Utilization Of Renewable Energy Sources Research Articles

An integrated simulation-optimization modelling approach for sustainability assessment of electricity generation system

Devising a concrete plan for power supply should conduct the best technology-capacity-time strategy while satisfying fuel, infrastructure, and trading constraints. Addressing sustainability concerning stakeholders' opinions aligned with upstream policies escalates the problem, demanding new reliable frameworks. This paper aims to develop an integrated simulation–optimization decision support system for electricity generation planning. A differential evolution algorithm simulates the future power supply configurations. A linear programming model characterizes the optimal pathways towards those futures. Multi-criteria decision-making methods are also included for determining the preference weights of sustainability indicators and ranking the scenarios. The proposed framework offers a sustainable plan for Iran by 2050. The sustainability criteria are tracked and compared with a business as usual (BAU) scheme. The results show that the broader deployment of wind turbine primarily, solar thermal subsequently, is the major source of difference in the sustainable expansion compared to BAU. Those technologies along with photovoltaics, contribute to 48% of the generation at the end of the planning horizon. However, the findings indicate that even the extensive utilization of renewable energy sources cannot guarantee sustainability improvement all through the planning period. Thus, supply-side plans should be appropriately supported by demand-side strategies.

Research of a new security mechanism on energy internet

The sustainable exploitation and utilization of new energy is the basis of future development of mankind. As the core infrastructure for the efficient and secure utilization of renewable energy sources, the energy internet is an important strategic resource and an embodiment of the comprehensive national strength. This paper presents a new security mechanism based on Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Fistly, the analysis of the structure of the energy internet is discribed from two aspects of logic structure and network topological structure. Sencondly the existing research methods of energy internet security are divided into three classes: security demand-driven method, security model-driven method and system-theoretic method. The vulnerability of isolated research and lack of integrated solution is found out. Then the new security mechanism is propossed and the security model along with the consuming layer protocol are put forward. Finally the security analysis is processed. The results show that the new security mechanism can satisfy the security requirements of energy internet.

Screw Turbine in In-pipe Hydroelectric Power Generation

Utilization of renewable energy sources is a necessity to reduce the consumption of fossil energy sources. On the end of 2021, it was reported that world was experiencing an energy crisis, so the use of renewable energy sources is being something urgent. Renewable energy power generation can be done in large scale to small scale even on household level. Electrical energy independence can be achieved, one way by utilizing available energy sources surrounding house. Several energy sources that can be utilized around the house including water, wind, sunlight, etc. Water as one of energy sources can also be obtained from the water flow in household plumbing systems. In this research, analysis of the output characteristics of generator was carried out from mini generator connected to screw turbine with in-pipe water flow as the energy source. Design and measurement have been done on the prototype to see the output characteristic of generator. Measurement on prototype have shown results to produce 1.56 watt and 9.6 volt at maximum water discharge 0.317 l/s, these results are quite low considering power measured at the turbine reaches about 7.45 watt. With further research, another more efficient and proper configuration can be obtained.

A Comprehensive Decomposition Based Hierarchical Heuristic Control of Multimicrogrids

This paper proposes a novel decomposition based hierarchical heuristic control of multimicrogrids to maximize the utilization of renewable energy sources and load satisfaction. The proposed control is capable of providing comprehensive online dispatch of active and reactive powers in steady state modes of operation according to IEEE 2030.7 while keeping in view the restrictions of the participants (microsources and/or microgrids). The proposed solution is generalized to be adopted with respect to different types of participants and grid structures, modular with respect to the number of its participants and capable of protecting the privacy of its participants to maximum possible extent. The proposed heuristic control decomposes the control problem at four levels of hierarchy namely microsource, unit, microgrid and multimicrogrid level. All the distributed energy sources have their own microsource controllers and all the distributed energy sources of the same type are put under one unit controller. All the unit controllers are put under a microgrid controller and all the microgrid controllers are put under a multimicrogrid controller. Information flows from lower to upper levels while dispatch commands flow vice versa. This provides a comprehensive, generic, modular and secure control of a multimicrogrid system. Test cases are simulated to verify the validity of the proposed control scheme.

