Solar Energy Technologies Research Articles

Assessing the Electricity Production Capacities of Emerging Markets for the Sustainable Investments

It is essential to supply the necessary electricity for both the increase in the quality of life of the citizens and the stable growth of the country’s economy. For countries to have energy independence, they need to increase their electricity generation capacity. However, all alternatives required to increase electrical capacity have both advantages and disadvantages. Within this scope, it is not easy for countries to make the right investment decisions. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis is needed to determine the right investment policy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the electricity production capacities of emerging markets. A new fuzzy decision-making model has been constructed to find a solution for this situation. The groups for the electricity production capacities are examined by the extension of DEMATEL with Quantum Spherical fuzzy sets and golden ratio. In the following stage, emerging seven economies are ranked by using QSF TOPSIS technique. This situation helps to understand which of these countries are more successful in generating electricity capacity effectively. The main novelty is to define the most significant electricity generation alternatives by a novel model that integrates DEMATEL and TOPSIS with QSFSs and golden ratio. The results demonstrate that solar photovoltaic is the most optimal way to increase electricity capacity of the countries. Additionally, China is the most successful emerging country to generate electricity in an efficient way. Countries should take some actions to increase their solar energy investments. First, it would be appropriate to provide tax exemptions to solar energy investors so that the costs of these projects can be decreased. Additionally, investments in solar energy technologies need to be further increased.

Prospects of glove-box versus air-processed organic solar cells.

In the search for alternate green energy sources to offset dependence on fossil fuels, solar energy can certainly meet two needs with one deed: fulfil growing global energy demands due to its non-depletable nature and lower greenhouse gas emissions. As such, third generation thin film photovoltaic technology based organic solar cells (OSCs) can certainly play their role in providing electricity at a competing or lower cost than 1st and 2nd generation solar technologies. As OSCs are still at an early stage of research and development, much focus has been placed on improving power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) inside a controlled environment i.e. a glove-box (GB) filled with an inert gas such as N2. This was necessary until now, to control and study the local nanomorphology of the spin-coated blend films. For OSCs to compete with other solar energy technologies, OSCs should produce similar or even better morphologies in an open environment i.e. air, such that air-processed OSCs can result in similar PCEs in comparison to their GB-processed counterparts. In this review, we have compared GB- vs. air-processed OSCs from morphological and device physics aspects and underline the key features of efficient OSCs, processed in either GB or air.

Using Solar Energy Technology in Sea Water Desalination in North Sinai According to the Egyptian Sustainable Development Plan 2030

Using Solar Energy Technology in Sea Water Desalination in North Sinai According to the Egyptian Sustainable Development Plan 2030

A comprehensive review of solar thermal desalination technologies for freshwater production

<abstract> <p>This review is inspired by the increasing shortage of fresh water in areas of the world, and is written in response to the expanding demand for sustainable technologies due to the prevailing crisis of depleting natural water resources. It focuses on comprehending different solar energy-based technologies. Since the increasing population has resulted in the rising demand for freshwater, desalination installation volume is rapidly increasing globally. Conventional ways of desalination technologies involve the use of fossil fuels to extract thermal energy which imparts adverse impacts on the environment. To lessen the carbon footprint left by energy-intensive desalination processes, the emphasis has shifted to using renewable energy sources to drive desalination systems. The growing interest in combining solar energy with desalination with an emphasis on increasing energy efficiency has been sparked by the rapid advancements in solar energy technology, particularly solar thermal. This review paper aims to reflect various developments in solar thermal desalination technologies and presents prospects of solar energy-based desalination techniques. This paper reviews direct and indirect desalination techniques coupled with solar energy, and goes on to explain recent trends in technologies. This review also summarizes the emerging trends in the field of solar thermal desalination technologies. The use of nanoparticles and photo-thermal materials for localized heating in solar desalination systems has decreased energy consumption and enhanced the efficiency of the system. Solar power combined with emerging processes like membrane distillation (MD) has also a recent resurgence.</p> </abstract>

Classification of Jet Impingement Solar Collectors - A Recent Development in Solar Energy Technology

Classification of Jet Impingement Solar Collectors - A Recent Development in Solar Energy Technology

Experimental investigation on a strontium chloride/ammonia sorption heat storage system

