Potential Of Photovoltaic Systems Research Articles

A Study on the Installation Potential of Photovoltaic System Based on Regional Architectural Data

A Study on the Installation Potential of Photovoltaic System Based on Regional Architectural Data

Energy self-consumption from PV systems: estimations for two office buildings in Krakow (Poland)

The analysis presented in this paper focuses on the energetic aspects of the use of photovoltaic (PV) systems in office buildings. Energy generation from PV system has been simulated on an hourly time scale and compared with the energy demand of two office buildings located in Krakow (southern Poland). The buildings’ annual load exceeded 1 GWh in both cases. The analysis dealt with estimating how much energy generated by a PV system can be utilized on-site (self-consumption) and how big the energy surpluses will be (energy generation greater than demand). Capacities of PV systems ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 MW have been considered. Also, the impact of PV generation on the residual load parameters and changes in the maximal monthly and hourly energy demand were investigated. The results show that although the building energy demand is similar (in terms of annual volume of energy consumed) the potential of PV systems to cover it is different. The 100-kW PV system can reduce the observed hourly peak energy demand by 1% in December but by over 30% in June (respectively, from 171 kWh to 169 kWh, and from 333 kWh to 255 kWh). Considering the annual patterns of the office buildings’ energy demand and PV generation (both have their respective peaks in summer), the application of a PV system changes the office building energy demand pattern significantly from the perspective of the power system operator. After installing 500 kW PV in an office building consuming 1 GWh annually, the months with highest demand are no longer in summer but in winter.

A framework for the technical evaluation of residential buildings’ energy retrofit

Despite a wide range of energy-efficient technologies, financial products and public incentives are already available, the private as well as the public sector are struggling to invest in energy efficient solutions for buildings. The primary barriers are the high initial cost and the uncertain payback period of the energy refurbishment. Allowing for different scenario testing and considering interactions among different building energy systems, building energy simulation tools can help investors overcoming such barriers by offering support to the technical planning of energy refurbishment kits through quantitative information rather than qualitative. The energy performance and comfort of three reference multifamily residential buildings typologies were evaluated considering three envelope retrofitting performance levels (high-medium-low insulated and airtight) and different heating and domestic hot water systems (heat pump, boiler, district heating). The tested envelope retrofitting performance levels allow for heating need reduction between 50% and 90% compared to the reference case. The active cooling system is not accounted for and building energy simulations outputs include thermal comfort evaluation and overheating risk assessment during the summer season. The potential of photovoltaic system combined with heat pump is evaluated in the three reference cases leading to up to 30% of load coverage.

Interplay between the potential of photovoltaic systems and agricultural land use

The recent decrease in solar photovoltaic (PV) investment cost has transformed the attractiveness of the technology. Southern Europe has one of the highest levels of solar radiation in the world, and policy makers are very keen to take full advantage of this resource for electricity and heat production. However, physiographic characteristics and specific land uses (e.g. agro-forestry and nature conservation) present important spatial constraints. This paper proposes a methodology for the evaluation of utility-scale solar PV projects’ (>1 MW) technical potential. The municipality of Évora (Portugal) was used as a case study, considering topographical features and spatial planning regulations. Three compatible scenarios for solar PV farms and other competing land uses were studied. The assessment was carried out using a geographic information system and statistical tools. It was conducted for four sizes of PV project (1, 10, 20 and 30 MW) consisting of two different technology types: concentrated PV and crystalline-silicon tracking PV. Concentrated PV 1 MW projects were found to have greater adaptability for use in available areas dispersed throughout the territory, while preserving land for agriculture and nature conservation. The scenario with land primacy for agricultural purposes reduced PV technical potential by more than half (from 2494 to 1116 MW). Nevertheless, the remaining potential was sufficient to cover substantial shares of local annual electricity consumption. The results provided support for future spatial planning regulations and local sustainable energy action plans.

