Maximum Irradiance Research Articles

An LED light propagation cavity with staggered light bars for eliminating the Hot Spot

The light source of traditional edge-lit backlight modules typically consists of LED bars which composed of multiple LED chips. However, the spacing between the chips can create distinct bright and dark spots (Hot Spot) on the input surface of the light guide plate (LGP), thereby affecting the optical performance of the backlight module. In this paper, we proposed an edge-lit backlight module with staggered light bars, incorporating a light propagation cavity design to enhance light receiving efficiency and eliminate Hot Spot. Firstly, we designed the structure of the staggered light bars and the light propagation cavity. Secondly, the advantages of the new backlight module design in eliminating Hot Spot were verified through TracePro simulations. The simulation results showed that the maximum irradiance of the backlight module reached 81,010 W/m2, and the luminance uniformity peaked at 75.142 %. Compared to the traditional backlight modules, the light receiving efficiency was increased by 6.62 %, and the luminance uniformity was improved by 1.34 times, which effectively mitigated the Hot Spot. Finally, we discussed the impact of the improved backlight module in reducing the thickness of the LGP and decreasing the number of LED chips, achieved superior optical performance. This study demonstrates the significant advantages of the light propagation cavity in eliminating Hot Spot within backlight modules.

Forecasting solar irradiance for the strategic integration of hybrid hydro and solar photovoltaic systems in rural Indian regions

ABSTRACT Conversion of the conventional electrical grid into a smart and sustainable grid involves several considerations. The primary factors, however, are renewable energy penetration, associated storage systems, and energy generation costs. This research endeavors to conduct a thorough survey and analysis of the solar irradiance on various hydropower locations in India, including Run-of-River (RoR), Run-of-River with Pondage (RoRP), Reservoir Storage (S), Multi-Purpose Storage (MP) and Pumped Storage Systems (PSS). The hydroelectric projects in rural Indian regions have been the subject of the proposed case study. As a preliminary study, the probabilistic variables like minimum, maximum, and mean solar irradiance are calculated for 252 High-Scale Hydropower Plant locations (HSHPs) using the past 40 years day ahead solar radiation data to identify the high-irradiance hydropower plant location in each state of India. This study concludes that the maximum mean solar irradiance location in each state as these sites are well suited for hybrid PV-hydro systems. The identified high-irradiance locations 40 years day ahead data sets are analyzed employing 8 machine learning models and 2 deep learning models. This analysis aims to forecast solar irradiance, serving as a crucial foundation for the initial phase of the implementation of hybrid PV-hydro.

Experimental analysis and optimization of a concentrated thermo-photovoltaic collector with bi-facial receiver

In this study, a concentrated thermo-photovoltaic collector is examined experimentally and numerically, while it was geometrically optimized. The main objective is the collector's thermal performance evaluation and optical optimization for operation in Greece. Experiments were conducted in Athens, Greece, from July 10th to 17th, 2023, investigating the thermal operation of the collector in a temperature range of approximately 40–80 °C. The collector's slope was set to 12.3° for maximum solar irradiance utilization during the specified dates, considering south orientation. A numerical model was created using SolidWorks Flow Simulation and COMSOL Multiphysics, The model was validated with the experimental data, achieving mean deviation less than 6.5 % and a maximum deviation of 9.6 %. Various geometries were optically examined using Tonatiuh software. By applying a performance evaluation criterion, a new design is proposed and compared to the initial design across four different months, considering constant tilt angle. A maximum thermal efficiency of 49.19 % at the lower inlet temperature was found experimentally. The temperature of the PV cells was found to be highest where the solar rays are concentrated. Shape optimization revealed significant enhancements in optical efficiency, particularly at negative incident angles. The new geometry showed substantial improvement, with enhancements exceeding 20 % considering daily operation.

How to cool a warming world? – The potential of photovoltaic green cooling with natural refrigerants in sunbelt countries

