimode control and smooth transition simultaneously. With the goal of ensuring the reference current tracking under inconsistent frequency response, a duty cycle and current ripples prediction are presented for all switching combinations. Then, a tuning-free cost function is utilized to overcome the gaps in noncontinuous duty cycle operation region and a smooth mode transition is achieved. Further, the robustness of the current tracking capability is analyzed mathematically considering the inductance variation and stray resistance variation. Finally, a comparative experiment proves the effectiveness. And it shows that the method can improve the efficiency by 0.4% compared with the traditional four-mode control.

The Arab world on the verge of the energy transition: Challenges, ambitions, and limits to growth

Nowadays the socio-economic and political agenda of almost all countries of the Arab East includes the issues of sustainable development and green energy. The natural conditions of the region and its vulnerability to natural disasters prioritize the issues of environmental security and transition to renewable energy sources. The research has two objectives. Firstly, the authors attempt to outline prospects for enhancing capacities in clean energy production and replacing traditional energy sources that emerged in recent years in the Arab countries. Secondly, the paper assesses challenges and limits for green practices dissemination, as well as their capabilities of providing environmental security for the countries in the region. The authors note that an alternative approach to power generation is gradually taking root in the region and, judging by the scale of major projects being implemented, it has good prospects, especially in the field of solar energy. At the same time, despite the advantages of such projects, they have serious economic and technological constraints including pricing issues, problems of energy storage and waste disposal. However, the authors emphasize that the main obstacle to a coherent and effective climate policy for the entire Arab East stems from strong disproportions in economic development of the regional actors. The article thoroughly examines the experience of the most advanced Arab countries in the areas of renewable energy — the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The authors note that these countries actively experiment with all known renewable energy sources, including hydrogen-based, but at the same time, they are seeking to develop nuclear power. However, their ambitious projects do not reflect the real situation in the region as a whole, where most countries are extremely cautious in making risky, expensive decisions on energy and climate policy. They are not ready to unconditionally adopt Western approaches to ‘greening’ economy and take a wait-and-see attitude. This may explain certain inertia towards renewable energy sources that is shown by most countries of the Arab East.

A hybrid approach using AHP–TOPSIS methods for ranking of soft computing techniques based on their attributes for prediction of solar radiation

Recent developments in solar equipment's have motivated researchers to formulate an accurate measurement system for solar radiation under varying environment circumstances that could prove to be economical and viable. To furnish precise estimators of solar radiation, multiple models of different background are employed which are capable of solving complex non-linear data collection and processing problems. These models are immensely proficient in predicting solar radiation by means of numerous algorithms for different functions. Current research compares the prediction capability of several prediction models on various criteria's such as accuracy, cost, time and skill requirement. The present study is accomplished in New Delhi, India using hybrid combination of two Multi Criteria Estimators methods. Weights were calculated by Analytical Hierarchical Process and assigned to each performance attribute. Accuracy is the most significant attribute as its percentage contribution is the maximum (48.28%) followed by skill requirement (31.38%), time (14.41%), and cost (5.9%). Furthermore, the research then ranks these models on the basis of their attributes with the aid of Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution. Among all these models, Artificial Neural Network model was ranked as the best model for its application in the field of solar energy, followed very closely by Support Vector Machine model while Response Surface Methodology came out to be least favourite.

Development of non-traditional renewable energy sources in Russia: prospects and problems

The article considers one of the main trends of the industrial revolution 4.0, namely the decarbonization trend, including through the development of renewable energy sources. A significant lag in the development and implementation of renewable energy sources in the Russian Federation compared to the countries of the European Union has been revealed. An analysis of the main reasons for this situation showed the insufficient development of appropriate state mechanisms for stimulating alternative energy sources in Russia, as well as the country’s sufficient supply of hydrocarbon fuel. Since solar and wind generation account for the largest share in the structure of renewable energy sources, the author studied existing and promising technologies in the field of solar and wind energy. The advantages and disadvantages of using renewable energy sources are analyzed. The article describes the main mechanisms of state support aimed at the prospective development of renewable energy in Russia.

