Installation Of Solar Panels Research Articles

Application of renewable energy sources and new building technologies for the Philippine single family detached house

The Philippine residential sector consumes a large percentage of the country’s generated electricity, and the price of electricity there is one of the highest in Asia. With a government program in renewable energy utilization and energy efficiency, the development of energy efficient houses is important. This paper presents a numerical investigation on how to minimize the house’s energy consumption, and the results show that a house’s electricity consumption can be supported by the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on its rooftop. A solar thermal collector with an auxiliary biomass water heater could support the hot water requirement of the house. The desiccant dehumidification system combined with evaporative and ground cooling systems can keep the house’s indoor temperature below 27 °C with a humidity ratio of less than 11 g/kg year-round. Energy conservation measures such as additional insulation of a concrete house, unplugging of un-used electrical appliances and application of light-emitting diode lighting are important to reduce electric energy consumption. The application of new building technologies is having a positive impact on a building’s energy consumption and indoor environment conditions. The results of this study are important for the Philippine program in alternative energy utilization and energy efficiency.

G260(P) Effect of solar panels on in-patient paediatric mortality in a district hospital in sierra leone

Background Sierra Leone has one of the highest child mortality rates in the world. Most of these deaths are due to pneumonia, malnutrition, diarrhoea, malaria and neonatal causes, with hypoxia often being the final factor. Electricity reaches less than 10% of the population in Sierra Leone. This is a significant challenge for health facilities, as without a constant supply of electricity they cannot administer oxygen (provided by oxygen concentrators,) or have reliable lighting. Fuel to run generators is expensive, and there are frequent fuel shortages. Methods In conjunction with a local non-for-profit organisation we designed a hybrid solar power system to support the electricity needs of a paediatric department in a district hospital in Sierra Leone. The system was designed to provide lighting and electricity to power two oxygen concentrators. The solar power system along with low-energy lights was installed in July 2013. The hospital had received training in ETAT (Emergency Triage, Assessment and Treatment) and set up a paediatric triage sixteen months prior to this. We retrospectively analysed in-patient paediatric mortality pre and post solar power installation, to evaluate whether there was any impact on mortality. In order to minimise any differences seen being due to seasonal variations in mortality we collected data during the same six months of the year, pre and post solar power installation. Data was analysed in Stata 12.1 using Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results From August 2012 to January 2013, 920 children were admitted to the paediatric wards, and from August 2013 to January 2014 902 children were admitted. Mean in-paediatric mortality across the six-month period prior to solar panel installation was 3.7% (95% CI 2.0–5.3%), which reduced to 1.8% (95% CI 0.5–3.0%) in the six-month period after solar panel installation; p = 0.028. Conclusions The installation of solar panels was associated with a reduction in mortality in one paediatric department. The cost effectiveness of this intervention in comparison to other interventions, and its longer-term impact on child mortality requires further evaluation. This initiative could be effective at reducing paediatric mortality in other similar low-resource settings, with limited access to electricity, in combination with other improvements to paediatric hospital care.

Estimating Geographical PV Potential Using LiDAR Data for Buildings in Downtown San Francisco

AbstractSustainable solar energy is of the interest for the city of San Francisco to meet their renewable energy initiative. Buildings in the downtown area are expected to have great photovoltaic (PV) potential for future solar panel installation. This study presents a comprehensive method for estimating geographical PV potential using remote sensed LiDAR data for buildings in downtown San Francisco. LiDAR derived DSMs and DTMs were able to generate high quality building footprints using the object‐oriented classification method. The GRASS built‐in solar irradiation model (r.sun) was used to simulate and compute PV yields. Monthly and yearly maps, as well as an exquisite 3D city building model, were created to visualize the variability of solar irradiation across the study area. Results showed that monthly sum of solar irradiation followed a one‐year cycle with the peak in July and troughs in January and December. The mean yearly sum of solar irradiation for the buildings in the study area was estimated to be 1675 kWh/m2. A multiple regression model was used to test the significance of building height, roof area and roof complexity against PV potential. Roof complexity was found to be the dominant determinant. Uncertainties of the research are mainly from the inherent r.sun limitations, boundary problems, and the LiDAR data accuracy in terms of both building footprint extraction and 3D modeling. Future work can focus on a more automated process and segment rooftops of buildings to achieve more accurate estimation of PV potential. The outcome of this research can assist decision makers in San Francisco to visualize building PV potential, and further select ideal places to install PV systems. The methodology presented and tested in this research can also be generalized to other cities in order to meet contemporary society's need for renewable energy.