• A thermochemical sorption heat storage system has been established. • The total highest heat storage density is 1871.03 kJ/kg SrCl 2 composite sorbent. • The total highest heat storage efficiency of the sorption system is 92.74%. Thermochemical sorption heat storage based on solid-gas interaction is considered as a cutting-edge technology for harvesting solar energy and industrial waste heat due to the significant advantages of high heat storage density, flexible working modes and long-term storage capacity with negligible heat loss. As a vital technology to enhance energy infrastructures, the thermochemical sorption heat storage has aroused extensive interest in the past decade. In this work, a solid-gas thermochemical sorption system was established and investigated for recovering the thermal energy. Working pair of strontium chloride/ammonia was selected, and strontium chloride composite sorbents were synthesized using the expanded graphite as matrix. The heat storage performances of strontium chloride/ammonia sorption system at the different temperatures were experimentally investigated. Under the condition of 92 °C charging temperature, 40 °C discharging temperature and -5 ℃ condensation/evaporation temperature, the highest sorption heat storage density of the sorption system obtained is up to 1630.78 kJ/kg SrCl 2 (or 1386.16 kJ/kg composite sorbent), and the total heat storage density can reach 2201.21 kJ/kg SrCl 2 (or 1871.03 kJ/kg composite sorbent). The total energy efficiency of the sorption system increases from 74.71% to 92.74% with the heat storage temperature rising from 68 ℃ to 92 ℃. Results indicated that strontium chloride and its composites are promising heat storage materials, and revealed great potentials of thermochemical sorption heat storage technology for rational and efficient utilization of thermal energy.

LSTM Based 24 hours Ahead Forecasting of Solar PV System for Standalone Household System

A rapid expansion in the technology of solar PV energy in recent years has paved the way for PV market to grow resulting in a cost reduction in material. Hence, technological improvements are eminent to maintain the stable working of the system. In order to create a system many techniques and modules are used like, MPPT algorithms to track the power which increases real-time efficiency, and a battery management system to efficiently manage the stored energy from the battery. This paper aims to design a forecasting model to predict the weather and load of the standalone system to prepare the battery for future use. The forecasting is done using Machine learning and Deep learning tools like RNN, LSTM, and GRU and the results are fed into the system in MATLAB Simulink simulation platform.

Hurdles to the adoption of solar energy technologies in the Comcaac nation, Desemboque, Sonora, México, a case study

The Comcaac nation (seri) resides mainly in two towns of the State of Sonora: Desemboque and Punta Chueca. Currently, the Comcaac people face conditions of vulnerability due to the absence of water and energy. In 2020, a project with solar energy technologies was carried out in the community of Desemboque to ensure water supply and electrical energy, financed by the Honnold foundation. However, the results of this effort have not fulfilled the expectations. What happened? Through the analysis carried out by the transdisciplinary research collective, which is made up of 16 researchers from 7 institutions, national and foreign, obstacles to the development of local sustainability were identified, and the need to expand the analysis in different dimensions is recognized. This research is developed within the context of the execution of the project with funding from FORDECYT-PRONACES 315254 "Energy, water and food security for indigenous peoples in semi-arid coastal regions of Northern Mexico". (CONACYT, 2021a).

Techno-economic and exergo-economic evaluation of a novel solar integrated waste-to-energy power plant

The content of municipal solid waste generation is increasing due to the industrial and population growth. Energy generation from municipal solid waste is one of the efficient and promising method to dispose waste in a sustainable manner, while reducing the fossil fuel energy limitations. However, conventional waste-to-energy plants have less thermal efficiency due to the higher moisture content that lowers its heating value. The solar thermal integration is one of the proposed solutions to enhance the steam inlet temperature in the power generation system that will further increase the plant performance. In this study, an innovative solar integrated municipal solid waste incineration plant is proposed to advance the waste-to-energy and concentrated solar power thermal energy technologies. The system integration is carried out utilizing the useful solar heat harvested in the heliostat tower receiver system by transferring heat to the working steam of the incineration plant in the heat exchanger and enhance the turbine inlet temperature and the system’s performance considerably. Based on 300 t/d incineration facility, proposed system is investigated exergo-economically by varying certain influential parameters using engineering equation solver and performance has been compared with the conventional reference plant. The system is integrated with high-temperature Phase Change Materials, which able to store thermal energy enough for the light-time system operation. The results attribute that the network output of the proposed integrated facility has substantial improved (almost 12.61 %) but with the penalty of increase in the exergy destruction cost rate. In addition, levelized cost of electricity of the proposed plant is 13.9 % less than the conventional one and it decreases with the rise of steam temperature. Energy efficiency of the proposed plant improves to approximately 36.34 % as direct normal irradiation increases from 650 W/m2 to 900 W/m2. In addition, Incineration boiler is the major source of exergy destruction (almost 50 %) with 175.2 $/hr exergy destruction cost.

