Sunlight Intensity Research Articles

Efficiency and performance ratio of photovoltaics on a 50 kWp Universitas Pamulang Viktor rooftop solar power plant

To overcome the fossil energy crisis due to the increasing need for electrical energy, new renewable energy sources are needed. Due to technological developments in the fields of transportation, industry, household, and commercial use. Indonesia’s geography has the potential to apply new renewable energy, more specifically photovoltaic (PV). However, it is greatly influenced by environmental factors such as solar radiation, voltage, which have an impact on the output power efficiency and performance. So, it is necessary to test both measurements and calculations to see the optimization of output power and PV efficiency. From previous research, it has not been carried out, especially in the experimental method Universitas Pamulang: measurement and empirical and for a sufficiently high capacity with the aim of optimal output power. Methods of measuring sunlight intensity, voltage and current, the calculation of converting sunlight intensity to solar constellation, power, efficiency, and performance ratio (PR). The average value being 721 W/m2 an efficiency value of 19.9% and a value PR is obtained of 0.967 or 96.7% is still realistic. So that the system is declared optimal.

The Efficiency of Vertical Plants’ Types and Catchment Areas for Absorbing Carbon Dioxide in Ambient Air

The Indonesian government has set regulation, whereby 30% of the city region should be repurposed as green open spaces to mitigate climate change. However, several cities have not attained this because of a lack of land availability. One of the potential solutions is using of vertical gardens that can absorb CO2 in limited areas. The study aims to determine the CO2 absorption by several vertical plants at different sizes of planting areas and elevations. The study was conducted on three sites in the Department of Environmental Engineering Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember under various circumstances. The study variables included: (i) plant species, i.e. Antigonon leptopus, Epipremnum aureum, and Vernonia elliptica, which were grown in a 55×40×37cm box reactor, (ii) different catchment or planting areas (25%, 50%, and 75% of the reactor’s surface area), as well as (iii) elevations (0 m, 4.5 m, and 8.5 m above ground level). A single reactor was used as control variable. The parameters under observation were CO2 level, temperature, and light intensity recorded hourly from 06.00 a.m. to 06.00 p.m. The capability of the plant to absorb determined by the difference of Net-CO2-Con. The result shows that the more plant’s catchment areas positively contribute to the reduced CO2. The 75% of Antigonon leptopus potentially decreased by 314 ppmCO2/day, while 50% and 25% of it only decreased by 271 ppmCO2/day and 119 ppmCO2/day. Antigonon leptopus is the most efficient plant in its light tolerance, compared to other plants. Antigonon leptopus showed the highest CO2 uptake value at 314 ppmCO2/day, while Epipremnum aureum and Vernonia elliptica displayed 126 ppmCO2/day and 184 ppmCO2/day respectively. However, the CO2 uptake capability of each plant at different elevations was subjected to bias due to coverage by buildings and canopies. This altered the intensity of sunlight and interfered with plant assimilation, ultimately impacted the uptake capability of CO2.

Automated lighting design in the classroom

Lamp automation is utilized to adjust the lighting in the classroom by adjusting to the level of sunlight intensity outside the classroom. The light intensity will be adjusted to the utilization of lights as indicated by the need to enlighten a room. Therefore, this research aims to depict the design of a light intensity measurement system using a BH1750 sensor that will be carried out to measure the intensity of sunlight in units of light (lux). The signal from the sensor will be transmitted to a mini pc which functions to process measurement data and display it on the graphical user interface (GUI). As a result, the sensor will instruct the dimmer as an actuator to control the classroom lights according to the lighting from the sun. This system is already installed in the classroom and can save energy around 35 kWh a year.

