Last decade has seen tremendous progress in the development of nanoparticle dispersion based volumetrically absorbing solar thermal systems. However, for these systems to compete with their surface absorption counterparts, it is imperative to reach an optimum receiver design. Optimization in turn necessitates accurate modeling of highly coupled transport phenomena involved in these systems. The present

Monte Carlo ray tracing (MCRT) is a fundamental simulation method for central receiver systems(CRSs). MCRT is an effective method to describe the radiative flux distribution on the receiver surface reflected by either a single heliostat or all heliostats in a heliostat field. In this paper, a GPU-based ray-tracing simulation method, namely, quasi-Monte Carlo ray tracing (QMCRT), is proposed to address

Application of highly absorptive construction materials is proved to be one of leading causes of urban overheating in big cities. To avoid the excessive heat by the conventional construction materials, several advanced heat-rejecting coating technologies were developed during the last decades. The main idea behind heat-rejecting coatings is to have colder coatings with the same appearance and colour

A novel design is proposed that couples an evacuated tube solar collector and adsorption cooling system in one module, namely, an evacuated tube solar adsorption cooling module. The module is basically a simple adsorption cooling system placed inside an evacuated glass tube with a length of about 180 cm, and an internal diameter of 5.5 cm. One side (top section of the tube) represents the adsorbent

Copper-based ternary semiconductors have been applied as hole-transporting materials (HTM) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in recent years. However, the unavoidable defects of inorganic nanoparticles affect the performance of PSCs. Here, we prepared CuGaS2 quantum dots (CGS QDs) and employed them as HTM to PSCs. The Cu content of CGS QDs was precisely controlled and its influence on the photoelectric

In this study, technology computer-aided design (TCAD) was used to investigate carrier selective contact solar cell performance based on the boundary of tunneling oxide and electron selective contact layer properties. The role of tunneling oxide quality in the passivation and inter-diffusion properties of the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of phosphorus-doped amorphous silicon as an electron

Highly precise outdoor current-voltage (I-V) curve measurement of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules has been achieved, by monitoring the solar irradiance with a PV module irradiance sensor (PVMS), measuring the curves in 0.2–0.5 s, and filtering out the data affected by spatial nonuniformity of irradiance. The I-V curves were corrected for temperature by using a recently developed translation

The advanced cooling methods of photovoltaic and concentrated photovoltaic modules are evaluated in this study to identify the most appropriate methods for each in terms of environmental conditions and performance. Another goal of present study is to identify the engaged countries with this aspect and the most effort in this field. Long term increasing the temperature of the photovoltaic modules, reduces

This paper provides a comprehensive unsteady-state performance comparison between the tandem photovoltaic-thermoelectric (PV-TE) hybrid system and the conventional photovoltaic (PV) system. The three-dimensional unsteady-state models of the two systems are established. The effects of weather and season conditions on the superiority of coupling utilization are studied. The annual performance difference

[email protected]2 photocatalysts with different Bi (0–5 wt%) and Pt (0–2 wt%) contents were prepared by a two-step sol-gel and photo-deposition technique and were used in photo-reduction of CO2. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), nitrogen sorption

Cold thermal energy storage provides suitable solutions for electric air conditioning systems to reduce peak electricity use and for solar cooling systems to alleviate energy supply intermittency. Due to the high latent heat (501–507 kJ kg−1), CO2 hydrates have been widely reported as promising cold storage media that suit a wide range of air conditioning systems i.e. low-temperature, conventional

Hierarchical forecasting and reconciliation are new to the field of solar engineering. Previous papers in this series, namely, Yang et al. (2017a, 2017b), and Yagli et al. (2019b), discussed various reconciliation techniques for deterministic solar forecasts obtained across spatio-temporal hierarchies. This paper extends the discussion into probability space, and studies how reconciliation can affect

Classical quality control (QC) methods of solar irradiance apply easy-to-implement physical or statistical limits that are incapable of detecting low-magnitude measuring errors due to the large width of the intervals. We previously presented the bias-based quality control (BQC), a novel method that flags samples in which the bias of several independent gridded datasets is larger for consecutive days

Photovoltaic (PV) solar refrigeration system is considered as one of the most vital areas in photovoltaic application. This research work aims to study the effect of operating pressures of evaporator and condenser to the performance of directly coupled variable speed solar refrigeration system. Performance parameters which were considered in the study are compressor speed, power consumption, refrigerant

No reliable in-situ optical characterization tool is available that can efficiently and accurately measure various optical errors of individual heliostats in a utility-scale power-tower plant. Here, an innovative non-intrusive optical (NIO) approach is proposed to measure mirror surface slope error, mirror facet canting error, and heliostat tracking error based on reflection images using the natural