The Role of Computational Science in Wind and Solar Energy: A Critical Review

This paper concerns technology challenges for the wind and solar sectors and the role of computational science in addressing the above. Wind energy challenges include understanding the atmospheric flow physics, complex wakes and their interaction with wind turbines, aeroelastic effects and the associated impact on materials, and optimisation of wind farms. Concentrated solar power technologies require an optimal configuration of solar dish technology and porous absorber in the volumetric solar receiver for efficiency and durability and to minimise the convective heat losses in the receiver. Computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer have advanced in terms of numerical methods and physics-based models and their implementation in high-performance computing facilities. Despite this progress, computational science requires further advancement to address the technological challenges of designing complex systems accurately and efficiently, as well as forecasting the system’s performance. Machine Learning models and optimisation techniques can maximise the performance of simulations and quantify uncertainties in the wind and solar energy technologies. However, in a similar vein, these methods require further development to reduce their computational uncertainties. The need to address the global energy challenges requires further investment in developing and validating computational science methods and physics-based models for accurate and numerically efficient predictions at different scales.

Protection Challenges of Green Technology in Power Distribution System

The mitigation of future electricity demand is highly dependent upon the integration of green energy technology. Most countries realise the importance of green energy and are given support policies for the encouragement of power integration from green energy sources (GES). The effect of bulk power integration from GES causes stability issues in the power system. The solar and wind energy technologies have been discussed in this paper. Issues relating to integration of GES in the distribution system have also been highlighted. It also describes the desired protection of the distribution network with GES. The coordination issue of auto recloser has been explained in depth. The paper narrates the challenges to green energy technology implementation in the distribution system. Finally, a solution for protection coordination is formulated and solved using a genetic algorithm between auto recloser and fuse using test system. Also, coordination with grid-side relay and fuse is validated. The results give optimised values of plug setting multiplier (PSM), time dial settings (TDS), and constants such as A, B, and x. The optimised values give the correct operating times of auto recloser (t 1) and fuse (t 2) and a coordinated time interval (CTI).

Understanding Wavelength-Dependent Synergies between Morphology and Photonic Design in TiO2-Based Solar Powered Redox Cells.

Solar powered redox cells (SPRCs) are promising for large-scale and long-term storage of solar-energy, particularly when coupled with redox flow batteries (RFBs). While efforts have primarily focused on heterostructure engineering, the potential of synergistic morphology and photonic design has not been carefully studied. Here, we investigate the wavelength-dependent effects of light-absorption and charge transfer characteristics on the performance of gold decorated TiO2-based SPRC photoanodes operating with RFB-compatible redox couples. Through an in-depth optical and photoelectrochemical characterization of three complementary TiO2 microstructures, namely nanotubes, honeycombs, and nanoparticles, we elucidate the combined effects of nanometer-scale semiconductor morphology and plasmonic design across the visible spectrum. In particular, thin-walled TiO2 nanotubes exhibit a ∼ 50% increase in solar-to-chemical efficiency (STC) compared to thick-walled TiO2 honeycombs thanks to improved charge transfer. Au nanoparticles both increase generation and interfacial charge transfer (above bandgap) and promote hot carrier injection (below bandgap) leading to a further 25% increase in STC. Overall, Au/TiO2 nanotubes achieve a high photocurrent at 0.098 mA/cm2 and an excellent STC of 0.06%, among the highest with respect to the theoretical limit. The incident photon to current efficiency and internal quantum efficiency are also superior to those of bare TiO2 showing maximum values of 54.7% and 67%, respectively. Overall, nanophotonic engineering that synergistically combines morphology optimization and plasmonic sensitization schemes offer new avenues for improving rechargeable solar-energy technologies such as solar redox flow batteries.