Water quality monitoring of welang river basin

The Welang watershed, located in Malang Regency and Pasuruan Regency, has diverse human activities that can affect watershed hydrology, one of which is related to water quality. The purpose of this research is to determine the current water quality of the Welang watershed. This research was conducted in March 2023 - June 2023, which was conducted using random purposive samples with parameters of sunlight intensity, humidity, air temperature, water temperature, pH, TDS, brightness, chlorine, bromine, lead, nitrate, nitrite, fluoride, iodine, cyanuric acid, carbonate root, and total alkalinity. From this study, it was obtained that the upstream part of the Welang River on the Arjuno side and Bromo side contained Chlorine (Cl), Bromine (Br), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Nitrate (NO3-), Nitrite (NO2-), Fluoride (F-), and Carbonate Root (CO3 2–). Meanwhile, the middle part of the Welang River dominantly has the same content, but no Iron (Fe) was found but instead Cyanuric Acid C3N3(OH)3. Meanwhile, the downstream part of the Welang River contained Chlorine (Cl), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), and Fluoride (F-).

The diversity of aerial insect in coffee agroforestry, Dampit and Purwodadi district East Java Indonesia

Coffee is one of the export commodities in Indonesia. East Java is one of the largest Coffee supplies with land that is widely spread, such as in Malang and Pasuruan Regencies. The agroforestry system is applied in coffee cultivation, the system has different management from plantations for example the use of shade trees which will affect the structure of aerial insect diversity. Aerial insects play an important role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. The research objective was to determine the diversity and dominance of aerial insects in coffee agroforestry in East Java. The research method is exploratory, taking aerial insects using a yellow pan trap. The abiotic factors observed were light intensity, wind speed, temperature and humidity, and data analysis with past 4.03 program. The results of the study found 407 individuals in Dampit coffee agroforestry and 470 individuals in Purwodadi coffee agroforestry. The diversity and dominance index values were found to be the highest in Dampit coffee agroforestry. From the results of the analysis of abiotic factors, it is found that temperature and humidity in Dampit coffee agroforestry have higher values while wind speed and sunlight intensity of Purwodadi coffee agroforestry have higher values. The differences in the number and types of insects as well as the differences in the diversity and dominance index obtained, explained that the two study sites had differences in abiotic factors and shade trees.

Enabling Self-Adaptive Water-Energy-Balance of Photothermal Water Diode Evaporator: Dynamically Maximizing Energy Utilization Under the Ever-Changing Sunlight.

Maintaining a match between input solar energy and required energy by water supply management is key to achieving efficient interfacial solar-driven evaporation (ISDE). In practice, the solar radiation flux is constantly changing throughout the day, so keeping a dynamic water-energy-balance of ISDE is a big challenge. Herein, a photothermal water diode (WD) evaporator concept is proposed by an integrated hydrophilic/hydrophobic Janus absorber to overcome the issue. Due to the unique unidirectional water transport properties induced by asymmetric wettability, a self-adaptive balance between photothermal energy input and water uptake is established, thus realizing the energy matching and utilization maximization. The experimental and simulation results exhibit that with the increase of sunlight intensity, the water supply speed is significantly accelerated due to the dynamic management and self-regulation on water replenishment. Therefore, an excellent evaporation rate of up to 2.14kgm-2h-1 with a high efficiency of 93.7% under 1sun illumination is achieved. This water diode engineering with Janus wettability provides a novel strategy and extends the path for designing solar evaporation systems with diverse water supply properties, which shows great potential in different environmental conditions.

Wavelength-dependent direct and indirect photochemical transformations of organic pollutants

Sunlight-induced photochemical transformations greatly affect the persistence of organic pollutants in natural environment. Whereas sunlight intensity is well-known to affect pollutant phototransformation rates, the reliance of pollutant phototransformation kinetics on sunlight spectrum remains poorly understood, which may greatly vary under different spatial-temporal, water matrix, and climatic conditions. Here, we systematically assessed the wavelength-dependent direct and indirect phototransformations of 12 organic pollutants. Their phototransformation rates dramatically decreased with light wavelength increasing from 375 to 632 nm, with direct photolysis displaying higher wavelength-dependence than indirect photolysis. Remarkably, UV light dominated both direct (90.4–99.5 %) and indirect (64.6–98.7 %) photochemical transformations of all investigated organic pollutants, despite its minor portion in sunlight spectrum (e.g., 6.5 % on March 20 at the equator). Based on wavelength-dependent rate constant spectrum, the predicted phototransformation rate of chloramphenicol (4.5 ± 0.7 × 10−4 s−1) agreed well with the observed rate under outdoor sunlight irradiation (4.3 ± 0.0 × 10−4 s−1), and there is no significant difference between the predicted rate and the observed rate (p-value = 0.132). Moreover, rate constant and quantum yield coefficient (QYC) spectrum could be applied for facilely investigate the influence of spectral changes on the phototransformation of pollutants under varying spatial-temporal (e.g., season, latitude) and climatic conditions (e.g., cloud cover). Our study highlights the wavelength-dependence of both direct and indirect phototransformation of pollutants, and the UV part of natural sunlight plays a decisive role in the phototransformation of pollutants.

