Solar Installations Research Articles

Increasing Energy Efficiency of Buildings in Serbia—A Case of an Urban Neighborhood

Energy efficiency, sustainability, and renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly relevant topics in today’s world. Buildings are one of the largest consumers of energy in society, and as such, improving their energy efficiency by reducing unnecessary energy loss and utilizing solar power is crucial. This paper comprehensively analyzes a neighborhood with buildings characteristic of the researched area by applying empirical and theoretical methods and calculations that have been proven in numerous individual cases. The main contribution of this paper is its demonstration that implementing methods to increase the energy efficiency of buildings and utilizing the potential of solar power can result in significant savings in energy consumption, increase the energy sustainability of the analyzed buildings, and substantially reduce the negative environmental impact. The novelty of this study lies in the location and multiple software applications for data analysis. The data and conclusions obtained in this paper serve as a foundation and path towards sustainable development in the field of energy efficiency for buildings in this and similar areas. Heat loss was calculated by analyzing households in the urban neighborhood of Nova Kolonija. All analyzed houses exceeded the maximum allowed annual required energy for household heating (75 kWh/m2). After the reconstruction and implementation of the proposed measures to increase energy efficiency, all houses met the requirements and entered a higher energy class, C. Energy for heating was reduced from 9294.68 kWh/a to 4641.84 kWh/a, representing a reduction of 50.03%. Simulations were conducted regarding solar rooftop power plant installation of 5655 Wp capacity. Software that was used included: a Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS), Photovoltaic System software (PVsyst 7.3.), and Photovoltaic Design and Simulation software (PV*SOL). The results of the analysis indicated that the average amount of electricity produced is 6186.98 kWh, which meets 98.12% of households’ annual electricity consumption of 6278.41 kWh. The paper contributes to the existing body of literature and provides significant insight for both practical implications and future studies.

An Adaptive Staggered Investment Strategy for promotion of residential rooftop solar PV installations in India

Rooftop solar PV in India has seen good progress in the Commercial and industrial sectors, but the progress in the domestic sector is relatively slow due to the high initial installation cost. Thus, there arises the need for good market models for Rooftop Solar (RTS) implementation. This paper conducts a comparative study of workable RTS market models by employing the discounted cash flow method, as per the recent regulatory guidelines. Market models are formulated and tested for a typical residential high-rise apartment complex in India comprising 15 storied buildings with a combined maximum demand of 180kVA. The results suggest that the centralized community RTS model of 80kWp capacity with upfront financing is suitable when compared to the decentralized individual model, as it has the lowest levelized cost of 3.39 ₹/kWh and a payback period of 5.5 years. With the federal subsidy, the prosumer levelized cost reduces to 2.06 ₹/kWh with a payback period of 3.3 years. Thus grid parity is achieved for all tariff tier rates. With adaptive staggering strategy, this scheme is validated to be more attractive for the urban residential microgrids, as the solar installation of 80kWp and its cost can be staggered and even reduced over the planning period. Hence capital installation and operation costs can be distributed over the stipulated time interval. The study result gives RTS stakeholders insight into selecting the most cost-effective market model to suit their requirements. Financial analysis of the proposed models provides input to the customers, developers, and policymakers to assess the financial merit of adopting the suitable business model for RTS development. The proposed analysis can be replicated for high-rise residential buildings, especially in cities with high electricity tariffs. With time, a decrease in solar PV installation price and an increase in grid price are expected; hence, the overall investment cost gets reduced and staggered.

Desiminasi Sistem Pembangkit Tenaga Surya untuk Guru dan Siswa di Kabupaten Bandung

Utilization of solar energy requires an active role from the community by providing information related to solar energy and the potential that can be obtainedIt is necessary to provide guidance to the community by providing basic knowledge about the conversion of solar energy into electricity. Followed by doing practice in proving the basic knowledge given in the form of simple practice. So that the public can understand information related to solar energy as a whole, both basic knowledge, conversion techniques, and installation techniques. The purpose of this community service is to provide training on solar power plant installations as a learning medium in the use of renewable energy in the form of solar energy. The training targets are MA teachers and students as the next generation who in the future will face greater challenges related to energy utilization. MA students are currently required to be more creative and innovative in utilizing all the potential of nature, especially the use of alternative technologies, one of which is solar energy. The Pangalengan area is also a challenge in itself in the use of electricity technology for the need for support by using solar energy for electricity use. In the community service program, an On-Grid 260 Wp solar power plant system has been installed which aims as a learning medium and helps reduce monthly school costs by integrating solar panels for the electrification of the Natural Sciences Laboratory (IPA).