Implementing Diagnostic Imaging Services in a Rural Setting of Extreme Poverty: Five Years of X-ray and Ultrasound Service Delivery in Achham, Nepal

<strong>Introduction:</strong> Diagnostic radiology services are severely lacking in many rural settings and the implementation of these services poses complex challenges. The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of diagnostic radiology services at a district-level hospital in Achham, a rural district in Nepal. <strong>Methods and Materials:</strong> We conducted a retrospective review of the implementation of diagnostic radiology services. We compiled a list of implementation challenges and proposed solutions based on an internal review of historical data, hospital records, and the experiences of hospital staff members. We used a seven-domain analytic framework to structure our discussion of these challenges. <strong>Results:</strong> We documented the first five years of challenges faced and lessons learned by the non-profit organization Possible while implementing and providing diagnostic radiology services for the first time in a remote location. Additionally, we documented the uptake of these services through the first five years of operations. During this time, the number of X-rays performed increased 271%, while ultrasounds increased 258%. The main challenges included educating the community about the appropriate use of these services, recruiting trained providers, and coordinating referral care and consultations for higher-level diagnostics and treatment. Finally, investments in training providers and technicians, as well as investments in infrastructure, primarily the installation of solar panels to maintain a power supply, were critical to sustaining services. <strong>Discussion:</strong> This experience demonstrates that reliable and sustained services can be deployed even in extremely remote areas and identifies challenges that other implementers may face in similar program implementation.

The Concept of Construction of Hybrid Constructed Wetland for Wastewater Treatment in Roztocze National Park

Roztocze National Park (RNP) is one of 23 national parks in Poland. It was created in 1974 both to protect the natural and cultural heritage as well as to share the park area for science, education and tourism. In caring for the environment, the park removed asbestos coverage, performs thermo-modernization using renewable energy sources by the installation of solar panels and photovoltaic cells on the roofs of buildings, and pellet stoves are installed in boiler rooms. Part of these actions includes the application of innovative technologies for water and wastewater, related to e.g. recovery of rainwater for washing cars and the construction of wastewater treatment wetlands. RNP has been spreading for many years the knowledge about the methods used to most effectively care for the natural environment. Constructed wetland (CW) technology could be one of such methods. The current research shows that facilities working in CW technology provide high pollutant removal and full guarantee of high ecological impact with low operating cost, so they can be used to protect the aquatic environment in protected areas and valuable landscapes. The paper presents a concept of solving the problems of wastewater treatment by means of using hybrid constructed wetland in three villages in the forest of Roztocze National Park. The advantages of the proposed technology are easy and simple operation, high resistance to irregular supply of water treatment and very low operating costs compared to conventional solutions. The natural look of CWs allows easy incorporation into the existing landscape.

An Outline for Economical and Technical Analysis of Solar Panels for Agricultural Uses: A Case Study on Texas Weather Conditions

Aims: To outline the necessary steps in the evaluation of solar panel systems in agriculture. Study Design: Using the outline proposed, GaAs and Si solar panels were evaluated under central Texas weather conditions. Place and Duration of Study: Bioenergy Testing Laboratory (BETALab) between January and August 2013 in College Station, Texas. Materials and Methods: The study includes an outline on how to do a technical and simple economic comparison between solar panels. The outline includes the solar panel efficiency, required area, installations and power generation costs and simple payback period. To exhibit the application of the outline, two different photovoltaic systems were compared (silicon (Si) PV panels and the gallium arsenide (GaAs) PV panels). The solar panels were compared simultaneously, taking measurements of voltage and current automatically in College Station, Texas. Original Research Article Lacey et al.; AJEA, 6(4): 231-241, 2015; Article no.AJEA.2015.082 232 Results: The GaAs solar panel showed conversion efficiency (18.36%) higher than Si panels (14.02% Si); however, it also has a capital cost ($3/Wp) higher than Si panels ($2/Wp). The study suggested that both panels are viable alternatives for energy independence in a small farm or ranch application. The final selection will depend on the economic alternatives and power necessities of the farmer or rancher. In this study, the GaAs have provided less payback period (6.8 years) compared with 7.5 years for the Si units using various assumptions. The larger efficiency of the GaAs (4%) unit translated into a better payback period despite its higher initial installed cost. Conclusion: The technical and economical outline proposed in this paper was useful to decide between GaAs and Si panels using basic economic assumptions. However, this paper did not recommend a specific solar panel over the other in every situation. Each situation needs to be analyzed individually taking in consideration geographical situation, government subsidies, rebates and tax credits.