The study investigates the economic feasibility of photovoltaic-powered air-conditioning (AC) systems in thirteen different sunbelt countries. Two different technical solutions have been analysed: (i) hybrid (partially PV powered, grid-connected) and (ii) off-grid (fully PV powered, no grid connection). These two solutions have been studied for three different locations in each country, namely minimum, average and maximum annual global solar irradiation on the horizontal. Lastly, each solution and location has been examined for application in the residential and commercial sector. All solar-based air-conditioning scenarios use high efficiency AC appliances with R290 as refrigerant (Global Warming Potential – GWP of 1) and have been compared against a base-case scenario using AC units with moderate efficiency AC appliances with conventional R410a refrigerant (GWP of 2088) and 100 % grid electricity supply. The scope of the study is to identify the economic potential of solar PV cooling technologies. Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) and Net Present Value (NPV) have been calculated for each scenario as part of the comparative analysis. It was found that hybrid photovoltaic-based air-conditioning for a residential house has a financial advantage over grid-based air-conditioning in eleven out of thirteen countries investigated. Exceptions are Ghana and Vietnam. Off-grid photovoltaic-based air-conditioning for residential houses is only economically feasible in five out of thirteen countries, namely Costa Rica, Iran, Grenada, Philippines and Thailand. Hybrid photovoltaic-based air-conditioning for a small commercial building has a financial advantage over grid-based air-conditioning in ten of thirteen countries, except in Colombia, Ghana and Iran. Off-grid photovoltaic-based air-conditioning for a small commercial building is only feasible in China, Grenada, Kenya and Philippines.

Attenuation images of optical CT using Fricke xylenol orange gel for dose mapping in radiotherapy

The Fricke gel dosimeter, a gel-based solution containing ferrous ions, can be used for three-dimensional dosimetry by adding xylenol orange to the solution. This changes the optical properties, affecting radiation absorption. These gel dosimeters are recommended for clinical use, and 3D dosimetry uses optical computed tomography (OCT) to analyze reconstructed images. Advancements in radiotherapy focus on accurate irradiation while reducing doses to nearby tissues. This study uses modified FXO gel for 3D dosimetry, utilizing non-toxic, easy-to-handle reagents and optical CT Vista 16 equipment. The experiment aims to characterize the system's practicality and evaluate the impact of lead filters on attenuation values. The study also examines trends in attenuation values for different thicknesses of lead shields, enhancing our understanding of the relationship between attenuation and dose using optical CT. To prevent artifacts, a modified FXO gel was created by introducing a variation of XO in the preparation. The ideal concentration of XO is 0.01 mM to prevent distortions within the dose range of 1 Gy–10 Gy. A calibration system using FXO gel can be developed by comparing the maximum irradiation dose with the attenuation observed in the gel. The modified gel showed a sensitivity of 5.5·10−3 ± 2.6·10−4 cm−1/Gy and a starting dose of 4.2 Gy. Two samples were tested using different configurations of lead filters, with the central holes showing dose peaks of 4.72 Gy, 4.57 Gy, and 4.32 Gy, respectively. The results suggest the feasibility of producing modified FXO gels for examination in optical CT systems and their potential application in radiotherapy systems. Future research is being conducted in clinical irradiation to facilitate comparison with system designs.

Novel cooling system for free-standing photovoltaic panels

ABSTRACT Although photovoltaic (PV) technologies enjoy tremendous benefits and hold the huge potential to lower building overall energy consumption, there is a major drawback. PV efficiency is extremely sensitive to heat and significantly reduced by increasing setting temperature and solar irradiance; thereby, thermal management in PV collectors plays a significant role in generating electrical energy. Using oscillating heat pipes attached to the rear side of PV panels is considered a novel and useful approach to dissipating heat. In this study, a novel cooling system that consists of a newly designed spiral oscillating heat pipe is introduced, while DI water and 0.2 g/l graphene are used as working fluid and PV panels are located at tilt angles of 30° and 60°. The OHP efficiency is higher at 60°; however, the efficiency of PV is maximized at 30° since the panel is exposed to maximum solar irradiance. The research demonstrates that the cooling method proves highly effective, especially in the hottest time of the day and the power output improves considerably from 38 W to more than 42 W at 30°, while the value is about 39.7 W when water is used as a coolant.

Numerical analysis of an innovative solar collector utilizing bistable composite laminates and macro fiber composite actuators

Innovative designs for solar collectors have attracted substantial academic and industrial interests owing to the high efficiency of solar panels in the recent past. This paper proposes the analysis and numerical design of a novel solar collector model composed of bistable laminates bonded with Macro Fiber Composite (MFC) actuators and solar cells. The bistable cross-ply laminate serves as the steering mechanism in this design by providing multiple stable shapes for the innovative solar collector design. Bistable morphing structures have received growing interest in aerospace structures and wind turbines due to their rapid shape-changing ability in response to changes in operating conditions, and this paper aims to integrate them more into the solar energy sector. The snap-through and snap-back motion of bistable laminates can be controlled by the voltage inputs of MFC actuators. The change of bistable laminate shape holds the solar cell in a position approximately at the latitude angle of the place to capture maximum solar energy. A systematic finite element parametric study has been performed to identify the optimum size and location of MFC actuators to achieve an energy-efficient snap-through and snap-back transition. As a result, a numerical design of a solar collector with six bistable elements has been proposed. In order to check the feasibility of the proposed designs, a numerical study has been performed to evaluate the total energy output and to optimize the solar panel tilt angle. ASHRAE’s solar irradiation model proposed in the literature has been used to identify the optimum solar panel tilt angle for maximum annual solar irradiation. This innovative solar collector model has demonstrated promising results, holds the potential for widespread application across various engineering domains, and paves the way for increased adoption of intelligent structures in everyday life.

