Assessing the potential of concentrating solar photovoltaic generation in Brazil with satellite-derived direct normal irradiation

With the declining costs of flat plate and concentrating photovoltaic (PV) systems, solar PV generation in many sunny regions in Brazil will eventually become cost competitive with conventional and centralized power generation. Detailed knowledge of the local solar radiation resource becomes critical in assisting on the choice of the technology most suited for large-scale solar electricity generation. When assessing the energy generation potential of non-concentrating, fixed flat plate versus concentrating PV, sites with high levels of direct normal irradiation (DNI) can result in cost-competitive electricity generation with the use of high concentrating photovoltaic systems (HCPV). In large countries, where the transmission and distribution infrastructure costs and associated losses typical of centralized generation must be taken into account, the distributed nature of solar radiation should be perceived as a valuable asset. In this work we assess the potential of HCPV energy generation using satellite-derived DNI data for Brazil, a large and sunny country with a continental surface of 8.5 million km². The methodology used in the study involved the analysis of global horizontal, latitude-tilt, and direct normal solar irradiation data resulting from the Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) Project, and an estimate of the resulting electricity production potential, based on a review of HCPV generators operating at other sites. The satellite-derived solar irradiation data, with 10 km × 10 km spatial resolution, were analysed over the whole country, in order to identify the regions where HCPV might present a considerable advantage over fixed plate PV on an annual energy generation basis. Our results show that there is a considerable fraction of the national territory where the direct normal solar irradiation resource is up to 20% higher than the latitude-tilt irradiation availability. Furthermore, these sites are located in the most industrially-developed region of the country, and indicate that with the declining costs of this technology, distributed multi-megawatt HCPV can be a good choice of technology for solar energy generation at these sites in the near future.     

Estimating the cost of capital for renewable energy projects

Many models in energy economics assess the cost of alternative power generation technologies. As an input, the models require well-calibrated assumptions for the cost of capital or discount rates to be used, especially for renewable energy for which the cost of capital differs widely across countries and technologies. In this article, we review the spectrum of estimation methods for the private cost of capital for renewable energy projects and discuss appropriate use of the methods to yield unbiased results. We then evaluate the empirical evidence from 46 countries for the period 2009–2017. We find a globally consistent rank order among technologies, with the cost of capital increasing from solar PV to onshore wind to offshore wind power. On average, the cost of capital in developing countries is significantly higher than in industrialized countries, with large heterogeneity also within the groups of industrialized or developing countries.     

Solar energy—A look into power generation,challenges, and a solar‐powered future

Sun is an inexhaustible source of energy capable of fulfilling all the energy needs of humankind. The energy from the sun can be converted into electricity or used directly. Electricity can be generated from solar energy either directly using photovoltaic (PV) cells or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP) technology. Progress has been made to raise the efficiency of the PV solar cells that can now reach up to approximately 34.1% in multi‐junction PV cells. Electricity generation from concentrated solar technologies has a promising future as well, especially the CSP, because of its high capacity, efficiency, and energy storage capability. Solar energy also has direct application in agriculture primarily for water treatment and irrigation. Solar energy is being used to power the vehicles and for domestic purposes such as space heating and cooking. The most exciting possibility for solar energy is satellite power station that will be transmitting electrical energy from the solar panels in space to Earth via microwave beams. Solar energy has a bright future because of the technological advancement in this field and its environment‐friendly nature. The biggest challenge however facing the solar energy future is its unavailability all‐round the year, coupled with its high capital cost and scarcity of the materials for PV cells. These challenges can be met by developing an efficient energy storage system and developing cheap, efficient, and abundant PV solar cells. This article discusses the solar energy system as a whole and provides a comprehensive review on the direct and the indirect ways to produce electricity from solar energy and the direct uses of solar energy. The state‐of‐the‐art procedures being employed for PV characterization and performance rating have been summarized . Moreover, the technical, economic, environmental, and storage‐related challenges are discussed with possible solutions. Furthermore, a comprehensive list of future potential research directions in the field of direct and indirect electricity generation from solar energy is proposed.     

Providing all global energy with wind,water, and solar power,Part II: Reliability,system and transmission costs,and policies

This is Part II of two papers evaluating the feasibility of providing all energy for all purposes (electric power, transportation, and heating/cooling), everywhere in the world, from wind, water, and the sun (WWS). In Part I, we described the prominent renewable energy plans that have been proposed and discussed the characteristics of WWS energy systems, the global demand for and availability of WWS energy, quantities and areas required for WWS infrastructure, and supplies of critical materials. Here, we discuss methods of addressing the variability of WWS energy to ensure that power supply reliably matches demand (including interconnecting geographically dispersed resources, using hydroelectricity, using demand-response management, storing electric power on site, over-sizing peak generation capacity and producing hydrogen with the excess, storing electric power in vehicle batteries, and forecasting weather to project energy supplies), the economics of WWS generation and transmission, the economics of WWS use in transportation, and policy measures needed to enhance the viability of a WWS system. We find that the cost of energy in a 100% WWS will be similar to the cost today. We conclude that barriers to a 100% conversion to WWS power worldwide are primarily social and political, not technological or even economic.     

