Solar Power Plants Research Articles

Balancing hope and hype on hydrogen’s role in the Philippine energy transition

Hydrogen (H2) presents a unique opportunity for the Philippines’ energy landscape. Using hydrogen as an ‘energy vector’ for industrial, power, and transportation applications represents a promising and sustainable solution in its ongoing efforts to address climate change and transition towards a cleaner energy future. However, unlocking this potential requires first addressing regulatory and policy gaps. This challenge has many different facets, such as the need for regulations to support the hydrogen infrastructure development, the establishment of clear standards for safe hydrogen production, storage and handling, streamlining of permit and license applications, monitoring of solar or wind power plants coupled with electrolysis process, provision of more substantial support for research and innovation, and promotion of hydrogen-based products.This policy brief describes the current landscape and identifies the regulatory and policy gaps that policymakers must fill while highlighting the Philippines' potential for hydrogen energy and energy storage in the short and long run. It is crucial to have a complete policy framework that addresses regulatory clarity, financial incentives for infrastructure development, technical capacity, support for R&D, and strategic export planning. The Philippines can utilize its renewable resources, improve energy security, and cut emissions by filling these gaps.

Penggunaan Prototype DC Converter Untuk Peningkatan Kinerja Panel Surya 1000 Watt

Solar power plants (PLTS) are power plants that convert solar energy into environmentally friendly electrical energy. Reducing dependence on fossil fuel electricity and the increasingly expensive price of PLN electricity so that there is a need for alternative sources of renewable electricity, and the obstacle is the large investment in PLTS, including systems on-grid, off-grid, and hybrid. The use of sunlight in solar power plants is still limited to approximately 5 hours, the time range is from 10.00 to 14.30 WIB. To achieve the goal of extending the maximum period for collecting renewable energy, support can be provided by designing a prototype DC Converter, The design to be implemented uses the R&D research method. This research method is carried out to produce a product, test the effectiveness of the product, and perfect the product according to the criteria for creating a new product through different stages. The DC converter prototype functions as a replacement solar Charge Controller (SCC) is low cost and its performance produces electricity from 08:00 to 16:00 WIB. The Inverter is 12V 1000 watts and the output voltage of a 270Wp solar panel is around 33V DC, so the DC conversion function will reduce the output voltage of the solar panel to 12V DC and the load used by 30%. Installed load 240 watts or 0.24 kWh. can be fully lit for an average of 7 hours. By using a DC converter prototype, savings can be achieved assuming the selling price of PLN electricity is Rp. 1,444.70,-/kWH is Rp. 72,812.88/month

Quaternary nitrate and chloride molten salts for the next concentrating solar power plants: Corrosion considerations for the use of AISI 304L steel

The study addresses the advancement in concentrating solar power (CSP) plants by transitioning from binary nitrate salts to nitrate and chloride quaternary salts, focusing on the corrosivity of four salts as evaluated by immersion testing of AISI 304L stainless steel. Four compositions of salts were evaluated, from solar salt to equimolar NaNO3‐KNO3‐NaCl‐KCl, up to 21 days (500 h) at 500 °C in an open atmosphere, determining the corrosion kinetics using gravimetry. The morphology, chemical composition, and microstructure of the corrosion products were characterized using XRD, FESEM-EDS, and GD-OES. Exposure to the molten salt with 0 mol% Cl‐ (Solar Salt) resulted in negligible corrosion kinetics, consistent with previous studies. The salt with 14 mol% Cl‐ caused a stable corrosion product with a corrosion rate 30 times higher than without chloride. All quaternary salts exhibited a multilayer structure of the top surface with selective chromium (Cr) removal. Specimens exposed to salts with more than 29 mol% Cl‐ displayed a similar structure with Cr and iron (Fe) removal, resulting in more brittle layers and corrosion rates 90 to 250 times higher than the salt without chloride. GD-OES analysis confirmed Cl diffusion into the oxide layer, highlighting the role of pCl2(g) and pO2(g) in driving corrosivity. Based on the results, using in salts with 29 mol% Cl‐ at 500 °C is discouraged, while using 304L with 14 mol% Cl‐ in a cold tank may be considered.