Employing halogen-halogen interaction to construct high-temperature hybrid perovskite phase transition materials

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) materials with high phase transition temperature (Tp) have been widely studied in the field of molecular switches, solar energy and electric power. At present, the OIHPs with high Tp are generally constructed through molecular design, which can be applied to a wide temperature range. Here, three one-dimensional (1D) OIHPs [R-ClEQ]PbCl3 (Tp = 442 K), [R-ClEQ]PbBr3 (Tp= 499 K) and [R-ClEQ]PbI3 (Tp above m.p.) (R-ClEQ = (R)-N-chloroethyl-3-quinuclidinol) with different Tp are obtained by regulating the halogen-halogen interaction and hydrogen bonding in the system. Especially in [R-ClEQ]PbX3 (X = Cl, Br and I) crystal system, all the halogen bonds tend to form at approximately 180°angles and the strength of halogen bonding is found to be increased from 1.59 × 10–3 Hartree to 2.35 × 10–3 Hartree with increased atom number from Cl to I. The synergistic effect of halogen bonding and hydrogen bonding provide a useful strategy for the design OIHPs phase transition materials with high Tp.

Integration of Kazakhstan Technologies for Silicon and Monosilane Production with the Suitable World Practices for the Production of Solar Cells and Panels

In this review article, the state of the art of the complete processing chain in the production of solar photo-electric modules from raw materials (quartzites, quartz sand) is detailed. In particular, the silicon and silane production technologies of the Institute of Physics and Technology of Almaty, Kazakhstan, can become part of an expansive technologies chain. Such integration could present a number of benefits in comparison with the analogs, including less environmental pressure and increased safety. The combination of innovative production technologies of highly effective solar cells and modules with competitive production technologies of solar-grade silicon and silane constitutes a basis for the creation of an industrial cluster in the field of silicon solar photo energy with a complete vertically integrated production cycle.

Study the effect of defects on the quantum efficiency of perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have generated considerable interest in the field of solar energy. With the rapid development of fabrication technology, high efficiency, environmentally friendly perovskite solar cells are becoming more attractive as candidates for power generation. Defects in the absorber and interface layers of mixed lead halide perovskite solar cells reduce the efficiency and stability of the cells. The current study examined the impact of defects density, defect capturing cross-section, defect level, and defect type on the quantum efficiency (QE) of the absorber layer. Furthermore, the impact of defects in the hole transport layer/absorber and electron transport layer/absorber interface layers is also be extensively studied. SCAPS-1D will be used to simulate perovskite solar cells in this work. The perovskite solar cells structure proposed is FTO/ ETM/ absorber/ HTM structure based on TiO2 as ETM layer; Cu2O as HTM layer, and on CH3NH3PbI3 as absorber layer. According to the results, the quantum efficiency QE reduced sharply from 90.2% to 20% with varying the density of the defect Nt and the capture cross-section carriers σ in absorber layer from 1015 cm-3 to 10 18 cm-3 and 2×10-13 cm2 to 2×10-10 cm2, respectively. Additionally, it is discovered that the capture cross-section carriers exhibits behavior similar to that of the absorber layer's defect density.

Exploring the inter-factor and inter-fuel substitution possibilities in Tunisia: the potential of renewable energy.

Tunisia is among the developing countries that have taken initiatives to develop renewable energy and strengthen energy efficiency. Moreover, it has considerable potential, especially in the field of wind and solar energy. However, the country is still dependent on fossil fuel energy. In this context, the transition to renewable energy is considered one of the possible solutions to reduce energy dependence and strengthen the economy in general. Therefore, the aim of this research study is to evaluate the role of renewable energy in shaping the energy transition in Tunisia in order to qualify the possibilities of energy transition. Accordingly, we investigate the potential for substitution between the following factors and fuels: Capital, labor, renewable, and non-renewable energy in Tunisia using a translog production function approach. Due to the multicollinearity of the model, the ridge regression method is used to estimate the parameters of the function. The obtained results showed that the possibility of substitution between inputs, especially between renewable and non-renewable energy, can replace fossil fuels with clean energy consumption. Moreover, to maximize the potential of renewable energy in Tunisia, this study recommends that policy makers should take more reliable measures to reflect the exact price of energy through price regulation measures, encourage investment in research and development, and introduce carbon taxes that could accelerate this transition.