Optimising energy use in an existing commercial building: a case study of Australia’s Reef HQ Aquarium

Reef HQ Aquarium is a major tourism attraction in tropical North Queensland, Australia. In 8 years, a 50% reduction in grid electricity was achieved through targeted infrastructure investment, whilst growing the business. Initially, grid energy consumption was 2438 MWh per annum, with 490-kW peak demand and energy intensity of 1625 MJ m^?2 year^?1 used on typical equipment such as HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), machinery, lighting and catering equipment. Savings of 13% were achieved in the first year by increasing indoor air temperature set-points by 1.5 °C with no significant costs or impacts on occupant thermal comfort or worker productivity. Peak demand was decreased by 46% by upgrading the computerised building management system (BMS), HVAC, machinery and lighting; and by installing a 206-kW photovoltaic (PV) solar power system. This case study illustrates that (a) significant energy use reductions are possible at low cost; (b) capital investment in energy-efficient infrastructure can have short payback times and high direct and indirect benefits, particularly where equipment is ending its life. This study is unique as it examines how a commercial building with integrated chilled water thermal energy storage (TES) and a 3.2-ML chilled seawater aquarium system can be controlled by a BMS to optimise solar power to manage peak energy demand and also increase the utilisation of generated PV power in the absence of electrical battery storage. An interesting building is used to demonstrate efficiency methods with elements such as HVAC and lighting which usually consume over half commercial buildings’ energy use.     

Economic analysis of solar energy development in North Africa

The economic analysis of solar energy development is the basis of promoting the solar energy planning in north Africa and realizing the clean energy power transmission among continents. In this paper, the cost development trend of photovoltaic(PV) power and concentrating solar power(CSP) generation is analyzed, and the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of solar power generation is forecasted. Then, taking the development of Tunisian solar energy as an example in the context of transcontinental transmission, PV power with energy storage and PV-CSP power generation are given as two kinds of development plan respectively. The installed capacity configurations of the two schemes are given with production simulation method, and comprehensive LCOE are calculated. The studies show that based on the LCOE forecast value, the LCOE of PV-CSP combined power generation will decrease when the annual utilization hours of transmission channel is increased. It can be chosen as one of important mode of the North Africa solar energy development.     

启动国内市场促使光伏产业摆脱困境

光伏产业是国家确定的战略性新兴产业,经过多年努力,我国光伏组件的生产技术和产业规模已居国际领先地位。自2011年以来,我国光伏产业面临严峻形势,既有国际市场需求减弱的影响,也与国内政策不配套导致的需求不足直接相关。当前,应通过扩大国内市场需求,消化现有光伏产能。建议适时调整政策,鼓励小规模、分布式太阳能光伏发电;在补贴总量有限的情况下,优化光伏发电的补贴政策;发展灵活、开放、安全的智能微电网,为光伏发电提供高效便捷的接入和结算服务;完善各部门协调机制,促使光伏产业摆脱困境。     

Economic feasibility of large-scale hydro-solar hybrid power including long distance transmission

Solar PV is expected to become the most cost-competitive renewable energy owing to the rapidly decreasing cost of the system. On the other hand, hydropower is a high-quality and reliable regulating power source that can be bundled with solar PV to improve the economic feasibility of long-distance transmitted power. In this paper, a quantification model is established taking into account the regulating capacity of the reservoir, the characteristics of solar generation, and cost of hydro and solar PV with long-distance transmission based on the installed capacity ratio of hydro-solar hybrid power. Results indicate that for hydropower stations with high regulating capacity and generation factor of approximately 0.5, a hydro-solar installed capacity ratio of 1:1 will yield overall optimal economic performance, whereas for hydropower stations with daily regulating capacity reservoir and capacity factor of approximately 0.65, the optimal hydro-solar installed capacity ratio is approximately 1:0.3. In addition, the accuracy of the approach used in this study is verified through operation simulation of a hydro-solar hybrid system including ultra high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission using two case studies in Africa.     