Implementasi Pemanfaatan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS) untuk Peningkatan Produktivitas Budidaya Ikan dan Pertanian di Kalurahan Sumbersari

Kalurahan Sumbersari, a border village in Sleman Regency, possesses significant potential in natural resources, particularly in agriculture and fisheries. However, the village faces substantial challenges, including inadequate aeration systems for fishponds and irrigation difficulties for rice fields. This community service initiative aims to address these issues by implementing solar energy-based solutions. The activities involved the design of an optimized aeration system for fishponds, the strategic installation of water pumps to facilitate rice field irrigation, and the construction of a Solar Power Plant (PLTS). The adoption of solar energy not only aims to meet the electricity needs but also contributes to Indonesia's achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 7, which focuses on Affordable and Clean Energy. The success of this project hinged on the active participation of the local community. Socialization and training sessions were conducted to ensure understanding of the aeration systems, water pump operations, and PLTS maintenance. It is anticipated that the implementation of these activities will resolve the fish health issues and irrigation difficulties, thereby enhancing fish and agricultural production in Kalurahan Sumbersari. In addition to these direct benefits, the use of renewable energy is also expected to mitigate the negative environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel energy consumption.

Distributionally robust optimal dispatching method for integrated energy system with concentrating solar power plant

Concentrating solar power (CSP) plants have significant potential to complement the growing wind energy in power scheduling. This study examines an integrated energy system (IES) that incorporates a wind turbine (WT), CSP, and combined heat and power (CHP) to promote the utilization of renewable energy (RE), reduce fluctuations caused by uncertainty, and enhance the economic viability of the system. We propose a distributionally robust optimization (DRO) model for IES scheduling that considers the uncertainty of wind power by using an ambiguity set defined by the Wasserstein metric. Before the occurrence of uncertainties, the system determines the initial dispatching scheme based on the forecast data. In the second stage, the system aims to minimize the adjustment cost expectation under the worst distribution of the ambiguity set and adjusts the flexible resources in real time to offset the fluctuations caused by forecasting errors. The proposed DRO model is transformed into a conventional two-stage robust problem using strong dual theory and KKT conditions, and then solved with a modified column-and-constraint generation (C&CG) algorithm. The results of case studies show that the CSP plant enhances the system's flexibility and controllability through thermal energy storage (TES).

Application of Homer for Planning a Hybrid Solar Power Plant System at the Makassar Eye Hospital

Application of Homer for Planning a Hybrid Solar Power Plant System at the Makassar Eye Hospital

BESS Revolutionizes Renewable Stability in Indonesia

This study examines the integration of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) with Solar Power Plants (PLTS) to enhance electrical grid stability in Indonesia, where 90% of electricity is from fossil fuels. The intermittent nature of PLTS often destabilizes the network, causing frequency hunting or blackouts. Using Etap 12.6 software, simulations showed that adding BESS to hybrid PLTS-PLTD systems significantly mitigates these issues. For instance, a 50% drop in PLTS power without BESS required a 55% increase in PLTD power, but with BESS, this increase was only 34%. Thus, BESS is crucial for stabilizing renewable energy integration and supporting Indonesia’s Net-Zero Emissions goal. Highlights: BESS Stabilizes Power: Reduces impact of PLTS power fluctuations on PLTD. Simulation Insight: 50% PLTS drop increases PLTD by 34% with BESS. Net-Zero Goal: BESS supports Indonesia’s renewable energy and emission targets. Keywords: Renewable Energy, Solar Power, Battery Storage, Electrical Grid Stability, Indonesia

Perspectives on Solar Salt‐Based Nanofluids Used in Concentrated Solar Power Plants