A Review of Recent Developments and Applications of Compound Parabolic Concentrator-Based Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic/Thermal Collectors

The concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) collectors offer the benefits of the reduced per-unit price of electrical energy and co-generation of electrical and thermal energies by intensifying the solar irradiation falling on the hybrid receiving plane. The compound parabolic concentrating (CPC) collectors have appeared as a promising candidate for numerous applications in the field of solar energy due to their ability to collect both direct and diffuse solar radiation and suitability for stationary installation. Over the last few decades, various configurations of CPC collectors have been proposed and investigated by different researchers for the simultaneous generation of electrical and thermal energies. This article presents a comprehensive review of historical and recent developments and applications of CPC-based hybrid PVT systems. The review focuses on the heat extraction mechanisms and commonly used application areas of CPC-PVT systems. The innovative design configurations proposed by different researchers have been reviewed in detail. The outputs of CPC-PVT systems are generally found to be superior to their counterparts without CPCs, which justifies their increased popularity. Due to dual outputs, the hybrid CPC-PVT systems are considered to be suitable for rooftop and building façade integrated applications. Finally, future recommendations have been enlisted, highlighting the potential research opportunities and challenges for the prospective researchers working in the field of concentrating solar PVT systems.

Benchmarks for solar radiation time series forecasting

With an ever-increasing share of intermittent renewable energy in the world's energy mix, there is an increasing need for advanced solar power forecasting models to optimize the operation and control of solar power plants. In order to justify the need for more elaborate forecast modeling, one must compare the performance of advanced models with naïve reference methods. On this point, a rigorous formalism using statistical tools, variational calculation and quantification of noise in the measurement is studied and five naïve reference forecasting methods are considered, among which there is a newly proposed approach called ARTU (a particular autoregressive model of order two). These methods do not require any training phase nor demand any (or almost no) historical data. Additionally, motivated by the well-known benefits of ensemble forecasting, a combination of these models is considered, and then validated using data from multiple sites with diverse climatological characteristics, based on various error metrics, among which some are rarely used in the field of solar energy. The most appropriate benchmarking method depends on the salient features of the variable being forecast (e.g., seasonality, cyclicity, or conditional heteoroscedasity) as well as the forecast horizon. Hence, to ensure a fair benchmarking, forecasters should endeavor to discover the most appropriate naïve reference method for their setup by testing all available options. Among the methods proposed in this paper, the combination and ARTU statistically offer the best results for the proposed study conditions.

Improving the Efficiency of Photoelectronic Converters

The process of vital activity of any biological organism always requires energy, like any movement of a material object. The only known type of energy exchange in an atom is carried out through radiation – the absorption of a quantum of photon light. In our spatial dimension, there are multiple options for extracting this energy, options called resources. As long as some types of non-renewable resources occupy a finite volume - finite, and others known at the moment to science are either limited to infrastructure, or in the ratio of energy spent - received, do not make sense, science resorts to new searches for development in the field of energy, not only with the aim of maintaining vital activity but also maintaining a technological process that shows significant growth and correlates with the growth of consumer populations. However, it should be noted that, almost all energy resources require one or another preparation of them for the simplest form of the electromagnetic component. The only known and currently available resource of this type that can be used as efficiently as possible with minimal conversion is the Sun. The study of this approach to energy formation and energy consumption is engaged in a wide field of solar energy. One aspect of solar energy is studying the device of photoelectronic transducers (SOLAR) devices, which are the main element of solar cells. To use this type of resource, devices, photocells are used that give electromotive force (EMF) and current, under the influence of lighting. The direction of work is the consideration of new principles for the conversion and storage of solar energy, based on the revision of previous principles. which involve solving such problems with solar cells as efficiency - what is: the level of efficiency, the high cost of structures associated with the use of rare elements, for example, such as indium and tellurium and mainly the need to use large areas.