NONLINEAR CLUSTERED ADAPTIVE-NETWORK-BASED FUZZY INFERENCE SYSTEM MODEL FOR HOURLY SOLAR IRRADIATION ESTIMATION

Solar energy occupies an important place among the various sources of renewable energy. A precise knowledge of the distribution of solar irradiation in a specified location is needed before any solar irradiation system installation. This paper introduces a nonlinear clustering, adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model to estimate the hourly solar irradiation data using meteorological inputs and clustering algorithms: grid partitioning, subtractive clustering, and fuzzy c-means. Comparing these clustering algorithms is investigated to classify the inputs into clusters, which helps the solar irradiation estimation model build better. This method's advantage is understanding and simplifying the nonlinearity presented in the input’s datasets. Moreover, the FCM algorithm gives the best results from comparing the testing data; the RMSE is 43.2274 W/m2, and MSE equals 2001.34 W/m2 with an R2 equal to 0.9893.

Evaluation Factors of Solar Power Plants to Reduce Cost Under Neutrosophic Multi-Criteria Decision Making Model

Solar power facilities must be efficient, reliable, and sustainable to meet energy demands. This study conducts a comprehensive analysis of criteria for evaluating solar power installations, focusing on factors impacting performance, economic viability, and environmental sustainability. Drawing from extensive literature, industry practices, and case studies, we identify key considerations such as technological feasibility, economic viability, environmental impact, legal frameworks, and social acceptance. To address the complexity and uncertainty associated with these criteria, we employ a multi-criteria decision-making approach. Specifically, the CRiteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC) method is utilized to determine the weights of criteria, while the neutrosophic set theory is integrated to handle uncertain information during the evaluation process. The findings of this research offer valuable insights for academia, policymakers, and solar industry investors, facilitating informed decision-making in the pursuit of efficient and sustainable solar power solutions.

A Review of Experimental and Numerical Analyses of Solar Thermal Walls

Nowadays, almost 30% of total energy consumption (130 EJ) is consumed for the operation of buildings, mainly by space heating/cooling and ventilation systems, hot water preparation systems, lighting, and other domestic appliances. To improve the energy efficiency of buildings, several countries are promoting the use of renewable energy. The most promising systems include active and passive solar installations. In passive systems, the solar energy is collected, stored, reflected, or distributed by the roof ponds, natural convective loops, and the most popular direct gain walls and thermal storage walls (known as Trombe walls). This paper reviews the experimental and numerical studies devoted to the different solutions of Trombe walls, including solar chimneys integrated on the vertical walls, classic Trombe walls, Trombe walls with incorporated phase change materials, and photovoltaic Trombe walls. The actual state of the art is presented in the context of reducing energy consumption and enhancing thermal comfort. Most of the analyzed studies showed that the application of thermal storage walls allowed achieving these goals, led to lower emissions of greenhouse gases, and improved living standards. Nevertheless, there is a need for more detailed feasibility studies, including cost and environmental indicators.

Experimental investigations of the microscale concentrated photovoltaic/thermal system based on a solar parabolic trough concentrator

The world’s electricity generation from photovoltaic systems has been growing significantly for the last two decades. Nowadays, one of the most interesting trends in the conversion of solar radiation is the use of concentrating solar power collectors. Among other well-known technologies, quite a new solution is concentrated photovoltaic thermal installations, which use photovoltaic panels as a power converter. This paper presents the experimental works carried out on the prototypical micro-scale parabolic-through solar concentrator equipped with monocrystalline silicon solar cells located on the hexagonal receiver tube. The main goal of these investigations was to determine the possibility of enhancing the efficiency of photovoltaic solar cells by placing them under concentrated solar radiation. Obtained results showed, that the maximum power of tested solar cells increased approx. 29% from 14.40 ±0.50We to 18.60 ±0.60We using concentrated sunlight in comparison to efficiency measured in direct sunlight. It was demonstrated that the use of solar radiation concentrators is justified in the case of solar installations, even with low concentration ratio factors.