Concentrated solar power (CWP) technology has matured sufficiently for large‐scale implementation. In a typical plant, the solar energy is captured by mirrors and directed onto heat‐transfer fluid (HTF), typically a molten salt that is further conveyed to the thermal energy‐storage system before being channeled to power turbines, generating electricity. A major concern about this technology is the need to reduce the levelized cost of electricity, necessitating heightened efficiency to enhance cost competitiveness and foster greater market penetration. One approach to achieve this involves replacing the current nitrate‐based molten salt mixture with nanofluids. They combine nitrate‐based molten salt and small amounts of nanomaterials of different dimensionality. These promising HTFs present a superior performance concerning their physical, thermal, and chemical properties. However, there is a lack of studies related to understanding the effects of nanomaterials and the underlying enhancement theories. Therefore, in this article, a detailed revision of the state of the art in experimental and theoretical studies of nanomaterials in a binary commercial nitrate‐based molten salt (solar salt) as HTF for CWP plants is presented, highlighting the challenges related to their application and future research directions.

Design an energy storage system for a 1 MW photovoltaic powerplant based on compressed-gas-refrigeration for buildings cooling and ice production

An energy storage system was designed for a 1 (MW) photovoltaic solar power plant. This power plant is located in a university campus in the hot desert region, which requires continuous cooling of its buildings consists of a large number of classrooms. Due to the desert nature of the region, it was not possible to use conventional energy storage systems based on pumped-hydro; because in considered climate, it is not possible to provide a large volume of water and compensate for the evaporated water. Therefore, an energy storage system based on compressed gas refrigeration was used. The effect of system parameters including the maximum pressure on its performance including COP, total space can be cooled, ice making capacity and also the required volume for high-pressure vessel was studied. The effect of using different gases including air, nitrogen, ammonia, carbon dioxide and argon as the working fluid was studied. Also, the effect of the mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide and different molar percentages of them on the performance of the system was studied. The results showed that the designed energy storage system can well supply the cooling load of the university building where the solar power plant is located.

Мodelling of Passive Coupling of Battery Units of Hybrid Energy Storage System

Due to the development of electric transport and the growth of “green” energy, electric energy storage systems (ESS) are increasingly being used in the world. The growth of the battery market in the last decade has been 20-30%. One of the ways to increase the efficiency of an electric power storage device is its hybridization, i.e. the use of heterogeneous battery units. The paper examines the features of passive coupling of lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries in a hybrid storage device. A model is presented for calculating the electrical characteristics of these units during operation. The possibility of choosing a hybrid drive structure that provides a comparable operating voltage range of the units (operation without voltage converters) is demonstrated. The modes of operation of a hybrid energy storage system are modeled both for simple parallel connection and for switching blocks according to a threshold algorithm. It is demonstrated that in order to equalize the discharge rate of the main and additional units, it is necessary to coordinate the capacity of the ESS, the degree of hybridization, the type of load and the electrical parameters of the batteries, which is impossible without modeling the system. When the threshold switching of the blocks takes place, additional control parameters, making it possible to change the discharge rate of the additional block and increase the economic efficiency of the hybrid ESS. Estimates of the economic efficiency of hybrid ESSs have been made for different values of the threshold switching voltage of the lithium-ion unit, as well as for three characteristic loads: an electric forklift truck, a 30-apartment apartment building and a 300-apartment residential complex. The results demonstrate the features and technical and economic potential of passive hybridization, can be used for the design of hybrid ESSs for small power systems with solar and wind power plants, in the calculation and design of generator – storage – consumer systems.