Triangular duct cross-section is introduced for solar air heater (SAH) of an indirect type of solar dryer (ITSD). Using computational study, the thermo-hydraulic performance of triangular duct SAH with inclined ribs for varying rib inclination (30° < α < 75°) in the turbulent flow regime (5000 < Re < 17500) is studied. With the rib configuration providing maximum thermos-hydraulic performance, a ribbed

An experimental study is presented on the energy and exergy assessment of integrating reflectors with an evacuated tube solar collector-heat pipe (ETSC-HP) system on its thermal energy storage. The impact of using upper, lower, and upper and lower (two) reflectors on the thermal energy storage, input energy, and energy losses, reflectors' effectiveness, and energy and exergy efficiencies is assessed

The temperature regulation of photovoltaic (PV) modules using passive approach with phase-change materials (PCMs) has fascinated many researchers now-a-days. This article presents real-time experimental investigation of PV panels with PCM under warm climate of Taxila, Pakistan in two phases. In first phase, effect of fins inserted into PCM, is examined by varying number of fins as 2, 5, 8 and 11. Due

Mid-infrared spectroscopic characterization of doped layers is a rapid, contactless and non-destructive method of determining doped semiconductor layer properties, being used as an inline monitoring tool in industrial environments. Extending this technique to transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) would be tremendously beneficial, which otherwise requires intensive characterization to determine the layer

A novel benzotriazol based small molecule (2-hexyl-4,7-bis(5′-hexyl-2,2′-bithien-5-yl)-2H-1,2,3-benzotriazole) “BTBT” was synthesized by Suzuki coupling reaction and was successfully employed in planar inverted perovskite solar cells with ITO/BTBT/PEDOT:PSS/CH3NH3PbI3-xClx/PCBM/Al configuration. Fabrication processes, including the spin coating of the perovskite layer, were performed in ambient air

Over the past decade, organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have skyrocketed to a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.2%. Unfortunately, the instability of perovskite impedes the commercial development of PSCs in the long run when exposing to continuous illumination, moisture and high temperature. With recent progress in smart self-healing materials, empowering

Thin films of the ternary polymer blend (donors PCE-10 and PCDTBT with the acceptor PC71BM in chlorobenzene) were fabricated by using spray coating technique without and with applied voltage to the nozzle during deposition. The increased absorption range from 400 nm to 800 nm indicates that Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is occurring for the films deposited under the electric field. This

Laser welding of transparent materials, including glasses, established in the recent years. This study reports the results of the theoretical with experimental validation to transient temperature and stress fields on bonding small glass pieces to solder glass by laser welding. A 3D finite element model of bonding small glass pieces to solder glass by laser welding is developed and validated with experimental

As one of the fastest growing renewable energy sources, the integration of solar power poses great challenges to power systems due to its variable and uncertain nature. As an effective approach to promote the integration of solar power in power systems, the value of probabilistic forecasts is being increasingly recognized in the recent decade. While the current use of probabilistic forecasts in power

Solar-driven water evaporation is a method to make seawater sustainable by producing lower levels of greenhouse gases at present. Herein, we prepared an efficient, flexible and lightweight reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/ polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite membrane by a simple electrospinning technology for photothermal desalination. After blending with rGO, the electrospun membrane exhibited a strong

The condensation of 4-diethylaminosalicylaldehyde and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-salicylaldehyde with 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid afforded two salophen type Schiff base ligands, L1 and L2, respectively. Subsequently, their corresponding platinum(II) and zinc(II) salophen complexes (PtL1, PtL2, ZnL1 and ZnL2) were synthesized through the reaction of the two salophen ligands with potassium tetrachloroplatinate(II)

This paper presents a configuration scheme based multiple bidirectional Ćuk converter with a modified salp swarm algorithm (SSA) based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for photovoltaic (PV) system under partial shading and module mismatching. The proposed scheme is made up of multiple bidirectional PV-Ćuk converter (PVCC) modules in a series chain, a novel SSA with dynamic nonlinear w factor (DWSSA)

An increase in Photovoltaic (PV) module temperature (TPV) affects the photoconversion efficiency (PCE). Annual TPV loss accounts higher than other losses in the PV system for hot climatic conditions. The main objective of this work is to introduce a novel passive Cold-PCM (C-PCM) to reduce the TPV. Commercial PCM’s are more expensive than a eutectic PCM. In this work, Lauryl alcohol and Ethyl alcohol

Temperature control in solar collectors is a nonlinear problem: the dynamics of temperature rise vary according to the fluid flowing through the collector and to the temperature gradient along the collector area. In this way, this work investigates the formulation of a Model Predictive Control (MPC) application developed within a Linear Parameter Varying (LPV) formalism, which serves as a model of

The absence or improper use of shading on the glazing of building windows causes overheating which increases both cooling load and glare, especially in the hot desert climate. However, integrating Daylighting Systems appropriately into building windows can contribute to reducing energy consumption by effectively utilizing daylight as a renewable resource instead of depending only on artificial light