Simulation of Maximum Power Point Tracking with Fuzzy Logic Control Method on Solar Panels Using MATLAB

One of the newest sources energy is the sun. To limit the usage of fossil fuels, solar power facilities that harness sunlight are beginning to be created. Currently, research on solar panels is increasingly being carried out. Because solar panels are an unlimited source of energy. And solar panels can reduce exhaust emissions from conventional vehicles by 92%. However, the performance of solar panels is strongly influenced by several factors such as sunlight intensity and ambient temperature. So that solar panels can reach the maximum power point, the Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method is employed to maximize the performance of solar panels. In this research, an mppt system will be created using fuzzy logic control in matlab simulink. Fuzzy logic control is a method that can control the system against load changes. To analyze this fuzzy logic-based mppt system, simulations are carried out using matlab simulink. Simulink is software used to model, simulate, and analyze dynamic systems. From the simulations that have been carried out, solar panels without mppt have a duty cycle change time of 0.1 seconds while with mppt the duty cycle change is 0.7 seconds, where the duty cycle change time without mppt is faster but the operating value is unstable while power tracking with mppt the duty cycle change time is longer but the operating value is more stable.

UV-B Halotolerant Bacteria from Marakkanam Saltpan and Biology of UV-B Tolerant Pontibacillus salipaludis Based on Whole Genome Sequencing

Saltpans in South India experience intense sunlight and ultraviolet radiation (UV). Therefore, it was hypothesized that halophilic bacteria living there could tolerate UV radiation. To test this, sediment and water samples from the Marakkanam Saltpan were collected and exposed to an artificial UV-B lamp. After irradiation, an aliquot of the sample was spread on nutrient agar (prepared in sterilized source water), and two bacterial strains were obtained, named SBO and SBY. Based on 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, these strains were identified as Bacillus sp. and Pontibacillus salipaludis, respectively. Another aliquot of the UV-B-exposed sample was inoculated into the nutrient broth (in sterilized source water), and incubated for a week in the dark. Later, it was subjected to Illumina MiSeq-based sequencing for the V3-V4 region (16S rRNA gene). Results revealed the presence of 13 bacterial phyla. However, the phylum Bacillota (48.59%) and Pseudomonadota (27.36%) accounted for more than 75% of the diversity. Pontibacillus was the most abundant genus, accounting for 44% of total bacterial diversity. The whole genome of P. salipaludis was sequenced on Illumina HiSeqX to decipher possible genes and pathways involved in UV-B tolerance. The genome size was estimated to be 4.05 MB, with a mean G + C content of 40.82%. RASTtk-based genome annotation revealed 4217 coding sequences and 78 RNAs. Related to the UV-B tolerance, sixteen genes involved in carotenoid and prodigiosin biosynthetic pathways were found. antiSMASH showed the presence of terpene-type carotenoids. More than sixty genes involved in various DNA repair pathways were found.