Impact of Ground Heat Source Addition on Main Performance Parameters of Solar Chimney Power Plants: A Numerical Study

Abstract: Solar energy systems can be an alternative to fossil fuels and are vital for a sustainable environment. It is promising that solar chimney power plants (SCPPs), which are among the solar energy systems, provide 24-hour power output (PO) and can work integrated with other systems. This study is based on the Manzanares pilot plant (MPP) and demonstrates satisfactory performance with an additional heat source to be integrated into the ground of the system during hours when solar radiation is weak. The performance of the system at different source temperatures is compared with the reference case, with the model verified using the RNG k-ε turbulence model through a 3D CFD study. In fact, it is seen that the PO of the system, which yields a PO of around 10 kW at 200 W/m2 solar radiation in the reference case, exceeds 80 kW with a source temperature of 200°C. From the results, it can be noticed that the system can also output power in the evening hours when there is no sun. With an additional heat source of 200°C during non-sunlit hours, the system gives more than 75 kW PO. This PO is 50% more than the maximum PO of 50 kW in the reference case.

Techno-economic performance assessment of selected power plants in Uganda

ABSTRACT Amidst the current global pursuit for access to energy by all as well as energy transition, the actual performance of existing power plants, particularly in developing countries, has often attracted little interest in scientific research. This study evaluated the performance of selected power plants in Uganda using the techno-economic performance assessment model based on actual operational data of hydropower, solar photovoltaic, cogeneration, and thermal power plants for the period 2010–2021. The analysis revealed that the average combined capacity factors are 19.8%, 22.9%, 18.4% and 58.6%, respectively, for thermal power plants, co-generation power plants, solar power plants and hydropower power plants. Furthermore, the levelised cost of electricity for the selected power plants’ financial performance is found to be lower than the retail price for a unit of electricity in Uganda. Overall, the study revealed that the real-life techno-economic performance of the selected power plants in Uganda agrees with the globally expected performance ranges.

Design and Performance Analysis of 500KVA Pumped Water Energy Storage Solar Power Plant for a University Campus

In this paper, design and performance analysis of 500KVA pumped water energy storage solar power plant for a university campus is presented. The case study site is Akwa Ibom State University Main Campus with geo-coordinates of 4.621437, 7.763922, daily mean sunshine hours of 7.13 hours, mean ambient temperature of 26.74 °C and an annual mean solar radiation of 6.22 kW-hr/m^2/day. The case study is a 24 hours per day power supply system with daily energy demand of 9,600.0 KWh/day which requires hydro turbine with water flow rate of 1.45 /s and pumped water storage reservoir capacity of 413,498.94 to accommodate 3 days of power autonomy. With reservoir water head of 30 m and 7.13 hours of pumping water per day, 40 parallel pumps are required each having a flow rate of 0.1342 and power rating of 47.638 KW. With solar radiation of 6.22 peak sun hours per day it requires a total of 11,458 PV modules, each rated at 300 watts to form a 3,437.528 KW PV array to power the pumps. Also, a total inverter size of 10,421 is required, split into 40 units of 260.5217 KVA inverter, one for each of the 40 water pumps. The efficiency of the solar power segment alone is 63.5%, the efficiency of the hydro power segment alone is 70.7 % while the combined efficiency of the solar hydro plant is 44.9%. In all, careful combination of direct supply and pumped water storage is needed to optimize the system efficiency

Solar energy potential mapping in Ukraine through integration of GIS, remote sensing, and fuzzy logic

ABSTRACT The Green Deal strategic plan for the development of renewable energy until 2030 is of particular importance in the context of the restoration of Ukraine’s post-war energy infrastructure. One of the key topics is the analysis of the possibilities of installing large solar power plants in Ukraine. In this article, a multi-criteria analysis of the suitability of the territory of Ukraine is carried out on the basis of climatic, topographic and land use criteria. To assess land suitability, criteria standardized using fuzzy logic with weights determined by experts through the method of pairwise comparisons were combined using a weighted sum model. Upon completing the study, a suitability map was generated, depicting zones with varying levels of suitability (ranging from 0 to 1) for solar power plant placement. It was found that more than 35.68% of the country has average values of the suitability index (0.65–0.7), and approximately 18.82% show high indicators (<0.7). Conditions are especially favorable in the south of Ukraine.