GIS Based Management System for Photovoltaic Panels

This paper provides a proposal of implementation of latest technologies in photovoltaic installa- tion and management system. Punjab Government Cooperative Housing Society was selected to find out suitability for photovoltaic installation and its management after that. Google Earth im- agery and scanned maps were selected for the preparation of spatial and attribute data of build- ings in the study area by using ArcGIS software. In first stage data were digitized and suitability and potential for each building were estimated. In second stage all the tabular data which con- sisted of owner information, panel information, its potential and location were linked to each other for management purpose. Selected area for solar panels installation was linked to building information for query and visualization.

Multi-objective optimization coupled with life cycle assessment for retrofitting buildings

In this work we present a systematic tool for the optimal retrofit of buildings that considers several economic and environmental criteria simultaneously at the design stage. Our approach is based on a rigorous mixed-integer linear program (MILP) that identifies in a systematic manner the best alternatives for reducing the environmental impact of buildings. These include the use of different insulation materials and windows as well as the installation of solar panels. Environmental concerns are explicitly accounted for in this MILP by means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) principles, which allow evaluating the impact of each alternative being assessed considering all the stages in its life cycle. We illustrate the capabilities of our approach using a case study that considers weather data for Central Portugal.

Efficient design of residential buildings geometry to optimize photovoltaic energy generation and energy demand in a warm Mediterranean climate

The use of efficient design parameters in the initial stages of the life cycle of a building project helps to reduce the final energy demand. This article presents research results on the relation between the morphology of a building and its energy efficiency. Three types of residential buildings are analyzed: the single-family detached house, semidetached house and multidwelling building. The cases studied modeled in EnergyPlus to obtain building energy consumption per useful built surface. Also considered is the energy produced, thanks to the installation of photovoltaic solar panels on the building roof and on 50 % of the south facade surface. The paper provides a method to obtain the curve that shows the difference between the energy demand of residential buildings for various uses (HVAC, lighting, etc.) and the energy generated by installed solar panels in the building. The results reveal that the single-family detached housing model is the less energy-efficient. In the case of multidwelling houses, the optimal building height is obtained to reduce building energy consumption depending on total useful built area. The results show that up to 25 % of multidwelling building energy demand can be satisfied by solar energy on the rooftop and the facade. The balance between the energy demand and energy production of the building highlights the dimensional parameters that define optimal building shape from an energy efficiency perspective. The results obtained can be usefully applied to estimate the optimal geometric characteristics for a building of the same total surface area, which maximally reduces the final energy demand.

Optimal year-round operation for methane production from CO2 and water using wind and/or solar energy

Abstract In this paper we present the optimal year round production of synthetic methane from water electrolysis and CO2 comparing the use of solar PV systems and wind turbines on a monthly basis. The process starts obtaining electricity in a wind farm or a solar field, which is then used to produce oxygen and hydrogen in a system of electrolyzers. The oxygen is purified and stored, and the hydrogen, after being purified using a deoxygenating reactor, reacts with CO2 to synthesize methane. We study the operation of the plant for a year considering the wind or solar availability. The use of wind or solar energy depends on the region and the area available for the installation of solar panels or wind turbines. Europe and the US have been screened for the use of both sources of energy, being solar preferable in most regions. We present a detailed case of study in the South of Europe, Gulf of Cadiz. Solar is cheaper than wind in terms of inversion (240 M€ vs. 363 M€) and production costs (0.33 €/m3 vs. 0.49 €/m3), while the monthly operation differs due to the availability of renewable energy.

Initial conceptual design and wing aerodynamic analysis of a solar power-based UAV

AbstractKing Abdul Aziz University of Saudi Arabia (KAU) and Tokai University in Japan have collaborated to design and manufacture a solar powered unmanned air vehicle (UAV), Sun Falcon, which has capability of continuous one day fight with intended design extension towards night flight. The project is a student-driven endeavour involving some 30 students. Both universities are equally involved in the actual design studies of the performance characteristics, aerodynamic design, propulsion and structural analysis. Tokai University is in charge of the actual on-site supervision and examination of on-going manufacturing processes and ultimate fabrication of the prototype model.The conceptual design of the Sun Falcon was meticulously worked out in consideration of the operational mission, which included such flight characteristics as the cruising velocity, flight altitude, payload, flight time, rate of climb, power requirements and so on. The weather condition patterns in Saudi Arabia, which remained fairly supportive of the solar cell performance, were also deemed crucial in the design process. However, the design of a solar plane had other challenges in terms of power unit accommodation and payload consideration in comparison to other conventional UAVs. In this paper, an outline of the design features of the Sun Falcon is presented and other notable design features particular to solar UAVs are discussed. It was learnt in this exercise that the selection of the base aerofoil is perhaps one of the most important design items, as the Reynolds number for such UAVs understandably drops notably lower than conventional aeroplanes and such features as the camber curvature and wing area must cater for the installation of solar panels whose size, strength and quantity must respect local weather conditions. For the Sun Falcon, the actual design process examined two candidate aerofoils FX74-CL5-140 (FX74) and SD7037-092-88(SD7037) both of which were abundantly suitable for furnishing the required aerodynamic characteristics. SD7037 was ultimately chosen as it provided the best geometry and camber line in terms of accommodation and placement of the solar panels. Further scrutiny demonstrated that this latter aerofoil provided better take-off performance and superior L/D behaviour under cruise conditions. In order to check out the aerodynamic performance in general and overall stability and control characteristics, a preflight test under battery power (a 2,500 mAh li-po 4-cell 14·8v) was achieved on 4 June 2013. Other solar powered based tests are currently under way at present.