Electricity Cost Reduction of Industrial/General Purpose Customers in Sri Lanka using Solar PV and Battery Storage

Many solar installations are coming up to harness solar electricity in Sri Lanka, including on rooftops. Since the Industrial and Commercial customers are crucial for the economic activities, utility providers have introduced several tariff schemes for financial motivation to go for Solarphotovoltaics. However, with rooftop Solar PV systems, the management of excess solar generation has become a challenge for the utility provider who shed the excess solar generation to regulate the grid parameters. As a result, return of investment for the rooftop solar systems has been reduced drastically for industrial purpose(IP) and general purpose (GP) customers in Sri Lanka. The real time management of the PV generation can be conducted with the available Loads and the other generating sources, like Diesel Engines and Battery Storage. The maximum demand cost needs to be considered and the unit costs can be calculated based on the LCOE technique to reflect the lifetime costs of each source and optimization technique can be used to dispatch the generation and loads based on the optimum cost. In this paper, the PV generation optimization of Industrial Purpose/ General Purpose customers has been conducted using quadratic optimization technique to reduce the electricity cost. The results of the study show that for two selected GP and IP consumers, the program derives the optimum size of battery capacity for a given installation and the minimum solar generation requirement for the economic benefit.

Exploring acceptance on benefit of solar farm implementation in Malaysia

Exploring acceptance on benefits of solar farm implementation in Malaysia. Implementation of solar farms to generate electricity is still low in Malaysia, where only 1%, or 227.5 MW of the total installed electrical capacity in Malaysia was produced from solar PV installations in 2016. Renewable energies, e.g. solar energy, have been adopted in many countries to generate electricity as a response to global environment issues. The aim of this study is to determine financial opportunities and benefits of solar farm implementation towards the society and the environment. Data were acquired through a literature review and questionnaire survey that was conducted among the respondents that are directly involved in the solar energy. Long-term financial savings constitute the most identified financial opportunities for the implementation of solar farms in generating clean electricity. Implementation of solar farms will encourage more businesses related to solar energy to be established in the country and will lead to new business opportunities. Solar farms are far better than conventional fossil fuel power plants in terms of the environmental effect and also reduce the health effects on the society during the electric generating process.

Analysis of Investments in RES Based on the Example of Photovoltaic Panels in Conditions of Uncertainty and Risk—A Case Study

The aim of this study is to examine the profitability of investment in a photovoltaic microinstallation, to analyze the impact of legal changes on its profitability, and to perform a sensitivity analysis of the investment profitability to energy price changes. The novelty of the research applies to the financial analysis of two legal systems of discount called net-metering and net-billing. The two systems and the change in energy prices present legal and macroeconomic risks. Climate neutrality strategy implementation is the analysis background. The authors formulate the hypothesis that, firstly, the solar panel installations in Poland are aimed at reducing the operating costs of the building; secondly, the investment motivation is environmental. The main research conclusion is that taking into consideration the solar panel ‘boom’ in Poland, the ‘regulator’ has achieved its intended goal connected with progress toward climate neutrality. This research used the method of logical design, experiment, and comparative analysis. The tools applied to calculate project profitability included the internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV). The case study method has been applied. The analysis uses real-world assumptions and is conducted for weather conditions in Gdańsk, Poland.

Pragmatic analysis of solar photovoltaic system design in an institutional building in eastern India