Photovoltaic grid-connection system as load-shaving tool in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia

A photovoltaic grid-connected (PVGC) system has been installed at the Solar Village in Riyadh. Because a PVGC system can use the utility grid as a store, the PVGC system does not need storage batteries.This will result in an initial cost reduction by about 40% as compared with an equivalent PV stand-alone system. The electric power is supplied from the PV generator or utility grid, or from both the PV generator and utility grid simultaneously. During the day time and if the load near the PVGC system is turned OFF, all the available power generated by the PV generator is supplied to the grid. The utility peak load during hot weather in the Riyadh region coincides with the maximum incident solar radiation, and hence the PVGC system produces the highest power, which can be used for load shaving and fossil-fuel conservation.     

Analysis of the operational performance and efficiency characteristic for photovoltaic system in Hong Kong

The applications of photovoltaic (PV) systems have become more widespread in both developed and developing countries. The most critical exercise in designing a PV system is the determination of the optimum size of the solar panel and the battery capacity to meet the load demand with acceptable reliability. The amount of power generated by a PV system strongly depends on the availability of solar insolation at the required location. Also, the efficiency of a PV system is influenced considerably by a number of climatic variables, such as solar irradiance availability and ambient temperature. The technical information is provided for standard test conditions that may never occur in practice. Reliable knowledge of the performance of PV systems under actual operating conditions is essential for correct product selection and accurate performance prediction. This paper investigates the operational performance and efficiency characteristic of a small PV system installed at the City University of Hong Kong. The solar data and the power generated by the PV system are systematically recorded and analysed. The findings provide technical data in different months for designers and engineers to assess and size PV systems.     

A policy proposal for the introduction of solar home systems in East Timor

The Government of East Timor aims to increase the rate of household electricity service from 20% to 80% over the next 20 years. With a largely rural population living in sparsely populated, remote locations, solar home systems (SHS) will play an important role in meeting the off-grid component of rural electrification in East Timor. This paper describes current experience and trials in East Timor with solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. It examines the East Timorese context against six ‘key features’ identified by the World Bank as typically included in solar PV projects: delivery infrastructure; access to finance; rural electrification policy; guarantees for minimum quality; understanding of customer needs; and scaling up capacity building. Of these issues, the authors contend that selection of the delivery infrastructure model is the most critical decision, and that for East Timor, in its present stage of development, a market-driven approach for SHS is unlikely to be successful. A model which subsidises capital costs but seeks full recovery of operating costs is recommended. Irrespective of the delivery infrastructure model, for sustainability, capacity must be developed in a range of other areas, particularly the commercial availability of high-quality components and spare parts; creation of a pool of skilled technicians for installation and maintenance; and development of a robust fee collection and maintenance infrastructure.     

Technical and economical system comparison of photovoltaic and concentrating solar thermal power systems depending on annual global irradiation

Concentrating solar thermal power and photovoltaics are two major technologies for converting sunlight to electricity. Variations of the annual solar irradiation depending on the site influence their annual efficiency, specific output and electricity generation cost. Detailed technical and economical analyses performed with computer simulations point out differences of solar thermal parabolic trough power plants, non-tracked and two-axis-tracked PV systems. Therefore, 61 sites in Europe and North Africa covering a global annual irradiation range from 923 to 2438 kW h/m² a have been examined. Simulation results are usable irradiation by the systems, specific annual system output and levelled electricity cost. Cost assumptions are made for today's cost and expected cost in 10 years considering different progress ratios. This will lead to a cost reduction by 50% for PV systems and by 40% for solar thermal power plants. The simulation results show where are optimal regions for installing solar thermal trough and tracked PV systems in comparison to non-tracked PV. For low irradiation values the annual output of solar thermal systems is much lower than of PV systems. On the other hand, for high irradiations solar thermal systems provide the best-cost solution even when considering higher cost reduction factors for PV in the next decade. Electricity generation cost much below 10 Eurocents per kW h for solar thermal systems and about 12 Eurocents/kW h for PV can be expected in 10 years in North Africa.     

Power generation of solar PV systems in Palestine

In Palestine, the electric power generated is not enough to meet the power demand of domestic and industrial sectors. In this article, a PV system of 220 kW peak was proposed as a renewable resource of power generation for grid connected applications in residential quarter in north Palestine. The proposed system was simulated using MATLAB solver, in which the input parameters for the solver were the meteorological data for the selected location and the size of PV panels. Results showed that it is possible for Palestine to use the solar energy to generate enough power for some villages or rural area. It is also possible to use such a system as a black start source of power during total shutdown time. Results also indicated that solar PV systems can be more economical than grid electricity.     