Estimating clear-sky PV electricity production without exogenous data

The global shift towards the utilization of renewable energy sources has driven the development of photovoltaics (PVs) and the need for their mass integration in energy markets. Although the penetration of PVs is dramatically increasing during the last decades, the ‘problem’ of PV power output fluctuations due to uncertain environmental parameters still remains an issue. A key challenge is to provide accurate predictions of PV power output since this will assist grid operators for efficient capacity management and scheduling. In this paper, a data-driven method was developed, using time-series of PV power output from a PV station in Limassol, Cyprus to estimate the clear-sky PV electricity production without any exogenous data. The time-series was divided into monthly intervals and analysed by using the mean value, the maximum value and the standard deviation. The predicted clear-sky PV signals calculated were compared to the best visibly smooth signal in terms of Root Mean Square Error, Mean Absolute Deviation, and Mean Absolute Percent Error. Results indicate that the proposed method can provide a good approximation of the true clear-sky signal and thus it can be argued that PV data alone can be used for clear-sky PV output calculation without any information from the manufacturer or location specific data.

An Isolated Dual-Input Half-Bridge DC–DC Boost Converter With Reduced Circulating Power Between Input Ports

This article addresses a dual-input half-bridge DC–DC converter for proper utilization of renewable energy sources (RESs). The proposed system includes two different variable sources to examine the power distribution in each module, two high-frequency transformers (HFTs), and a three-leg converter (TLC) at secondary. The TLC is connected in parallel structure to gain reduced circulating power between input modules. This results in obtaining a compact design with a minimum number of switches. Complete steady-state analysis and control strategy of the proposed system have been analyzed. Digital closed-loop control has been implemented using the field programmable gate array (FPGA) controller to minimize the complexity of the control strategy. A laboratory prototype has been developed to justify the feasible operation of the proposed converter. Extensive tests result demonstrates the enhanced performance of the proposed system in effective utilization of power from different sources to feed the telecom load.

Performance Analysis of PWM Based Full Wave Bridge Inverter

Abstract: An obvious device for the utilization of renewable energy sources is inverter and Pulse Width Modulation technique is widely used method for voltage source inverters. This paper deals with the generation of PWM signals by analog circuit, where the comparison of sine wave and sawtooth wave for the operation of power circuit takes place. The above mentioned technique is studied and verified by Simulating the circuit. The prototype of PWM based, single phase, full bridge inverter is developed and the results are verified for the nominal voltage and frequency with the help of simulation and hardware is designed. Keywords: Inverter, SPWM, VSI, Simulation, MATLAB

Towards Nearly-Zero Energy in Heritage Residential Buildings Retrofitting in Hot, Dry Climates

Retrofitting “nearly-zero energy” heritage buildings has always been controversial, due to the usual association of the “nearly-zero energy” target with high energy performance and the utilization of renewable energy sources in highly regarded cultural values of heritage buildings. This paper aims to evaluate the potential of turning heritage building stock into a “nearly-zero energy” in hot, dry climates, which has been addressed in only a few studies. Therefore, a four-phase integrated energy retrofitting methodology was proposed and applied to a sample of heritage residential building stock in Egypt along with microscale analysis on buildings. Three reference buildings were selected, representing the most dominant building typologies. The study combines field measurements and observations with energy simulations. In addition, simulation models were created and calibrated based on monitored data in the reference buildings. The results show that the application of hybrid passive and active non-energy generating scenarios significantly impacts energy use in the reference buildings, e.g., where 66.4% of annual electricity use can be saved. Moreover, the application of solar energy sources approximately covers the energy demand in the reference buildings, e.g., where an annual self-consumption of electricity up to 78% and surplus electricity up to 20.4% can be achieved by using photo-voltaic modules. Furthermore, annual natural gas of up to 66.8% can be saved by using two unglazed solar collectors. Lastly, achieving “nearly-zero energy” was possible for the presented case study area. The originality of this work lies in developing and applying an informed retrofitting (nearly-zero energy) guide to be used as a benchmark energy model for buildings that belong to an important historical era. The findings contribute to fill a gap in existing studies of integrating renewable energy sources to achieve “nearly-zero energy” in heritage buildings in hot climates.