Passive daytime radiative cooling represents one of the boldest answers to tackle the future cooling needs of the built environment and to mitigate urban heat island effects. Recent developments in the field targeted sub-ambience with several successful examples. On the other side, heating demands may get exacerbated unless effective countermeasures against overcooling are identified, especially in

This paper proposes a simple and efficient method to estimate the parameters of the photovoltaic (PV) cells at standard test conditions (STC). The proposed method is based on developing a mathematical model for each parameter of the single-diode equivalent circuit of the PV cell. The models are formulated using Eureqa software based on thousands of training data collected from simulating the equations

New renewable energy infrastructure is essential to deliver net zero policies in response to climate change, but a lack of community acceptance is a potential barrier. It is therefore important to understand what shapes community acceptance and identify policy responses. This paper presents a case study of community acceptance of a large-scale solar farm in the UK, the first to be classified as 'nationally

A series of D-A-π-A organic dyes are taken into consideration to study the influence of different internal acceptor groups and thiophene based π-spacers on their efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) methods are used for investigating the electronic excitations along with their geometrical and charge transport

In this work, generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE) hybrid functional within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) are used to investigate the structural, electronic and optical properties of Ag2MgSn(S/Se)4 quaternary chalcogenides in kesterite and stannite phases. The kesterite and stannite phases of Ag2MgSn(S/Se)4 are optimized and the values of

Solar energy has several advantages compared to other types of renewable sources of energy such as easy accessibility and superior predictability. This source of energy is utilized for several purposes including heating, desalination and power generation. Generally, PV panels are employed for direct electricity generation. On the other hand the harvested solar thermal energy can be used to generate

Sheet resistance losses and local defects are challenges faced in solar module fabrication and upscaling processes. Commonly used investigation tools are non-invasive optical and thermal imaging techniques, such as electroluminescence, photoluminescence as well as illuminated and dark infrared imaging. Here, we investigate the potential of computationally efficient finite element simulation of solar

Industry is one of the leading energy consumers with a global share of 37%. Fossil fuels are used to meet more then 80% of this demand. The sun’s heat can be exploited in most industrial processes to replace fossil fuels. Integration of a thermal energy storage system is a requisite for sustainability in solar heat for industries. Currently there are only 741 solar heat industrial plants operating

In solar thermal plants, as in any industrial process, it is important to maintain good control of the system and, more importantly, to have a good security system to avoid exceeding the safety limits of the components and avoid their degradation. In the case of solar thermal plants, one of the main components is the Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF), which must be kept below a maximum temperature. Although

Increasing the efficiency and power generation capacity of power plants is an important issue that has attracted the attention of many researchers in recent years. Beside the designing and constructing new combined cycles to provide the human electrical demand load, extending the existing power plants is very important due to saving time, cost and place of installation and so on. This study suggests

A quick-scan yield prediction method has been developed to assess rooftop photovoltaic (PV) potential. The method has three main parts. For each roof, first (i) virtual 3D roof segments were reconstructed using aerial imagery, then, (ii) PV modules were automatically fitted onto roof segments using a fitting algorithm and finally, (iii) expected annual yield was calculated. For each roof, the annual

Lead sulfide (PbS) colloidal quantum dot solar cells (CQDSCs) are emerging photovoltaic technology due to their outstanding light-harvesting ability in the visible and near-infrared spectral region, long-term air stability, multiple exciton generation and solution processability. However, PbS CQDSCs have been limited by the unsatisfactory carrier collection in the CQD films. Band alignment engineering

This paper presents a water pumping system powered by solar photovoltaic (PV) panels employing a switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive and a three-level quadratic Boost (3LQB) DC-DC converter for a dual output. The DC-DC topology is characterized by quadratic voltage static gain, capability to ensure voltage balance in the output capacitors and reduced voltage stress across power switches and diodes

In this paper, the soiling impact on photovoltaic systems in Aguascalientes, in central Mexico, an area where 1.4GWp of new photovoltaic capacity is being installed, is characterised experimentally. A soiling rate of −0.16%/day in the dry season for optimally tilted crystalline silicon modules, and a stabilization of the soiling losses at 11.2% after 70 days of exposure were observed. With these data

Perovskite solar cells have achieved tremendous progress reaching record efficiency in the past 5 years. Numerous new processes and chemistry have been reported and contribute to the rapid progress. Continuous efficiency improvements are still necessary for perovskite solar cells, and a data review on devices performance over multiple studies could boost the technology development. Such review could

This paper describes the development of a novel CPC (compound parabolic collector) evacuated tube solar collector, using a medium-temperature selective coating. The medium-temperature selective coating was obtained by co-sputtering titanium and aluminum targets. The absorptance and the thermal emittance of the heat treated coating is 0.95, and 0.04 at 80℃ respectively. The collector was optimized,