Numerical and experimental investigation of a solar absorber extension tube with turbulators for upgrading the performance of a solar dryer

PurposeDuring the past several years, research and studies in the field of solar energy have been continuously increased. One of the substantial applications of solar energy is related to industrial utilization for the drying process by efficient heat transfer methods. This study aims to upgrade the overall performance of an indirect solar dryer using a solar absorber extension tube (SET) equipped with ball-type turbulators.Design/methodology/approachIn this work, three various SETs including hollow (SET Type 1), 6-balls (SET Type 2) and 10-balls (SET Type 3), have been simulated using Fluent software to evaluate heat transfer characteristics and flow structure along the air passage. Then, the modified solar drying system has been manufactured and tested at different configurations.FindingsThe findings indicated that adding a SET improved the performance notably. According to the results, using turbulators in the tube has a positive effect on heat transfer. The highest overall thermal efficiency was found in the range of 51.47%–64.71% for the system with SET Type 3. The maximum efficiency increment of the system was found as 19% with the use of SET. Also, the average specific moisture extraction rate, which is a significant factor to survey the effectiveness of the dehumidification system was found between 0.20 and 0.38 kg kWh−1.Originality/valueIn the present study, a novel SET has been developed to upgrade the performance of the solar dehumidifier. This new approach makes it possible to improve both thermal and drying performances.

Site suitability for photovoltaic farms and current investment in Romania

In recent decades, development in the field of solar energy has been a growing challenge in the context of the transition from conventional to renewable energy sources. However, there are cases where investments in photovoltaic farms do not reach the maximum potential of a territory for their emplacement. Therefore, the present study aims to analyse the site suitability for photovoltaic farms in Romania in relation to current investments in the field. The suitability map was obtained through a simple heuristic approach, based on the Multicriteria Evaluation of favourable/restrictive biophysical and anthropogenic data, integrated in the GIS-Weighted Overlay spatial analysis. The results were compared to the current distribution of photovoltaic farms, quantified by the visual interpretation of high-resolution images provided by Google Earth. Overall, the suitability map obtained shows a relatively high potential for the location and expansion of photovoltaic farms in the area, the very high and high suitability classes summing more than 7,000,000 ha (29.9% of the country's area). The highest potential has been obtained for the southern and south-eastern part of Romania, where the zonal calculated mean suitability scores highlighted the Bucharest-Ilfov (4.94), South-West Oltenia (4.64), South-Muntenia (4.63) and Southeast (4.42) development regions (NUTS II). However, analysing the frequency of existing photovoltaic farms, the study indicates a potential for solar energy not yet sufficiently exploited, but also possibly inappropriate between the degree of suitability and the photovoltaic farms implemented so far. Hence, the comparison of calculated mean suitability scores and the percentage of the total area allocated for existing photovoltaic farms indicates several mismatches between the investments made in the area and the modelled site suitability, mainly in the Ilfov, Tulcea, Constanța, Buzău, Satu-Mare, Brașov, Prahova and Galați counties. At the same time, the results reveal an alternate possibility of using/reusing degraded or contaminated land, through investments in the solar energy, several aspects being highlighted for the ceased mining areas, landfills near urban centres, or poorly productive agricultural lands. This study can provide important information to decision makers and potential investors, in order to streamline future projects by setting up photovoltaic farms in accordance with the modelled suitability classes.

Improving the Efficiency of Photoelectronic Converters

The process of vital activity of any biological organism always requires energy, like any movement of a material object. The only known type of energy exchange in an atom is carried out through radiation – the absorption of a quantum of photon light. In our spatial dimension, there are multiple options for extracting this energy, options called resources. As long as some types of non-renewable resources occupy a finite volume - finite, and others known at the moment to science are either limited to infrastructure, or in the ratio of energy spent - received, do not make sense, science resorts to new searches for development in the field of energy, not only with the aim of maintaining vital activity but also maintaining a technological process that shows significant growth and correlates with the growth of consumer populations. However, it should be noted that, almost all energy resources require one or another preparation of them for the simplest form of the electromagnetic component. The only known and currently available resource of this type that can be used as efficiently as possible with minimal conversion is the Sun. The study of this approach to energy formation and energy consumption is engaged in a wide field of solar energy. One aspect of solar energy is studying the device of photoelectronic transducers (SOLAR) devices, which are the main element of solar cells. To use this type of resource, devices, photocells are used that give electromotive force (EMF) and current, under the influence of lighting. The direction of work is the consideration of new principles for the conversion and storage of solar energy, based on the revision of previous principles. which involve solving such problems with solar cells as efficiency - what is: the level of efficiency, the high cost of structures associated with the use of rare elements, for example, such as indium and tellurium and mainly the need to use large areas.