Chloroquine degradation in aqueous solution under electron beam irradiation

Abstract Pharmaceutically active compounds are the most widely produced and consumed consumer products that pose a substantial threat to the environment and living organisms owing to their pharmacokinetics, side effects, and contraindications. In this study, the degradation of chloroquine (CQ), a popular antimalarial and recently proposed COVID-19 drug, was investigated under electron beam (EB) irradiation of aqueous solutions. Both the hydroxyl radical and hydrated electron generated in the radiolysis of water contribute to the degradation of CQ in aqueous solution. The overall removal efficiency for 125 mg·L-1 of the CQ solution under EB treatment is reported to be >80% at neutral pH at a maximum irradiation dose of 7 kGy. Removal efficiency is further favored by acidic and slightly alkaline conditions where reactions with hydroxyl radicals and hydrated electrons are favored, respectively. Additionally, increments in the applied dose resulted in the increased removal efficiency for the same concentration of CQ. Conversely, the removal efficiency decreased with increasing concentration of CQ at the same irradiation dose. The initial solution pH, applied irradiation dose, and initial pollutant concentration play an important role in the EB-induced degradation of CQ by influencing the available oxidizing and reducing species. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) were not significantly decreased during the treatment process and indicated the formation of organic byproducts, which were not further degraded under the current experimental conditions.

Comprehensive evaluation of a novel pilot-scale UVA-LED photoreactor for water treatment applications: Characterization, catalytic efficiency, energy performance and economic viability

A comprehensive assessment was conducted on a novel pilot plant employing a tubular photo-reactor configuration integrated with UVA-LED technology for advanced municipal wastewater treatment applications. The plant consists of eight UVA-LED strips (150 LEDs/strip, 348–400 nm with peak emission at 370 nm) achieving a maximum irradiance of 28.1 W/m2 at 100 % power of the LED, symmetrically distributed across two borosilicate tubes. The iron concentration (0.025–0.100 mM) and UVA-LED irradiance (1.4–28.1 W/m2) combined effect on the photo-Fenton process efficiency was thoroughly examined in synthetic tap water and synthetic municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWWTP) secondary effluent using sulfamethoxazole as model microcontaminant. In general, an LED intensity threshold from which process efficiency reaches a plateau maximum value was found. The determination of the electrical energy per order (EEO) showed higher energy efficiencies as LED intensity decreases, iron concentration increases, and the water matrix is simpler. The lowest EEO obtained was 0.009 kWh/m3·order for 0.10 mM iron concentration in synthetic MWWTP secondary effluent at 5 % LED intensity. The economic study revealed that the weight of operating costs is more significant than the weight of investment costs, regardless of the selected operating conditions. Working with an iron concentration of 0.10 mM helps reduce the total costs, while operating either under excess LED intensity or insufficient LED intensity negatively impacts the total treatment cost. The lowest treatment cost (0.19 €/m3) was obtained with 0.10 mM iron concentration at only 10 % LED intensity. A comparison with the same process driven by natural solar radiation in a raceway pond reactor demonstrated the feasibility of the novel photo-reactor design in terms of treatment cost.

Thermal performance enhancement of gas filled double glazed flat plate solar collectors

The aim of this investigation is to study the effect of using two different trapped gasses at the same time within two glazing and absorber plate in which the inner layer adjacent to the absorber plate was filled with Helium and the outer layer was filled with Argon to augment the heat gain and prevent heat missing that lead to 12.39 % enhancement in the performance of Gas Filled Double Glazed Flat Plate Solar Collector (GFDGFPSC) in comparison to Air Filled DGFPSC. As Collectors have to be installed at the best angle to gain the maximum irradiation, variation of DGFPSC's angle and both optical thicknesses were evaluated. On the basis of findings, AFDGFPSC's efficiency increased to more than 37 % when the angle was 60° while it was about 31 % at the angle of 30°. Efficiency of the Gas Filled DGFPSC increased a bit lower from 46.7 % to 49.6 % as the angle increased from 30 to 60°. Variations of both inner and outer optical thicknesses were examined at the angle of 60° where growth of the outer optical thickness made low effect on GFDGFPSC performance whereas inner optical thickness increment boosted the useful energy reservation and thus thermal efficiency up to 53.44 %.