Investing in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Palestinian Territories: Barriers and Opportunities

The main objective of this paper is to identify the renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) policy and regulatory risks and barriers in the Palestinian Territories (PT). An accurate insight into the market structure and normative frameworks for RE and EE investments in the PT is performed. For this purpose, a survey has been conducted through two questionnaires and interviews addressed to public decision-makers and local and foreign sectoral companies to study the market confidence in the field of renewable energy sources (RES) and EE. The questionnaire was designed to investigate the attractiveness of RE and EE in the country by directly involving the various market players and to identify what could encourage or hinder investment. RE and EE are, in fact, a valid response to the needs of the PT to guarantee independence and security of supply, ensure access to energy throughout the territory, and reduce emissions. The climate-related issues are listed in the Palestinian political agenda. National subsidies and grants are offered for investment in RES and EE but are still the main barriers. Developments towards further utilization of RES are in progress continually. Marketing campaigns are stimulating the production of RE and EE promotion. RES and EE laws and regulations are continually issued.

Utilization of Renewable Energy Sources in Road Transport in EU Countries—TOPSIS Results

The primary aim of this study was to assess and compare EU countries in terms of the use of renewable energy sources in road transport. The following research tasks were undertaken to realize this aim: (1) a review of the literature concerning the negative externalities in road transport, the concept of sustainable development, and legal regulations referring to the utilization of renewable energy sources; (2) presentation of changes in energy consumption (both traditional and renewable) in road transport in EU countries in the years 2008–2019; and (3) identification of leaders among the EU countries in terms of consumption of renewable energy sources in road transport. The aim and tasks were realized using the literature review and TOPSIS method as well as descriptive, tabular, and graphic methods. The analysis was conducted for 28 EU countries according to the status for 2019. The period of 2008–2019 was investigated. Sources of materials included literature on the subject and Eurostat data. Although renewable energy sources accounted for as little as 6% of total energy consumption in road transport in EU countries in 2019, this is a significant topical issue. It results from the direction in which changes need to be implemented in terms of energy generation in this area of human activity. It turned out that blended biodiesel and blended biogasoline were the most commonly used fuels originating from renewable sources. The application of the TOPSIS method resulted in the identification of five groups of EU member countries, which differed in terms of the degree of utilization of renewable energy sources in road transport. Luxemburg, Sweden, and Austria were leaders in this respect. In turn, Malta, Estonia, and Croatia were characterized by very low consumption of renewable energy. The greatest progress in the utilization of renewable energy sources in road transport was recorded in Sweden, Finland, and Bulgaria (changes in the relative closeness to the ideal solution from 0.15 to 0.27), while the greatest reduction in relation to other countries was observed in Austria, Germany, and Lithuania (changes from −0.35 to −0.22).

Thermal Storage for District Cooling—Implications for Renewable Energy Transition

The utilization of air conditioning in public and private buildings is continuously increasing globally and is one of the major factors fueling the growth of the global electricity demand. The higher utilization of renewable energy sources and the transition of the electricity-generating industry to renewable energy sources requires significant energy storage in order to avoid supply–demand mismatches. This storage-regeneration process entails dissipation, which leads to higher energy generation loads. Both the energy generation and the required storage may be reduced using thermal energy storage to provide domestic comfort in buildings. The development and utilization of thermal storage, achieved by chilled water, in a community of two thousand buildings located in the North Texas region are proven to have profound and beneficial effects on the necessary infrastructure to make this community independent of the grid and self-sufficient with renewable energy. The simulations show that both the necessary photovoltaics rating and the capacity of the electric energy storage system are significantly reduced when thermal storage with a chilled water system is used during the air conditioning season.

Building's heat potential on resources in respect to CO2 emissions and primary energy reduction (Case study)

An increased utilization of renewable energy sources for heating and electricity generation is one of the main tasks of the Slovak Republic. The main hypothesis is that heat pumps are very energy-efficient, and therefore environmentally benign, while providing heating and cooling in many applications. Within good conditions, the energy from low-positional heat, in other way unusable, is used to supply the energy for heat pumps. The paper confirms the applicability of such systems for long term (about 25 years). A building in Košice was used as the model of the transformation of a common office object into the character of a green and energy active one with the target programme being a sustainable building with zero balance of the energy from the network. From the comparison of the past and present operation data of the building, it is possible to show the big advantage of the usage of the heat pump water-water to the energy supply system. At favourable technical conditions in a heat supply system, it becomes the most advantageous solution in achieving today’s targets - minimum emission production combined with investment, low operating costs and achieving necessary human thermal comfort. The convenience of the system increases as it can switch between the cooling and heating process according to conditions. For the whole observed period, the energy consumption is reduced by 70%, the primary energy decreased by 69% compared to 1996 and CO2 emissions were reduced by 98%. The simulations of the object were performed and verified based on the measured data.