PV systems connected to the grid are primarily designed to generate clean energy to fulfil the rising energy demand. To predict the performance and efficacy of PV systems, several installation aspects are employed, such as location, local meteorological data, orientation, optimal tilt angle, varying losses, and energy yield estimation. Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar (Latitude 20.24°N and Longitude 80.85°E) has taken one such initiative by installing a 13 kWp rooftop grid-connected solar photovoltaic system in one of its institutional buildings. The solar PV system is fixed at an angle of 21° and is installed on the rooftop of a 25-m height building. The measured performance characteristics were analysed and compared to those of PVSyst software to determine its feasibility in campus buildings. From the result, the annual electricity supplied to the grid is 17.79 MWh, final yield of 3.80 h/d, reference yield of 4.62 h/d and performance ratio of 0.82. The solar PV system installed at the institution is predicted to have reduced 17443.02 kg of CO2, 22.07 kg of SO2, and 46.1 kg of NOx from the atmosphere per year. The lebelised cost of energy (LCOE) of the installed PV system is 9.408 INR/kWh with a payback of 9.8 years. This study provides the techno-economic feasibility of installing grid-connected solar PV systems on the roof of an institutional building and help the solar installers in establishing the most efficient solar photovoltaic system’s sizing and design.

Nowcasting of Weather Parameters Impacting Solar PV Output Using Grey System Model

Objectives: To nowcast the weather parameters having a direct impact on the power output of the solar PV installations, with high prediction accuracy and a limited quantity of past data. Methods: In this study, the GM (1,1) model with Fourier series of error residuals has been proposed and used for forecasting the weather parameters namely Ambient temperature, Solar Photo Voltaic Module temperature, and Solar Irradiation. Real-time data has been used for showing the suitability of the proposed model to nowcast the weather parameters. The existing models like Autoregression and Double Exponential Smoothing are applied to the same data to prove the superiority of the GM (1,1) model with Fourier series of error residuals. Findings: It is found that the GM (1,1) model with Fourier series of error residuals is an apt model for nowcasting the weather parameters. The accuracy of the predicted result of this model on the real-time data ascertains the appropriateness of this model for nowcasting. The precision of the prediction accuracy of GM (1,1) with the Fourier series of error residuals model is verified by comparing it with other time series prediction models such as Autoregression and Double Exponential Smoothing algorithms. Novelty: Using GM (1,1) with the Fourier series of error residuals model for nowcasting the weather data is novel when compared with the existing algorithms because for nowcasting the weather parameters with accuracy, many of the existing algorithms require a huge volume of past data and involve complex computation. On the other hand, GM (1,1) with the Fourier series of error residuals model requires only a limited measure of past data and involves simple computation. Moreover, the accuracy of prediction is significantly higher than the other models. Keywords: Grey Theory; Renewable Energy; PV Installation; Auto Regression; Double Exponential Smoothing

An interactive tool for visualization and prediction of solar radiation and photovoltaic generation in Colombia

ABSTRACT This paper presents the building process of an interactive instrument called the Colombian Solar Atlas able to easily visualize meteorological data but also assess the current and future potentials of solar photovoltaic generation throughout the whole territory of Colombia, South America. This new tool is based on two different meteorological databases. The first one is done with historical data extracted from satellite imagery information, and the other one corresponds to data issues from regional-scale climate change projection models. The satellite database was validated with different in-situ measurements. The Colombian Solar Atlas uses basic and advanced photovoltaic generation models to estimate the generation of a custom solar installation. With this tool, a user selects a point on the map and can have directly pertinent information to search for an optimal location with a spatial resolution of 4 km2. This tool is the first open interactive online tool particularly adapted to study the photovoltaic power potential in Colombia, considering the country’s needs and native language.

Comparative Analysis of SAM and RETScreen Tools for the Case Study of 600 kW Solar PV System Installation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

In this study, we discussed the main recent studies on PV systems worldwide and specifically in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. We focused on different PV cells and their characteristics in terms of efficiency, importance, and negative impacts, and examined the classification of PV systems and their comparison. In addition, the adoption of PV technologies in GCC countries is considered, focusing on the future aspects. In addition, technical and economic evaluations were carried out for a 600-kW commercial PV solar project at one of the selected sites in the Riyadh region, and the PV energy generation performance was assessed. The monthly energy production, module orientation and tracking system, peak voltage, net power consumption, rated output power, cash flow and capacity factor were calculated. In addition, the direct, normal and diffuse solar radiation are calculated to determine the cost-effective and efficient PV system. Two simulation programs, namely system advisor model (SAM) and RETScreen, are used in this study. In addition, a comparison between annual energy production, cash flow, and electricity loads was performed to evaluate the accuracy of the simulation results. The study suggests that a low-cost PV system could be developed in the Riyadh region.