A Comparative Analysis of Various Simulation Software for grid-connected Residential Building: A Case Study at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia receives significant energy daily from solar radiation, making it one of the best places to use solar energy to meet its energy needs. Grid connected Photovoltaic (PV) systems provide the electrical energy available from the solar radiation into the grid. Different simulation tools are currently available used to assess the performance of solar PV systems. The present study was conducted to design and evaluate the performance of 15 kW grid-connected solar PV system under climatic conditions of in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Two simulation models, Helioscope and PVsyst were used in the analysis and the results were then compared. The annual energy production, specific production, energy injected into grid, and annual performance ratio (PR) are evaluated by the software’s around a whole year at the same climatic conditions. Results showed that the maximum annual solar irradiation in May was 2212 kWh/m2. The PR based on PVsyst simulation (78.04 %) was higher than that of the Helioscope simulation (74.8%) by about 4.15%. The maximum energy production in May was about 6.1 kWh. The energy production from the PVsyst and Helioscope is 28.98 and 25.9 MWh/year with 289.8 and 259.13 MWh/year energy injected into the grid, respectively.

Silane Doping for Efficient Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells with Improved Defect Passivation and Device Stability.

In this work, doping 3-amino-propyl triethoxysilane (APTES) into a perovskite precursor is proven to be an effective strategy, which can passivate crystal defects, control the crystallization rate, and improve the morphology. APTES can form oligomers through hydrolysis and a condensation reaction, thus blocking the invasion of external water molecules. In addition, the lone pair electrons on the N atom in the amino group of APTES form a coordination bond with perovskite by sharing the empty 6p orbital on Pb2+, which can effectively passivate the defects of the film and realize a highly uniform and dense perovskite film with preferential crystal growth orientation. The film exhibits high (110) crystal plane orientation and long carrier lifetime and mobility, which improves the performance of flexible perovskite solar cells. Using this approach, the champion device presents an optimal power conversion efficiency of 19.84% with much promoted air stability. Moreover, the efficiency of flexible devices does not decrease after maximum power point irradiation for 360 s.

Mathematical Prediction of Electrical Solar Energy Based on Solar Data for Two Main Cities of Chad: Mongo in the Centre and Pala in the South of Chad

The comparative study of the solar powers between two main cities of Chad is performed in the present work, the city of Mongo in the Centre and that of Pala in the South, with an aim of knowing which one of the two cities is more adequate for an installation of the solar power station, taking into account the regional climatic and environmental conditions of both cities. To do this, the graphical statistical analysis of long-term solar irradiance data and temperature is performed. The data used is that of the decade (2010-2020), based on solar radiation data handed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PGIS) for Mongo in the centre and Pala in the south of Chad. The shape of the mean monthly irradiation has been plotted and has been approximated using the sinusoidal function through the mean square analysis. The temperature data has been also obtained by the same process and plotted versus irradiance in order to find the adequate mathematical relationship between them. For the statistical analysis, the maximum entropy principle has been used. As results, it is found that the maximum irradiance is obtained in March, which are 226.26kWh/m<sup>2</sup> for Pala and 219.355kWh/m<sup>2</sup> for Mongo, while the minimum irradiances are obtained in August, which are 151.67kWh/m<sup>2</sup> for Pala and 158.9kWh/m<sup>2</sup> for Mongo. The temperature data is also obtained and the mean monthly data plotted, showing that apart for the months of March and April, the the shapes of irradiation and temperatures are similar for both sites. Then it is found that the frequency and probability density distributions reach their maximum at the same dates.