Multiscale hybrid-structured femtosecond laser-induced graphene with outstanding photo-electro-thermal effects for all-day anti-icing/deicing

Multifunctional materials with photothermal and electrothermal effects have garnered considerable attention for solving the icing problem. Although great progress has been made in the field of anti-icing/deicing, the low electrothermal performance, complicated fabrication methods, and low durability restrict their widespread application. Here, we fabricate multiscale hybrid-structured femtosecond laser-induced graphene (FsLIG) on polyimide (PI) substrates using femtosecond laser direct writing technology in ambient air, and apply the FsLIG to all-day anti-icing/deicing. With the optimized laser scanning speed, the as-fabricated surface exhibits high light absorption rate (∼98.5%) in the range of 220–1400 nm and low sheet resistance (∼18.2 Ω sq−1), which bestows outstanding photo-electro-thermal effects on the FsLIG surface. Under 1.0 sun illumination or an applied voltage of 4 V, the average surface temperature can rise to ∼69.3 °C or ∼193.1 °C within 30 s. As a result, the FsLIG is successfully applied in anti-icing/deicing. The FsLIG surface realizes anti-icing and deicing when exposed to a sunlight intensity or an applied voltage of 1.0 sun or 2 V. The photo-electro-thermal material developed in this work, along with its simple preparation method, might have broad application prospects in the field of anti-icing/deicing.

Analysis of Current Limiter Electronics for Solar Pumps: Evaluating Performance in Varied Sunlight Intensities

This research investigates the implementation and efficacy of a current limiter electronics system within solar pump systems, focusing on its ability to regulate current under varying sunlight intensities, encompassing both strong and weak illumination conditions. To assess the system's performance, an experimental setup integrates the solar pump system with the current limiter electronics, subjecting it to a range of sunlight intensities. Under optimal conditions, the current limiter adeptly controlled current flow, maintaining it within specified limits (2.54 A to 3.90 A) as incident sunlight intensity varied from 1000 W/m³ to 2000 W/m³. Equally impressive was the system's capability to navigate reduced sunlight, adjusting current flow (1.20 A to 2.10 A) in response to lower intensities (500 W/m³ to 1300 W/m³). These findings not only advance our comprehension of current limiting techniques in solar pump systems but also offer valuable insights for future solar-powered system designs and implementations. Overall, the research underscores the vital role of a dependable current limiter electronics system in optimizing current flow across varying sunlight intensities, from strong to weak, within solar pump systems.

Effects of Differential Shading on Summer Tea Quality and Tea Garden Microenvironment.

Shading is an effective agronomic technique to protect tea plants from intense sunlight. However, there are currently very few studies on more effective shading methods to improve the quality of summer tea. In this study, 'Longjing43' plants were grown under four different shading treatments for 14 days, with no shading as the control. Among the four shading treatments, double-layer-net shadings had the most positive impact on the tea quality, resulting in higher levels of amino acids but lower levels of tea polyphenols. Additionally, double-layer-net shadings provided more suitable microenvironments for tea plants. The tea leaves in T4 (double nets 50 cm above the plant canopy) contained 16.13 mg∙g-1 of umami and sweet amino acids, which was significantly higher than in other treatments. T4 had the lowest air temperature and the most suitable and stable soil water content. Interestingly, the ratio of red light to far-red light in T4 was only 1.65, much lower than other treatments, which warrants further study. In conclusion, the microenvironment induced by shading can greatly affect the tea quality, and double-layer-net shading is better for improving the quality of summer tea.

IoT Application of Simple Solar Intensity Monitoring System Using Photovoltaic Panel

Solar radiation data is useful for solar power plant (PLTS) development, the agricultural sector, renewable energy, transportation and communication, and other disciplines. This data is generally obtained from government agencies. The device used to measure solar radiation is a pyranometer. However, this equipment has limited availability and the data information is only owned by certain regions. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a simpler measuring instrument for the intensity of solar radiation. So that data information is obtained easily and the operation of tools is easy. In this study, photovoltaic panels were used to read the intensity of solar radiation. When this panel is exposed to the sun it will generate electricity and its output is proportional to its radiation. Data monitoring utilizes IoT. The measured results of measuring the intensity of solar radiation have a maximum value of 450.21 W/m2. The measured magnitude of the solar radiation value shows that the influence factors in the form of sunlight intensity, ambient temperature, and panel output power are proportional to the radiation value while environmental humidity is inversely proportional to the radiation value.