Electro Synthesised NiTe&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; Thin Films with the Influence of Additives

Solar cell is one of the promising alternative green energy sources that can provide free electricity when sunlight is converted. The absorbent materials and their synthesis methods are subject of interest mainly due to solar panel installation cost despite of free electricity generated. The well-known silicon solar cells made, either amorphous or polycrystalline are good in conversion efficiency up to 17%, but their high cost make the researchers to look for alternate materials. Semiconducting materials in thin film form such as InP, SnO2 and ZnO are being studied as the alternative materials, but are not commercialised due to their poor conversion efficiency. Another group of semiconductor compounds known as transition metal chalcogenides (TMC) have been developed to be used as the absorbent materials. Consisting of transition metals and chalcogenides (S, Se and Te), they show promising solar absorbent properties such as semiconducting band gap, well adhesion to substrate and good conversion with better cost-effective. There are many TMC compounds synthesised, including copper indium selenide (CIS), ZnTe2, CdSe etc. Nickel, one of the transition metals synthesised with chalcogenides are referred as nickel chalcogenides. There are many possible combinations of nickel chalcogenides such as NiS2, NiSe, NiSe2 and Ni3Se2. The combination of nickel and telluride are the fewest being observed due to the nature of tellurium that is poorly-adhesive onto the substrate. Therefore, NiTe2 thin film is being electro-synthesised onto the indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates and their properties are studied. The additives are being used to improve the adhesion between the film and substrate. Cyclic voltammetry experiments have been done prior to electrodeposition in order to get the electrodeposition potential range where the observable reduction range is between-0.9-(-1.1) V. The electrodeposition is carried out using the potentials in the reduction region, producing the well-adherent, well-distributed and dark-coloured thin films.

Keystone XL

I drive a hybrid car and set my thermostat at 80°F in the Washington, DC, summer. I use public transportation to commute to my office, located in a building given “platinum” design status by the U.S. Green Building Council. The electric meter on my house runs backward most months of the year, thanks to a large installation of solar panels. I am committed to doing my part to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and minimize global warming. At the same time, I believe it is time to move forward on the Keystone XL pipeline to transport crude oil from the tar sands deposits of Alberta, Canada, and from the Williston Basin in Montana and North Dakota to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Loss Minimization and Voltage Control in Smart Distribution Grid

This work presents a strategy for increasing the installation of electric vehicles and solar panels in low-voltage grids, while obeying voltage variation constraints. Our approach employs minimization of active power losses for coordinating consumption and generation of power, as well as reactive power control to maintain satisfactory grid operation. Numerical case studies illustrate how our approach can significantly increase installation of both electric vehicles and solar panels, while avoiding unsatisfactory over- and under-voltages throughout the grid.

On global energy scenario, dye-sensitized solar cells and the promise of nanotechnology

One of the major problems that humanity has to face in the next 50 years is the energy crisis. The rising population, rapidly changing life styles of people, heavy industrialization and changing landscape of cities have increased energy demands, enormously. The present annual worldwide electricity consumption is 12 TW and is expected to become 24 TW by 2050, leaving a challenging deficit of 12 TW. The present energy scenario of using fossil fuels to meet the energy demand is unable to meet the increase in demand effectively, as these fossil fuel resources are non-renewable and limited. Also, they cause significant environmental hazards, like global warming and the associated climatic issues. Hence, there is an urgent necessity to adopt renewable sources of energy, which are eco-friendly and not extinguishable. Of the various renewable sources available, such as wind, tidal, geothermal, biomass, solar, etc., solar serves as the most dependable option. Solar energy is freely and abundantly available. Once installed, the maintenance cost is very low. It is eco-friendly, safely fitting into our society without any disturbance. Producing electricity from the Sun requires the installation of solar panels, which incurs a huge initial cost and requires large areas of lands for installation. This is where nanotechnology comes into the picture and serves the purpose of increasing the efficiency to higher levels, thus bringing down the overall cost for energy production. Also, emerging low-cost solar cell technologies, e.g. thin film technologies and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) help to replace the use of silicon, which is expensive. Again, nanotechnological implications can be applied in these solar cells, to achieve higher efficiencies. This paper vividly deals with the various available solar cells, choosing DSCs as the most appropriate ones. The nanotechnological implications which help to improve their performance are dealt with, in detail. Additionally, the economic and ecological aspects of using nanotechnology are briefly introduced.