Size-dependent irradiation tolerance and mechanical properties in WTaTiVCr/W multilayered films

Increasing the interface density in nuclear-material systems has been proposed to be a promising strategy for annihilating defects introduced by ion irradiation. The role of interface characteristics between the WTaTiVCr refractory high entropy alloy (RHEA) and metal tungsten (W) on the irradiation resistance is rather unclear because of the distinct defect energy that exists in these two kinds of materials. Here, the nano-crystalline and amorphous mixed structures were obtained in WTaTiVCr/W multilayers to investigate the irradiation tolerance and mechanical properties. After being exposed to a 60 keV helium (He) ion irradiation platform at a fluence of 1 × 1017 cm−2, the grain sizes in irradiated multilayers were slightly decreased from 12.4 nm to 7.2 nm with increasing individual thickness, which was explained from the perspective of He+ energy deposition. The dependence of bubble growth in multilayers on the individual thickness was disclosed based on the analysis of bubble size and its pressure in the RHEA and W layers. The phase structures and element distributions in WTaTiVCr/W multilayers were also revealed by the defect formation and crystallization. Also, a maximum irradiation hardening of 1.91 GPa in the RHEA(10)/W(7) multilayer was disclosed, and the irradiation hardening in the multilayers exhibited a decreasing trend with increasing monolayer thickness, and the corresponding mechanisms about the hardening behaviors in these multilayers were also discussed based on the interface density and irradiation-induced defects.

Observation and modeling of irradiance near water surface of a photovoltaic pond

Accurate evaluation of near ground solar radiation in photovoltaic (PV) covered areas is essential for controlling adverse environmental effects and comprehensively utilizing the earth’s surface resources. The irradiance near the water surface of a photovoltaic fishpond was measured with eighteen distributed pyranometers. A simplified penetration model is proposed to reveal the shielding effect of PV panels on direct and diffuse irradiance. The model can well capture the spatial–temporal variation of the global irradiance due to the shielding effect of PV arrays. Numerical results show that proper modeling of the shading effect on diffuse irradiance is essential for the calculation accuracy of the cumulative global irradiance loss for various weather types and sky-view restriction levels. The spatial variation range of global radiation penetration ratio under the PV panels is 10%–90%. The spatially-averaged monthly shielding effects show that the maximum (87%) and minimum (46%) relative irradiance loss ratios in the studied PV area occur in December and June, respectively.

Heavy-ion irradiation effects of high-entropy A2Ti2O7 pyrochlore with multi-elements at a site

In this work, the irradiation response of A2Ti2O7 (A represents rare earth elements of Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb and Nd) series ceramics were systematically studied under 3 MeV Au2+ ions. The structural changes pre- and post-irradiation were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and Raman spectroscopy. After heavy ion irradiation, all the samples undergo structural transformations from ordered pyrochlore to disordered fluorite and then to amorphous phase. The sample surface became fully amorphous when exposed to the maximum irradiation dose. The 5RETO high-entropy pyrochlore exhibits the lowest rate of amorphization during the process of structural transformation. The cation radius ratio and mixed entropy are the primary factors influencing amorphization rate. The cation radius ratio shows a strong positive correlation with the amorphization rate, while the mixed entropy demonstrates a weak negative correlation with the amorphization rate. The cation radius ratio can thus serve as a reliable indicator for predicting the radiation resistance of high-entropy pyrochlore ceramics.

Metrological Evaluation of the Building Influence on Air Temperature Measurements

This paper describes the metrological procedure carried out for the evaluation of the building influence on air temperature measurements. This evaluation aims to produce reliable conclusions, information, and data to contribute to the WMO siting classification schemes for air temperature measurements. For this purpose, a field experiment was designed, deployed, and carried out. As a result, one-year-lasting air temperature measurements were collected and analyzed. In this field experiment, a 200 m wide building is the unique artificial heat source and the unique object projecting shades over a flat surface (no discernible slope) in an open space bigger than 40,000 m2, covered with short grass. Eight calibrated thermometers, equipped with the same model of artificially ventilated radiation shields, were set up at a height of 1.5 m from the ground and at different distances from a 200 m wide building. This configuration provides the observation of the horizontal air temperature radially distributed from the building and, as a conclusion, it enables the quantification of the building influences on air temperature measurements at different distances from the building. This document describes the field experiment, the analysis procedure, the evolution of the building influence on air temperature measurements along the day, and the impact of other meteorological parameters on this building effect. Two different building effects are observed: the positive building effect, where the air temperature decreases with the distance to the building, and the negative building effect, where the air temperature increases with the distance to the building. It is also noticed that the building influence is higher on clear days and the daily maximum building influence values are directly linked with the corresponding maximum solar irradiance. The influence of wind on the building effect is also analyzed, reaching the conclusion that due to characteristic of local winds, in terms of low speed and direction, the wind impact could be considered as negligible. The maximum values of building influence on air temperature measurements, the associated uncertainty analysis, and the conclusions are presented in this paper. All these points have been addressed using metrological principles with the purpose of giving consistency and robustness to the evidence presented here.