Performance Test of Polycrystalline 200 Wp Capacity Solar Panels in Laikang Village

This research is a pre-experimental design (non-design) study which aims to determine how much electricity generation performance of Solar Cell technology is under static load. The independent variable in this study is the intensity of sunlight at the installation location of the Solar Cell technology, while the dependent variable in this study is the performance of the Solar Cell technology, namely voltage (V), current (I), resistance (Ohm) and power. This research uses Solar Cell technology power generation. This research was conducted in Padang Savana, Laikang Village, Mangarabombang District, Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi. The research data were obtained by measuring the input and output of the 200 WP solar cell hybrid technology to determine power and efficiency. To determine the performance of Solar Cell technology against solar radiation, it can be determined by measuring using a lux meter, Avometer, Watt Meter, Tang Ampere. The data analysis technique is descriptive analysis. Based on the results of data analysis, a minimum output power of 12.68 W is obtained with a minimum solar cell efficiency of 4.65% and a maximum output power of 194.2 W with an efficiency of 12.22%. This can be interpreted that the power generation performance of Solar Cell and Wind Turbine technology at static loads is not in accordance with the stated specifications.

Novel CeO2-V2O5/rGO tertiary photocatalyst for improved cefotaxime degradation using visible-light

In this study, CeO2-V2O5/rGO photocatalytic system was successfully prepared by hydrothermal method and applied for studying cefotaxime photodegradation process by visible light and sunlight catalyzed by CeO2-V2O5/rGO. The photocatalysts were characterized using XRD, SEM, EDX, UV–Vis, and FT–IR techniques. The factors affecting the photocatalytic degradation of Cefotaxime (CTX), including the impact of pH, CTX concentration, and catalyst dosage were examined. Under optimal conditions (1 g/L catalyst dosage, pH 6.0, and 20 mg/L CTX), approximately 99 % of CTX were decomposed by visible light after 150 min at room temperature. Furthermore, the CeO2-V2O5/rGO catalyst showed the highest CTX removal under sunlight irradiation of 88.1 % after 250 min. The degradation process followed very well the pseudo-first-order kinetics (R2 = 0.93–0.96 for the whole range of concentrations) with a rate constant k varied from 0.03 to 0.06 min−1. In real sunlight irradiation, the photocatalytic performance of the system was affected by sunlight intensity and the CTX photodegradation yield was still high (>80 % after 250 min) while COD removal efficiency seemed to be slightly lower than that of color measurement, which might be linked to the formation of intermediates apart from final products like CO2 and H2O. The CeO2-V2O5/rGO photocatalytic system also presented a very good stability and reusability for CTX photodegradation by visible light.

Inhibition of phenol entering condensed freshwater by activated peroxides during photothermal distillation desalination process

The formation of “high-temperature, high-salt and intense-light” environment during the new process of photothermal distillation desalination causes volatile pollutants such as phenol in seawater to volatilize into condensed freshwater, resulting the quality safety risk of the freshwater. In this work, activated peroxides processes including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), peroxyacetic acid (PAA), peroxodisulfate (PDS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) were applied for the inhibition of phenol entering condensed freshwater by making full use of the “high-temperature, high-salt, intense-light” media. Under the same conditions, the phenol removal efficiency by the activated peroxides were in the order of H2O2 < PDS < PAA < PMS. The effects of the salinity, peroxide dosage, initial phenol concentration, humic acid and sunlight intensity on the distillation rates (RD) of phenol were investigated. It was revealed that the main factor for activation of H2O2, PAA, PDS and PMS were heat, Cl−/heat, heat/light and Cl−, respectively. Though both PMS and PAA could completely degrade phenol and reduced its entry into condensed freshwater, PMS formed fewer halogenated distillation by-products and was more promising for future applications.

Efficient photodegradation of carbamazepine by organocatalysts incorporating a third component with a more complementary absorption spectrum.

Carbamazepine, recognized as one of the most prevalent pharmaceuticals, has attracted considerable attention due to its potential impact on ecosystems and human health. In response, this work synthesized and characterized a novel environmentally friendly and cost-effective organic semiconductor photocatalyst PM6:Y6:ITCPTC loaded with coconut shell charcoal, and then investigated its performance for photocatalytic removal. Remarkably, carbamazepine demonstrated a photodegradation efficiency exceeding 99% within a mere 20 minutes of exposure to one sunlight intensity, and also showed good effectiveness under a low light intensity of 50 W. The catalyst exhibited exceptional reusability and stability, maintaining degradation efficiency between 95-99% over 25 cycles. The high photocatalytic activity of PM6:Y6:ITCPTC is primarily attributed to the incorporation of the third component (named ITCPTC), which enhances exciton dissociation and carrier transfer, generating superoxide radicals, electrons, and holes. Furthermore, the plausible degradation pathway of carbamazepine was proposed based on the measured intermediates and density functional theory calculations.