Effect of Gravity and Various Operating Conditions on Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis Cell Performance.

Water electrolysis is an eco-friendly method for the utilization of renewable energy sources which provide intermittent power supply. Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) has a high efficiency in this regard. However, the two-phase flow of water and oxygen at the anode side causes performance degradation, and various operating conditions affect the performance of PEMWE. In this study, the effects of four control parameters (operating temperature, flow rate, cell orientation, and pattern of the channel) on the performance of PEMWE were investigated. The effects of the operating conditions on its performance were examined using a 25 cm2 single-cell. Evaluation tests were conducted using in situ methods such as polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that a high operating temperature and low flow rate reduce the activation and ohmic losses, and thereby enhance the performance of PEMWE. Additionally, the cell orientation affects the performance of PEMWE owing to the variation in the two-phase flow regime. It was observed that the slope of specific sections in the polarization curve rapidly increases at a specific cell voltage.

Regional Disparities and Features of Solar and Wind Energy Potential of Bulgaria

Global climate fluctuations and projections of deteriorating sustainable human development since the beginning of the 21st century have highlighted the need to look for alternative energy sources to carbon fuels. The utilization of solar and wind energy has become a challenge for engineers and technologists to develop new technologies for more efficient development of renewable energy sources. The purpose of this paper is to present the territorial features in the utilization of renewable energy sources – solar radiation and wind in Bulgaria. The study focuses on the regional features of the solar- and wind energy potential. Based on statistical data, the utilization of the RES potential is considered through a review of the installed capacities

Integrated long-term planning of conventional and renewable energy sources in Iran's off-grid networks

In this study, a combined power supply system consisting of renewable solar and wind energies with backup and storage equipment including a diesel generator and a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with Demand Response (DR) was integrated and optimized, and optimally enhanced the reliability of the sustainable supply of the load demand. This study aimed at investigating the optimization and evaluation of the cost and advantage of combined systems for off-grid power supply in four regions with different climatic conditions in Iran, including Zahedan, Kerman, Birjand, and Hamedan. The simulation results showed that for Zahedan, the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity with one day of autonomy and a maximum LPSP of 5% is $ 0.312 per kWh in the first year. By optimizing and altering LPSP and the optimal number of days of autonomy under various operating conditions, the capacity of the batteries was decreased from 3870 kWh (38%) to 1860 kWh (22%), which is almost half of the previous value. Furthermore, the cost per kWh of electricity in the first year decreased from $0.312 to $0.256. According to the results, such a hybrid system is cheaper than installing each of the solar, wind, or diesel generators separately. The conditions of the other three regions were then examined and analyzed and the results showed a direct correlation between the cost of electricity and the climatic conditions of each region. However, in general, considering the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) with a RE hybrid energy system for many areas away from the grid in Iran and due to climatic conditions and the trend of reducing the final cost, the utilization of renewable energy sources is economically competitive with the main grid and technically feasible. It also can meaningfully diminish environmental pollutants in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Regional Disparities and Features of Solar and Wind Energy Potential of Bulgaria

Global climate fluctuations and projections of deteriorating sustainable human development since the beginning of the 21st century have highlighted the need to look for alternative energy sources to carbon fuels. The utilization of solar and wind energy has become a challenge for engineers and technologists to develop new technologies for more efficient development of renewable energy sources. The purpose of this paper is to present the territorial features in the utilization of renewable energy sources – solar radiation and wind in Bulgaria. The study focuses on the regional features of the solar- and wind energy potential. Based on statistical data, the utilization of the RES potential is considered through a review of the installed capacities.