Multitude of progress and unmediated problems of solar PV in Bangladesh

The aims of this paper are to demonstrate a critical review of the multitude of progress in solar PV research and applications in Bangladesh since its inception in 1996 till 2010. Our studies show that Bangladesh has been experiencing an accelerated shift towards solar PV to meet the gap between demand and supply of electricity along with conventional electricity generation. Despite the present generation of electricity from solar PV is 15-20 MW, both public and private sectors have started several solar PV projects to generate several hundred of MW by the upcoming years. This paper has also tried to identify the critical barriers for widespread dissemination of solar PV in Bangladesh and has discussed possible ways to overcome those barriers as well.     

China’s photovoltaic industry policy performance from the perspective of global value chain

China’s solar energy capacity has enhanced significantly over the past two decades, and this source of energy is playing increasingly vital role in China’s power generation. This study first explained the mechanism of the global value chain and its uses, and then a photovoltaic (PV) system was investigated. We also studied China’s potential and economic viability of solar photovoltaic power, because the most significant problem solar PV systems is currently facing is to finance and find an investor to carry out the projects. It was found that the cost of manufacturing and purifying silicon in all solar panel producers (USA, China, Taiwan, and Malaysia) is nearly equal, because silicon is found to be abundant in all countries, and its purification method (polycrystalline method) is almost similar in all four countries.     

Analysis of grid connected solar PV system in the southeastern part of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a potential site of implementing renewable energy system to reduce the severe power crisis throughout the year. According to this, Chittagong is the southeastern part of Bangladesh is also a potential site for implementing renewable energy system such as grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system. Financial viability and green-house gas emission reduction of solar PV as an electricity generation source are assessed for 500 kW grid connected solar PV system at University of Chittagong, Chittagong. Homer simulation software and monthly average solar radiation data from NASA is used for this task. In the proposed system monthly electricity generation varies between 82.65 MW h and 60.3 MW h throughout the year with a mean value of 68.25 MW h depending on the monthly highest and lowest solar radiation data. It is found that per unit electricity production cost is US$ 0.20 based on project lifetime 25 years. The IRR, equity payback and benefit-cost ratio shows favorable condition for development of the proposed solar PV system in this site. A minimum 664 tones of green-house gas emissions can be reduced annually utilizing the proposed system.     

用于太阳能光电水泵的菲涅耳透镜聚光收集器

报道了具有第二级Ｖ形槽聚光器的玻璃直纹菲涅尔透镜与ＬＧＢＧ高效太阳电池组成的低倍聚光收集器的试验结果。宽度为３０ｍｍ、长度为１．５８ｍ的太阳电池组件，经聚光后峰值功率从７Ｗ增大到４４Ｗ，比常规太阳电池费用减少６０％，系统总费用降低４０％。     

Experimental study of electricity generation by Solar PV/diesel hybrid systems without battery storage for off-grid areas

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of a PV/diesel hybrid system without storage. Experimental results show that the sizing of a PV/diesel hybrid system by taking into account the solar radiation and the load/demand profile of a typical area may lead the diesel generator to operate near its optimal point (70–80% of its nominal power). The present paper shows that for a reliability of a PV/diesel hybrid system, the rated power of the diesel generator should be equal to the peak load. By the way, it has been verified through this study that the functioning of a PV/diesel hybrid system is efficient for higher load and higher solar radiation.     

Energetic contribution potential of building-integrated photovoltaics on airports in warm climates

Especially in warm climates, a considerable fraction of the electricity demand in commercial buildings is due to the intensive use of air-conditioning systems. Airport buildings in sunny and warm regions present a perfect match between energy demand and solar resource availability. Airport buildings are also typically large and horizontal, isolated and free of shading, and have a great potential for the integration of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. In this work, we assess the potential impact in energy demand reduction at the Florianopolis International Airport in Brazil (27°S, 48°W) with the use of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems. We analyse the building’s hourly energy consumption and solar irradiation data, to assess the match between energy demand and potential generation, and we estimate the PV power necessary to supply both the total amount and fractions of the annual energy demand. Our results show that the integration of PV systems on airport buildings in warm climates can supply the entire electric power consumption of an airport complex, in line with the general concept of a zero-energy building (ZEB).     

非晶硅与晶硅太阳电池在太阳能光伏发电应用中热性能的研究

对在北京地区屋面上固定角度安装(目前光伏发电应用中最常见的安装形式)的非晶硅和多晶硅太阳电池组件进行了近二年的数据采集,纪录了北京地区温度数据和太阳电池阵列的实际发电量,分析了它们各自的特点,为用户更为关心的户外使用情况提供了参考依据;认为如果仅从温度特性考虑,是否采用非晶硅替代晶体硅电池在不同地区应有不同考虑,如果再考虑到人们普遍认为的非晶硅电池没有解决的稳定性问题,表面玻璃的非钢化、效率低等其它问题,非晶硅的使用应慎重,不应盲从.同时在使用中不论何种电池都不应忽视组件的通风问题.