An advanced passive radiative cooling emitter with ultrahigh sub-ambient cooling performance

This study develops a state-of-the-art passive radiative cooling emitter with 95.5% reflectance and 97.9% emissivity, achieving an average temperature reduction of 20.1 °C and a cooling power of 121.0 W m−2 under intense sunlight.

Prototype Development for Solar Energy Tracking Based on Arduino in QUEST Campus Larkana

The utilization of solar energy has become increasingly popular due to its renewable and sustainable nature. However, one of the primary challenges in solar energy harvesting is the optimization of the amount of energy that can be captured from the sun. The implementation of solar trackers is an effective solution that enables the automatic adjustment of the solar panel's position to face the sun throughout the day. In this project, an Arduino-based solar tracker prototype was designed and implemented to optimize the solar energy harvesting process. The system employs Light-Dependent Resistors (LDRs) to detect sunlight intensity and a servo motor to adjust the position of the solar panel accordingly. The system was programmed using the Arduino programming language and was tested using a small-scale solar panel. The increasing demand for cost-effective and easy-to-install renewable energy systems has led to a growing interest in photovoltaic solar energy for residential use. To optimize energy production, a two-axis photovoltaic solar tracker that orients the solar panel toward the maximum solar radiation is proposed in this study. The use of Free Computer Aided Design (CAD) 0.15 for the prototype's design, combined with Arduino technology, provides an affordable solution for mounting the solar tracker on flat roofs and other horizontal building elements. The performance of the solar tracker was evaluated under various testing conditions, showcasing an enhanced level of accuracy and energy production when compared to traditional fixed systems. The prototype's successful demonstration represents a significant advancement in the field, providing a practical solution for small-scale and residential solar energy applications. This research prototype was developed and installed on the roof of the Electrical department of QUEST, Campus Larkana, and validated through simulation results.

Model Prototype of a Solar Tracking System Supplying Electrical Power for Sensors Used in a Natural Disaster Monitoring System

Sun is the universe main source of energy. This energy can be converted to useful electrical energy by the utilization of solar panels or photovoltaic (PV) during the daytime with the presence of suitable sun irradiation level. It is important that during the energy conversion process, suitable methods are employed to extract as much energy as possible from the PV panels. Some issues affecting PV performance are the accuracy of the panel’s orientation and tilt angle with respect to the sun position. This causes PV to operate with lower efficiency, thus generating low output power compared to its rated capacity. One of the approaches to this issue is to constantly maintain a perpendicular profile of PV panels towards the sun direction as to capture the sun energy as much as possible, thus increases the PV efficiency. To do so, the conversion system needs a tracking mechanism to help the solar panel to constantly follow the sun’s direction, enhancing the achievement of higher PV efficiency. For this reason, a model prototype has been designed and developed which consists of a dual-axis solar tracking system, with two axis movement direction from east to west and north to south by utilizing the Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs) sensors. This tracking system is developed using Arduino UNO as the microcontroller that allows the PV panel to move optimally towards the high intensity of sunlight via four LDRs and two servo motors. To analyze the PV tracker’s performance, a monitoring system is implemented using ThingSpeak platform as the Internet of Things (IoT) platform interfacing with the controller Node MCU ESP8266. This monitoring system records the data of the PV energy parameters from the sensors’ output employed in this prototype. To assess the system efficacy, the dual-axis tracking system is compared with the single-axis tracking system. The result showed that the dual-axis tracker has efficiencies of 68.46% which is higher compared to that’s of the single-axis tracker. Implementation of the real-time monitoring system has shown a practical and handy way to analyze and monitor the solar tracking system’s performance.