Potential role of nuclear power in a carbon-free world

Thermal Power Plants (ThPP), along with transport facilities, are the major sources for industrial emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) believed to be responsible for the greenhouse effect leading to overheating of the lower atmosphere. In the opinion of many scientists, there is a threshold value of the average atmospheric temperature exceeding, which entails the potential for the development of irreversible processes threatening the existence of humankind. To avoid this danger, governments in nearly 200 countries have chosen voluntarily to reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Renewable Energy Sources (RES), including wind and solar power plants, have been selected as substitutes for ThPPs. However, energy systems based on RES only need to be multiply redundant in terms of installed capacity due to their efficiency being heavily dependent on daily, seasonal and weather factors, leave alone the scale of the required material resources (metals, polymers, concrete, glass, etc.). The major drawback of such energy systems is, however, the RES common-cause failure, e.g., in the event of a global volcanic eruption, when no energy-security requirement can be met to provide energy for satisfying the most vital needs. A need is fully evident for furnishing such energy system with another power source to be not dependent on the event that has caused the mass RES failure. With the net-zero-carbon requirement taken into account, Nuclear Power (NP) appears to be the best option in this respect. Modern NP does not however fully suits this role due to its inherent drawbacks (limited fuel resources, pending Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and RadioActive Wastes (RAW) handling and nuclear-material nonproliferation issues). A potential solution to these drawbacks is a two-component NP technology in a closed nuclear-fuel cycle currently in the process of development. In Russia, where the greatest progress has been achieved in this field of development, under construction is a pilot and demonstration energy complex with the BREST-OD-300 nuclear unit expected to be started up in 2026–2027. Another promising designs to be developed are Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) / Small Nuclear Power Plants (SNPPs).

A Case Study on Electric Vehicles as Nationwide Battery Storage to Meet Slovenia’s Final Energy Consumption with Solar Energy

Despite the global importance of solar energy, its variability requires energy storage to balance production during peak and off-peak periods. Moreover, the transport sector is undergoing a global transition from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. Since vehicles are idle 95% of the time, electric vehicle batteries, when connected to a grid, can effectively regulate intermittent photovoltaics using vehicle-to-grid technology. This conceptual study investigates the feasibility of a nationwide energy infrastructure that relies solely on solar energy, replacing other electricity sources, such as solid fuels, petroleum products, and natural gas, and utilizes electric vehicles as the sole battery energy storage system. This study aims to demonstrate the significant potential and benefits of such collaboration. The theoretical study combines historical data, assumptions, and conditions to build a simulation model that is modelled similarly as in previous conceptual studies of nationwide energy systems based solely on photovoltaics and electric vehicles, referenced in this article. In Slovenia, the total surface size suitable for the installation of photovoltaic systems is estimated to be 280 km2. The calculations show that a surface size of 217 km2 for photovoltaic systems can produce enough energy to cover Slovenia’s entire energy demand, Slovenia’s final energy consumption. However, simulations comparing photovoltaic production, total energy consumption (electricity, solid fuels, etc.), and the capacity of electric vehicle batteries show that a surface size of more than 500 km2 with photovoltaic systems and a 200% share of electric vehicles in the Slovenian vehicle fleet in 2022 will provide satisfactory results. Therefore, for a country like Slovenia, in addition to a solar power plant with a surface size of 280 km2, additional renewable energy sources are needed to cover the total energy demand, as well as additional battery energy storage systems in addition to electric vehicles.

Analytical Determination of Nusselt Numbers for Convective Heat Transfer Coefficients in Channel Macroporous Absorbers.

This article introduces a novel analytical equation for computing the Nusselt number within the macroporous structures of channel absorbers utilized in high-temperature solar receivers. The equation incorporates heat and mass transfer processes occurring within boundary layers as fluid flows through complex-shaped macroporous absorber channels. The importance of accounting for the length of the thermodynamic boundary layer within channel-type macroporous media when calculating heat transfer coefficients using the Nusselt equation is demonstrated. By incorporating proposed indicators of porosity and flow characteristics, this method significantly enhances the accuracy of heat transfer coefficient calculations for such media. Discrepancies observed in existing calculation relationships and experiments are attributed to the omission of certain proposed values in the Nusselt number for macroporous media. To address this, empirical coefficients for the Nusselt number are derived using statistical methods. The resulting semi-empirical equation is applied to macroporous absorbers in solar receivers. The findings enable more accurate predictions of future absorber characteristics, enhancing their efficiency. The derived equation is successfully validated against numerical data across various geometric structures of absorbers in concentrated solar power plants.