Assessment of end-use electricity consumption and peak demand by Townsville's housing stock

We have developed a comprehensive model to estimate annual end-use electricity consumption and peak demand of housing stock, considering occupants' use of air conditioning systems and major appliances. The model was applied to analyse private dwellings in Townsville, Australia's largest tropical city. For the financial year (FY) 2010–11 the predicted results agreed with the actual electricity consumption with an error less than 10% for cooling thermostat settings at the standard setting temperature of 26.5°C and at 1.0°C higher than the standard setting. The greatest difference in monthly electricity consumption in the summer season between the model and the actual data decreased from 21% to 2% when the thermostat setting was changed from 26.5°C to 27.5°C. Our findings also showed that installation of solar panels in Townville houses could reduce electricity demand from the grid and would have a minor impact on the yearly peak demand. A key new feature of the model is that it can be used to predict probability distribution of energy demand considering (a) that appliances may be used randomly and (b) the way people use thermostats. The peak demand for the FY estimated from the probability distribution tracked the actual peak demand at 97% confidence level.

'Just Clean Enough': Wet Cleaning for Solar Cell Manufacturing Applications

The cumulative installed solar power generation has been rising exponentially over the past decade. This has lead to a concomitant rise in production capabilities, leading eventually to excess production capabilities and rapid price declines per unit. In order to compete with the standard electricity generation the cost of solar panel production and installation needs to decrease even further. At the same time the solar panel and cell makers need to be able to keep a healthy margin. A crucial element in this exercise is a close control on the Cost of Ownership (CoO) of a solar cell / panel fabrication site.

Renewable Energy Techniques – A Sustainable Model for Architects Regarding Physical Environment and Economic Empowerment of the Sub Urban and Rural Areas in Bangladesh

This paper mainly concentrates on the energy crisis for a long time in Bangladesh. The government is trying its best to overcome this problem. Due to high investment requirement for conventional power plants, responses from the private sector for power generation are very poor. One alternative solution may be the expanded use of renewable energy. At present solar cells are in use for power generation. But due to high initial investment required for solar panel installation, this form of renewable energy has not been practiced much. The aim behind the study is to integrate the architectural planning regarding physical environment and power crisis problem which may lead to an ultimate improvement of socio economic scenario of the country. In doing so the paper proposes a hypothetical model using biogas as a source of renewable energy by using the rural waste-leading to cash from trash.

Study of optimum tilt angles for solar panels in different latitudes for urban applications

Solar panels are one of the most promising renewable technologies for energizing future buildings. For roof top solar panel installations, knowledge of the optimum tilt angle is important to have the maximum annual or seasonal energy yield. The annual optimum tilt angle is dependent on many factors such as the latitude of the location and the weather condition. In an urban application, the optimum tilt angle can be affected by the surrounding obstacles. Consequently, new concerns such as shading or sky blocking effects have to be taken into consideration. In this paper, a simple method is proposed based on a modified sky model to calculate the optimum angle of installation for the urban applications. The obtained results demonstrate the dependency of the optimum angle of installation on the latitude, weather condition and surroundings.

A linear programming approach to household energy conservation: Efficient allocation of budget

Linear programming method was used to optimize the allocation of budget in order to maximize the energy savings of a hypothetical household in Turkey. The energy conservation methods involved in this study were installing photovoltaic solar cells, replacing regular windows with double-glazed ones, replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs and replacing C-Energy Class household appliances with A-Energy Class ones. The costs of these different energy conservation methods were obtained from the manufacturers’ or distributors’ websites. The annual energy savings of these methods were either obtained from available sources or calculated when necessary. The results showed that installing double-glazed windows and purchasing compact fluorescent light bulbs are the proper choices for low budgets. When budget increased, solar panel installation emerged as the feasible choice. The findings indicated that replacing household appliances should be considered only when a budget greater than €20,000 is available. Payback periods were found to be less than one and a half years, even at the highest budget. A budget decision of €800 was found to be the optimum decision for short term investments, whereas a budget decision of €24,000 was found to be the optimum decision for long term investments.