Techno-Economic and Environmental Feasibility Study of a Hybrid Photovoltaic Electrification System in Back-up Mode : A Case Report

In developing countries, institutions that have to operate continuously during daylight hours consume relatively large amounts of electrical energy for lighting and air conditioning, leading to high bills. Untimely power cuts lead to a fluctuation in the voltage delivered by the conventional network, which induces the malfunctioning of electrical equipment and the discontinuity of judicial work. The use of photovoltaic solar energy makes it possible, on the one hand, to ensure continuity of service in the event of damage, and on the other hand to stem greenhouse gas emissions through the sustainable nature of this energy. Solar installations also make it possible to maintain the permanent power supply in the event of instability of the electrical network and to correct the voltage variations undergone by the energy equipment. Thus, this (case) study is based on the energy balances evaluated on the buildings of the jurisdiction of the city of Kandi (Benin) to propose effective solutions of electrification according to six (6) technical scenarii. Each component of the back up system has been sized considering technical requirements and an economic and environmental study has been carried out. The results indicate that the integrated scenario 6 of a "back-up" system with a solar fraction of up to 37% (49.5 kWc) seems to be the most suitable conf iguration for the current needs of the Kandi jurisdiction due to the shortest time to return on investment (5.1 years) and the maximum annual savings generated (33,674 USD). The environmental impact study has made it possible to determine the CO2 emissions avoided as well as the contribution of Carbon credits that this jurisdiction would reap has been evaluated at 115.8 tCO2 equivalent, or 10.6 hectares of forest carbon preserved over the life of the project. This configuration is therefore strongly recommended for a sustainable energy mix in the jurisdictions of Benin as well as for administrative or similar sites where electricity consumption is maximum during the day.

Modeling desirable futures at local scale by combining the nature futures framework and multi-objective optimization

AbstractEnvisioning positive scenarios that recognize the multiple values of nature is fundamental for designing transformative changes in local socio-ecological systems. This study developed a protocol with three specifications for operationalizing the Nature Futures Framework (NFF) in a landscape scenario analysis using a multi-objective optimization framework composed of: (1) exploring nature-positive futures, (2) seeking alternative pathways for targets satisfying visions of plural values, and (3) screening key direct drivers to achieve the targets. This research conducted a case study of a rural landscape in northeastern Japan. First, 110 strategies of landscape management options were simulated from 2015 to 2100 using a forest landscape model, LANDIS-II. The simulation developed a data frame of four integrated indicators of the NFF values for each year and strategy. Second, nature-positive strategies were screened using the common values. Pareto optimal strategies were then identified to obtain equally good solutions. Finally, the key response options to achieve good nature-positive futures were identified using decision tree analysis. Our protocol identified (1) multiple, but few nature-positive and Pareto optimal strategies that satisfied NFF visions, (2) nature-positive, but not Pareto optimal strategies, and (3) non-nature-positive strategies. In most Pareto optimal strategies, the maximized value perspectives changed over time. Our protocol also identified key response options to achieve three different NFF value perspectives in the case study area: (1) clear or selective cutting in forestry and (2) solar PV installation on abandoned pastureland in agriculture and energy sectors. We discussed the implication for local landscape management, localizing NFF narratives to develop future scenarios and modeling practice of NFF. The protocol does not depend on a specific model and indicator. Thus, our scalable protocol can be applied to scenarios and model practices in any region to support envisioning plausible, feasible, and positive futures, and designing future stakeholder collaboration.

Optimizing planning and operation of renewable energy communities with genetic algorithms

Renewable Energy Communities (REC) have the potential to become a key agent for the energy transition. Since consumers have different consumption patterns depending on their habits, their grouping allows for a better use of the resource. REC provide both economic and environmental benefits. However, its potential drastically diminishes when grouping of prosumers and energy al- location is performed improperly, as the energy generated ends up not being consumed. Given the importance of extracting the maximum potential of REC, this study presents a tool to assist in both the planning and the operation phases. We present a combinatorial optimization method for participant selection and a multi-objective (MO) optimization of solar energy allocation. Specific Ge- netic Algorithms (GA) were developed including problem-specific approaches for reducing the search space, encoding, techniques for space ordering, fitness functions, special operators to replace duplicate individuals and decoding for equality constraints. The performance of the novel solution approach was exper- imentally proved with an electrical solar installation and electricity consumers from Northern east Spain. The results show that the developed tool achieves energy sharing in REC with low solar energy excess, high self-consumption and high avoided CO2 emissions while assuring low payback periods for all partic- ipants. This tool will be essential to increase revenues of REC schemes and boost their beneficial environmental impact.