Recent research and developments of degradation assessment and its diagnosis methods for solar PV plant: a review

The world is moving forward to a transition in the form of increasing the contribution of renewable energy sources in the energy sector, and among these, solar photovoltaic-based power generation is catching pace. Several factors are responsible for the lowering of outputs due to different degradation causes such as hotspots, corrosion, humidity, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, temperature effects, dust, aging, weathering, yellowing, snail trails, discoloration, junction box failure, delamination, cracks, and faults from the solar photovoltaic (PV) plants. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the various form of degradation and their implications on solar PV power plant performance. The review has been carried out considering the different degradation causes and their identification methods in solar PV plant. Further, the analysis has been done on the basis of the earlier studies to understand the rates of degradation for various solar PV power plants in various climatic conditions. The PV technologies used in solar power plants are also responsible for the change in the performance of power plants over time; therefore, degradation based on different solar PV cell technologies is also analyzed. The visual inspection tools like thermal imaging with IR cameras help identify areas with abnormal heat patterns, indicating potential issues like cell or interconnect failures, loose electrical connections, or bypass diode malfunctions while EL cameras are used to identify low-level electrical excitation and defects such as cracks, hotspots, and cell-level degradation.

Long-term performance analysis of operational efficiency of a grid-connected solar power plant under Mauritania climate

This work examines a solar power plant connected to the Nouakchott electricity grid in Mauritania. Operating since 2013, the 15 MWp plant's reliability and energy yield have been evaluated using a performance index. The assessment involves three phases. First, the plant's meteorological environment and technical indicators are presented. In the second phase, mathematical performance models specified by the International Energy Agency (IEA) are applied to calculate performance indices using data from the data acquisition system (SCADA). The third phase compares actual production data for 2015, 2017, and 2020 with results simulated for PVsyst for the same years. The obtained results are thoroughly analyzed to highlight relevant physical phenomena. The analysis focuses on the plant's 7-year operating period and its impact on performance indicators for electricity production fed into the grid. This study provides insights into the solar power plant's reliability and energy yield, aiding future operational enhancements. It underscores the importance of performance monitoring and assessment in optimizing solar power generation systems.

New hybrid thermal energy storage unit using dual hydrides with cascaded PCMs: Application to CSP plants

Thermal energy storage is necessary for concentrated solar power (CSP) plants; it's a useful technique for reducing fluctuations in the energy supply and aids in peak demand management. Therefore, in the present paper, a novel Hybrid Cascaded Thermal Energy Storage (Hyb-CTES) unit is proposed for use in solar-driven Rankine steam power plant. The concept of the heat storage hybridization examined in this study is to couple metal hydride-based thermochemical heat storage system with cascaded phase change materials-based latent heat storage. To assess the dynamic behavior of the Hyb-CTES unit, a two-dimensional transient model is established, and a computational code is developed. The mathematical model has been validated successfully by comparing it with experimental data and by verifying both the mass and energy balance. To choose the appropriate PCM's melting temperature, four approaches are proposed and tested. Numerical simulations were performed with the help of the developed computer code, and the findings demonstrated that the supplied hydrogen pressure and the temperatures of the metal hydride beds are the crucial parameters for determining the PCM melting temperature. In addition, it is found that the proposed cascaded PCMs configuration enhances the heat storage unit's thermal performance and can reduce the heat charge/discharge cycle duration by 19 %. Also, the results indicate that the new Hyb-CTES unit is a promising alternative for thermal storage for CSP plants.