Performance Evaluation of PI/RBFN ANN Controllers for Sensor Less BLDC Motor Control Based Fuel Cell/PV Hybrid Electric Vehicle

The present society suffers with the problem of the greenhouse effect due to the emission of huge amount of carbon dioxide. And almost 70% of emission of carbon dioxide will be due to the usage of automotive vehicles. It is required to reduce the utilization of automotive vehicles to protect the life of earth for the coming years. This manuscript presents the design of electric vehicle with the utilization of renewable energy source like solar energy with the combination of fuel cell energy. It involves the design of maximum power point tracking system with intelligent fuzzy controller to track the maximum power for various weather conditions. The proposed electric vehicle drives the brush less DC motor whose speed has been monitored with the sensor less speed control technique. The speed control technique has been realized with two types of controller’s namely proportional intelligent controller and radial basis function neural network. Also the speed control technique has been analysed with the performance comparison of the two controllers in terms of speed, torque generated and also errors of speed and current to improve the performance of speed by 5% with the help of MATLAB/Simulink.

Proposal and evaluation of two innovative combined gas turbine and ejector refrigeration cycles fueled by biogas: Thermodynamic and optimization analysis

Energy enhancement and utilization of renewable energy sources have become inevitable solutions for the concerns of fossil fuel depletion and global warming. Two different cogeneration systems are proposed for cooling and power generation. A gas turbine and an ejector refrigeration cycle are employed in the configurations, in which gas turbine cycle uses biogas as the required fuel. First, these two configurations are analyzed from energy and exergy perspectives. A comprehensive parametric study is also performed by decision variables for the optimization. Results reveal that both energy and exergy efficiencies of conventional combined gas turbine/ejector refrigeration cycle can be improved up to 44.6% and 33.54%, respectively. Besides, the outcomes of the parametric study point out that the combustion chamber has a significant effect on energy and exergy efficiencies and can increased them about 10%. Also, it is found that the vapor generator accounts for the highest exergy destruction among all components. Moreover, by using a genetic algorithm as an optimization method, the thermal and exergetic efficiencies of the base system improves. In the best operating condition, the thermal and exergetic efficiencies of the system reach 57.11% and 36.68%, respectively.

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews: Environmental impact networks of renewable energy power plants

The intensification of the use of different renewable energy sources is essential for the fulfillment of the Paris Agreement or for achieving the goals of sustainable development. The environmental impacts of various renewable energy sources have been engaging environmental professionals since their inception. The aim of this work is to collect the most important sizing variables and environmental impacts of hydropower, wind energy, geothermal energy, solar energy and biomass, which have been discussed in the literature.By using the tools of network science, it is possible to jointly manage the environmental impacts and the sizing variables of renewable energy power plants, so the impact mitigation can be performed efficiently already in the design phase. From the sizing variables and the environmental impacts, a multi-layered network is formed, based on which the relationships between the impacts can be explored and more efficient mitigation solutions can be implemented.The results show that the impacts of wind turbines on flying animals are outstanding, hydropower plants can be mostly described by changing the flow conditions, the noise and hydrothermal disturbance of geothermal power plants are outstanding, the visual and soil effects of solar power plants are most significant, while the biomass plants impacts related the harvest are most pronounced.This work helps to understand the environmental impacts of the increased utilization of renewable energy sources better and provides a framework for practitioners to enforce environmental considerations in design processes more easily.

General Determinants and Directions of Development for the Utilisation of Renewable Energy Sources in the West Pomerania Province

Purpose: The depletion of conventional energy sources with a constantly growing energy demand requires a new approach to our energy policy and in a wider approach, a new social and economical development policy. The article presents the determinants and directions of development of utilisation of renewable energy sources in the West Pomerania province. Approach/Methodology/Design: The study was based on secondary data, i.e., quantitative data available for the renewable energy sector in Poland and West Pomerania province and the analysis of available literature. The theoretical issues were determined based on the analysis of available literature on the regional development and renewable energy. The research methods used in the study included a critical analysis of the literature, comparative analysis and secondary data analysis. Findings: There is a growing interest in renewable energy source due to increasing environmental pollution, depletion of conventional energy sources, regular increase in prices of energy resources and constantly increasing energy demand. A new, competitive regional economy can be formed with the energy obtained from the renewable sources. Practical Implications: The analysis and evaluation carried out in the article shows that a key factor affecting the development of this sector is an active participation of the local government and resources provided by the European funds. The results can be used to develop a long-term strategy on the development of the renewable energy sources including the programs to counteract the negative effects of utilisation of conventional energy sources. Originality/Value: The proposed solutions are to contribute to the development of renewable energy in the studied area.