AGGREGATION PRICE MODELS FOR MICROGRIDS WITH DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES

The development of Microgrid states the problem of choosing the optimal technologies for its composition.This paper is to present cost based demand-side management methods for the Microgrids with DistributedGeneration sources to optimize their operation. While implementing variable pricing models the aggregatorshould take into account characteristics of different Distributed Energy Resources (DER) (diesel engines, gasturbines, fuel cells, solar panels, small hydropower plants and wind turbines) and LCOE for each type of DER tostimulate each local electricity market participant separately. The system Microgrid using three diesel generatorsand the option of replacing one generator with a solar electric and wind generator installation was considered.

Prospects for the Use of Hybrid Thermal Power Plants with Applying Solar Technologies in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Energy Sector

There is an inextricable relationship and interdependence between the conditions of meeting energy consumption demands and environmental pollution. The interaction of these two factors and the development of production forces are gradually drawing attention to the problem of interaction between the thermal power engineering and environment. At the thermal power engineering early development stage, the main manifestation of this attention was the search in the environment for resources necessary to meet the energy consumption demands and stable energy supply to enterprises and residential buildings. In the subsequent, the problem boundaries were extended to the possibilities of a more complete use of natural resources through the search and improvement of processes and technology, extraction and enrichment, processing and combustion of fuel, as well as improvement of thermal power facilities. One of the ways to further develop thermal power plants and reduce their environmental impact is hybridization of solar technologies with conventional power plants. To overcome the limitations of simple cycle power plants, a method for hybridizing conventional power plants with solar technologies and its influence on performance are considered. The solar technologies used in the global energy sector are briefly overviewed. The efficiency of using hybrid power plants is studied with reference to the People's Republic of Bangladesh, which is one of the world’s sunniest and actively developing regions. The state of the republic’s energy sector, climatic features, and the possibility of using solar technologies for local conditions are analyzed. A solar thermal power plant model with a parabolic collector is considered; the efficiency of such power plants is analyzed, and technologies for using a combined-cycle power plant (CCPP) jointly with a solar steam generator for electricity generation are overviewed. The schemes of combined-cycle power plants with a solar steam generator were numerically analyzed. The analysis results have shown that during the summer state peak, the use of the integrated power unit makes it possible to additionally obtain approximately 6.5% of the unit total power output in comparison with a similar classical CCPP, but without using the field of solar collectors and a solar steam generator. The use of one modern GE 9371FB gas turbine unit produced by General Electric makes it possible to increase the net efficiency by 3.9% and bring the combined cycle net efficiency up to 59%. The improvements in the power unit are carried out with the minimal impact on the combined cycle operation due to a limited contribution from the solar energy based steam generation system. The integrated system makes it possible to cut the capital costs for the power plant construction. The combination of a CCPP with a solar installation will open the possibility to construct a highly maneuverable power unit with high efficiency indicators.

Pilot Scheme Conceptual Analysis of Rooftop East–West-Oriented Solar Energy System with Optimizer

In recent years, photovoltaic energy has become a popular alternative to traditional fossil fuels due to its renewable and sustainable nature, and the incentives provided by countries to encourage research and development in this field have accelerated the implementation of photovoltaic roofs. One important factor in maximizing the efficiency of solar panels is their orientation to harness maximum irradiation with minimum roof area. In this article, an optimizer-supported east–west-oriented solar power plant installation is experimentally presented to utilize more solar energy with less area compared to wide-area south orientation. Furthermore, an analysis of different angle placements is simulated by PVSOL and PVGIS to test the robustness of the presented approach, and the pros/cons of the features of the east–west and south orientation are discussed comparatively. The obtained results are promising for the ideal placement of solar systems along with the use of optimizers to further enhance their performance, and for the minimization of the economic return of such an investment.