Socio-Economic Importance of Solar Energy Application in Poultry Production System

Solar energy is a renewable, inexhaustible and affordable form of energy that could help mitigate climate change in poultry production systems. Its application as an emerging technology in poultry production systems is not common among the Nigerian poultry farmers. This paper presents a survey of poultry farms in Enugu State, Southeast, Nigeria. The purpose of the survey was to ascertain the status of solar energy application in Poultry production systems in the state. A survey was conducted on the methods farmers use in poultry day-old chicks brooding technology. A total of 60 poultry farms were selected at random for the survey. Data was collected using a 25 structured questionnaire items. It was observed that two types of poultry brooding methods were in use by the poultry farmers. These were conventional method (the use of fossil fuel and electric power), and non-conventional method (the use of solar energy) respectively. Survey results showed that out of 60 respondents 25% and 65% used kerosene, and combined electric/kerosene brooding methods in their brooding operations respectively. Only 10% of the respondents have used solar energy technology in their poultry brooding operations. The average mortality rates were 22.38%, 12.17% and 2.97% for kerosene, combined electric/kerosene, and solar energy respectively, while US$474.54, US$2,456.34 and US$49.1, were the respective average energy cost implications for each brooding methods eight times in a year. Solar energy was observed to have the lowest mortality rate and the least energy cost implications among the rest. Further response from the farmers showed inadequate power supply, greenhouse gas emission, fire outbreak and low profit margins characterized kerosene, and the combined electric/kerosene usage while solar energy application was observed to be environmentally and user friendly with low mortality rate and low energy cost. Solar energy utilization therefore appears the most attractive option because of the advantages it has over others. Its use in poultry brooding production will improve and enhance environmental air quality, healthy chicks’ production with higher profit margins. Its wide application in poultry production in Enugu State, Nigeria however, demands sensitization and educational awareness among the stakeholders.

Application of photovoltaic panels in electric vehicles to enhance the range

There is a significant increase in the number of alternative energy sources and electric vehicles. Therefore, there is a growing need for new technical solutions to increase the distance that an electric vehicle can travel on a single charge. The aim of this study is to assess the possibility of mileage increasing of an electric vehicle by means of commercially available solar energy technologies that require minimal investment. The considered electric car can be recharged from solar panels mounted on its roof during parking stages. Photovoltaic modules can contribute to the vehicle's propulsion or energize its accessories, such as ventilation, air conditioner, heated passenger seats, interior lighting. The results demonstrate feasibility of the proposed solutions for both cases with and without sun-tracking adjustments of solar panels. The calculations show that the vehicle-integrated photovoltaic panels can provide energy for up to 6.32% of the range on a full charge of the battery during the sunniest summer months and up to 1.16% of the range during the least sunny winter months, for the given conditions.

An Ecological Context That Scars: Reflections on Three Nature Documentaries of 2020

An Ecological Context That Scars: Reflections on Three Nature Documentaries of 2020

Design of Solar Panel Tracking Control System

This paper analyzes the overall scheme design, circuit design and PLC control program design of the system, and expounds the application research of realizing the conversion of solar energy to electric energy based on PLC control technology. With the development of economy and the progress of society, people put forward higher and higher requirements for energy. Finding sustainable development and green energy is one of the major issues facing mankind in this century and beyond. Developing new energy sources and making full use of existing energy sources have received great attention from scientists all over the world. As an inexhaustible and clean energy, solar power generation will get unprecedented development. With the development and industrialization of solar energy technology, its cost performance and efficiency will be greatly improved. Therefore, this design has high feasibility, practicality and energy conservation and environmental protection value.

An experimental study on thermal efficiency of hybrid GO/MWCNTs nanoparticles suspended in a binary mixture of ethylene glycol and water

Energy consumption has a demand growth across the globe due to modernization. However, the use of fossil fuels is creating a huge impact on climate change and has made it essential to harvest solar renewable energy technology. The heat transfer fluid plays an important role in maintaining the optimum temperature of the panel by removing the heat absorbed and transferring to the thermal energy storage medium. Due to the poor thermal conductivity and thermal degradation of conventional heat transfer fluids such as water, ethylene glycol and oil, these pose limitations to be utilised in solar energy technology systems. Thus, to overcome this problem, a hybrid nanofluid is used to boost the thermal conductivity and degradation temperature. However, the addition of hybrid nanoparticles further enhances the thermo-physical properties of the fluids. In this present study, GO/MWCNTs hybrid nanoparticles (0.01 – 0.2 wt%) were dispersed in hybrid base fluid (EG/water) in the ratio of 40:60. The finding shows that for visual stability, MWCNT sediment was faster compared to GO while, hybrid GO/MWCNT, showed higher stability compared to the single nanoparticle. The TGA results show the higher thermal degradation temperature at 0.05 wt% of pure GO, pure MWCNT and hybrid GO/MWCNT with thermal degradation of 122.74 ℃, 118.93 ℃ and 119.26 ℃ respectively. The use of nanofluids acts as a clean fuel for electricity production and decreases CO2 emission, which can further promote sustainable development goals.