Variation of floristic diversity, community composition, endemism, and conservation status of tree species in tropical rainforests of Sri Lanka across a wide altitudinal gradient

Tropical rainforests in Sri Lanka are biodiversity hotspots, which are sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance and long-term climate change. We assessed the diversity, endemism and conservation status of these rainforests across a wide altitudinal range (100–2200 m above sea level) via a complete census of all trees having ≥ 10 cm diameter at breast height in ten one-hectare permanent sampling plots. The numbers of tree families, genera and species and community-scale tree diversity decreased with increasing altitude. Tree diversity, species richness and total basal area per ha across the altitudinal range were positively associated with long-term means of maximum temperature, annual rainfall and solar irradiance. Percentage of endangered species increased with increasing altitude and was positively associated with cumulative maximum soil water deficit, day-night temperature difference and high anthropogenic disturbance. Percentage of endemic species was greater in the lowland rainforests than in high-altitude montane forests. Nearly 85% of the species were recorded in three or less plots, which indicated substantial altitudinal differentiation in their distributions. Less than 10 individuals were recorded in 41% of the endemic species and 45% of the native species, which underlined the need for urgent conservation efforts across the whole altitudinal range.

Canopy-forming algae improve the colonization success of the vermetid reef-builder Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi 1859) on artificial substrates

Positive interactions among foundation species play a crucial role in achieving and maintaining a good state of the marine environment, enhancing the habitat stability, productivity, and the whole ecosystem functioning. In this regard, macroalgal canopies may affect the biotic and abiotic environmental features, improving the habitat quality for the establishment of other sedentary organisms. In this study, we investigated the effect of intertidal canopy-forming algae on the colonization success of the central-Mediterranean vermetid reef-builder Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi 1859) on artificial substrates produced for reef restoration purposes. An in situ experiment was carried out along the northwestern coast of Sicily during the breeding season of the vermetid snails, by using geopolymer concrete settlement discs with a topographic design to facilitate the vermetid settlement. The discs were placed on the seaward reef rim, underneath the macroalgal canopy, and on adjacent control bare reef areas. The canopy effect on the understory algal colonization and the environmental temperature at the vermetid settlement substrate were also surveyed. After 35 days of field exposure, the vermetid settlement increased by 1.7-fold on the discs underneath the macroalgal canopy compared with that on the bare settlement discs. Moreover, the understory algae showed a higher homogeneity and a lower percent cover on the settlement discs underneath the macroalgal canopy. The peaks of temperature were higher on the bare reef, and the macroalgal canopy also reduced temperature variability under maximum sun irradiance during the diurnal low tides. The vermetid settlement was positively correlated to the canopy cover, which, directly or indirectly, improved the success of colonization of the reef-builder snails on artificial substrates. The deployment of settlement discs where canopy-forming algae are naturally present may facilitate the gardening of vermetid clusters that may be translocated to restock the reef-builder density at degraded areas.

Assessing the feasibility of off-grid photovoltaic systems for rural electrification

In this investigation, the absence of an electricity grid in numerous locations, including military bases, tiny houses, and chalets, prompted the development of a model for providing electrical energy through an off-grid Photovoltaic (PV) system in Konya, Türkiye. The study delineates the daily energy consumption of a residential dwelling as 39,974 Wh/day, and the feasibility of satisfying this demand through the implementation of a 9.45 kWp PV system is scrutinized. The research encompasses the determination of optimal tilt and azimuth angles set at 35° and 0°, respectively. The maximum global effective irradiation intensity, recorded in August at 208.3 kWh/m², contrasts with the minimum intensity observed in December, registering at 106.2 kWh/m². Likewise, electricity production attained its zenith in August at 1,581.3 kWh, starkly contrasting its lowest level in December at 791 kWh. Modelling outcomes conclude that Solar Fraction (SF) values equate to unity during summer but fall below unity during winter. Furthermore, a surplus in electricity generation relative to demand is observed during the summer, resulting in the full charge of batteries. Evaluating the annual average SF, it is deduced that the modelled system fulfils 90.8% of the energy requirement. The Performance Ratio (PR), an additional pivotal parameter in PV systems, reaches its zenith at 0.865 in November and its nadir at 0.614 in August. This comprehensive study underscores the efficacy of the modelled off-grid PV system in meeting the energy demands of the selected residence, emphasizing the significance of seasonal variations and key performance metrics in assessing system performance.