Assessment of the energy generation potential of photovoltaic systems in Caribbean region of Colombia

At present the use of solar energy for power generation has increased in recent years, this is due not only to climate change but also to reduce costs of solar technology materials and equipment. The paper assesses the energy generation potential of photovoltaic systems in the Caribbean region of Colombia based on data extracted from NASA Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy. The solar energy atlas for Caribbean region was generated using ArcGIS program. The analyzed results indicates that in the Caribbean region of Colombia there is a huge energy generation potential of photovoltaic systems with annual electricity generation of 1554.47kWh/kWp and performance ratio of 79.63% which is good for PV systems. This study is important as generated results are vital for the development of PV systems in the region and also the results can be used in the future social, economic and environmental impact study for deployment of these systems; and selecting the suitable area and appropriate technology that can adapt to the conditions of this region.

Low energy building design: Heating, ventilation and air conditioning

The move towards a de-carbonised world, driven partly by climate science and partly by the business opportunities it offers, will need the promotion of environmentally friendly alternatives, if an acceptable stabilisation level of atmospheric carbon dioxide is to be achieved. This requires the harnessing and use of natural resources that produce no airpollution or greenhouse gases and provides comfortable coexistence of human, livestock, and plants. This study reviews the energy-using technologies based on natural resources, which are available to and applicable in the farming industry. Integral concept for buildings with both excellent indoor environment control and sustainable environmental impact are reported in the present communication. Techniques considered are hybrid (controlled natural and mechanical) ventilation including night ventilation, thermo-active building mass systems with free cooling in a cooling tower, and air intake via ground heat exchangers. Special emphasis is put on ventilation concepts utilising ambient energy from air ground and other renewable energy sources, and on the interaction with heating and cooling. It has been observed that for bothresidential and office buildings, the electricity demand of ventilation systems is related to the overall demand of the building and the potential of photovoltaic systems and advanced cogeneration units. The focus of the world’s attention on environmental issues in recent years has stimulated response in many countries, which have led to a closer examination of energy conservation strategies for conventional fossil fuels. One way of reducing building energy consumption is to design buildings, which are more economical in their use of energy for heating, lighting, cooling, ventilation and hot water supply. Passive measures, particularly natural or hybrid ventilation rather than air-conditioning, can dramatically reduce primary energy consumption. However, exploitation of renewable energy in buildings and agricultural greenhouses can, also, significantly contribute towards reducing dependency on fossil fuels. This article describes various designs of low energy buildings. It also, outlines the effect of dense urban building nature on energy consumption, and its contribution to climate change. Measures, which would help to save energy in buildings, are also presented.

Statistical Moments Approach in Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System Performance Evaluation

Solar energy is considered as one of the solution to the worldwide depletion of fossil fuel resources as well as the economic alternatives in protecting the atmosphere from the adverse consequences of global warming. Nevertheless solar power is often criticized because the output power generated is variable and virtually uncontrollable. Potential analysis on introduction of photovoltaic system at particular site however requires the knowledge of solar irradiance and photovoltaic power distributions. This paper will focus on the possibility in applying statistical moments approach in solar irradiance and photovoltaic power distribution evaluation. Applying the first to forth statistical moments, the density function approximation of the parameters from 5MW grid connected Photovoltaic system were evaluated using the Pearson system. This method is based on the relationship between the first four moments of the distribution where the probability distribution is estimated by equating their theoretical moments with the moments of empirical distributions. Application of various statistical moments has the advantage in estimating the potential of photovoltaic system in view of dynamic changes of skewness and kurtosis coefficients of solar power irradiance distributions.

Potential of photovoltaic systems in countries with high solar irradiation

Renewable energy sources derived principally from solar energy have been gaining ground over the last few years and are now beginning to contribute to the global energy mix. Solar energy in the form of direct electricity conversion (photovoltaics) is already very popular in countries such as the United States, Germany and Japan. The enormous potential of photovoltaic (PV) technology is also obvious and favourable in countries with high irradiation such as the Mediterranean region. The objective of this paper is to review the different up and coming PV technologies, to explore the potential of different PV systems in countries with high solar irradiation and to compare their performance through the assessment of thirteen different types of PV systems that have been installed side by side in Nicosia, Cyprus and Stuttgart, Germany. Finally useful insight into the performance of the PV systems as a function of the meteorological conditions and location will be highlighted.