Operation and Control of the Distributed Energy Resources to Improve the Power Quality in Electrical Distribution System Using Hbmo -Ann - A Novel Control Algorithm

Objectives: To propose a novel hybrid control plan to enhance the power quality (PQ) of distributed energy sources (DERs) such as solar energy (SE), wind energy (WE), and battery energy storage system (BEES) technologies. Method: A BEES, a PV farm, and a wind farm are integrated into the grid to supply home loads. The ABMO-ANN control system is a novel method that combines the Hybrid Barnacles Mating Optimization Algorithm (HBMO) and the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) (ANN). The power is balanced by balancing the power consumed by BEES and the power provided by the VSI inverter in this new proposed algorithm. Findings: In this HBMO-ANN control model, the proportional integral (PI) gain parameter controller generates the signals based on the load variation to manage the hybrid RES energy sources optimally. The assumed variables as system parameters in this suggested prediction approach are direct current (DC) voltage and active with reactive power. Novelty: The new HBMO-ANN method creates optimal control, aiming to improve power system damping and sustain line voltage with the reactive power compensation provided. However, when compared to existing control methods, the performance of the HBMO-ANN approach with a PI controller is also justified. The suggested methodology is compared to existing methods in MATLAB/Simulink. Keywords: Power quality improvement; Renewable energy sources; Hybrid Barnacles Mating Optimization Algorithm; Reactive power; Power system

Determinants of household adoption of solar energy technology in Seychelles in a context of 100% access to electricity

Seychelles is among four countries in the African continent with 100% access to electricity, of which over 90% of the energy is generated from fossil fuels. The energy transition is a crucial enabler of sustainable development and climate resilience. Therefore, this study seeks to understand the determinants of solar PV uptake based on a stratified random sample of 130 households on Mahe Island, Seychelles. We applied logistic regression and descriptive statistics to analyze the driving factors of a household decision regarding the adoption of a solar PV system. Results indicated that access to credit and monthly household income influenced the adoption of solar PV systems at the 1% significance level. Independent variables such as gender, age, and education of household heads, including family size that were significant in other studies, were not significant in the current study. Cost-saving (100%), energy security (91.7%), and environmentally friendly perceptions (76.7%), and access to loans (56.7%), were chief among the motivational drivers of the 60 households that had adopted solar PV systems. Whereas, for the non-adopters, the four most essential barriers cited were cheap electricity (82.9%), high initial cost (65.7%), existing loans (52.9%), and long payback time (40.0%). For the communal approach to solar PV systems in Seychelles to be successful, the adoption barriers that occur at the level of households should be considered.

Hourly predictions of direct normal irradiation using an innovative hybrid LSTM model for concentrating solar power projects in hyper-arid regions

Although solar energy harnessing capacity varies considerably based on the employed solar energy technology and the meteorological conditions, accurate direct normal irradiation (DNI) prediction remains crucial for better planning and management of concentrating solar power systems. This work develops hybrid Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models for assessing hourly DNI using meteorological datasets that include relative humidity, air temperature, and global solar irradiation. The study proposes a unique hybrid model, combining a balance-dynamic sine–cosine (BDSCA) algorithm with an LSTM predictor. Combining optimizers and predictors, such hybrid models are rarely developed to estimate DNI, especially in smaller prediction intervals. Therefore, various commonly adopted algorithms in relevant studies have been considered references for evaluating the new hybrid algorithm. The results show that the relative errors of the proposed models do not exceed 2.07%, with a minimum correlation coefficient of 0.99. In addition, the dimensionality of inputs was reduced from four variables to the two most cost-effective variables in DNI prediction. Therefore, these suggested models are reliable for estimating DNI in the arid desert areas of Algeria and other locations with similar climatic features.