Optimally sizing of solar array and battery in a standalone photovoltaic system in Malaysia

Size optimization of solar array and battery in a standalone photovoltaic (SPV) system is investigated. Based on the energy efficiency model, the loss of power supply probability (LPSP) of the SPV system is calculated for different size combinations of solar array and battery. For the desired LPSP at the given load demand, the optimal size combination is obtained at the minimum system cost. One case study is given to show the application of the method in Malaysian weather conditions.     

Urban market response for solar photovoltaic systems: An economic appraisal—South Indian case study

Electricity consumption in developing countries is increasing rapidly and even though governments commission large power plants—thermal, hydro, and nuclear—there is gap between the total capacities planned and the actual installed capacities. This has led to frequent and long power shortages to consumers, who respond by using emergency stand-by systems during power cuts. This article reports the results of a survey conducted in an urban area in South India among the commercial sector establishments to ascertain whether there is any potential for the use of solar photo voltaic systems (SPVS) as an emergency electricity supplying unit for lighting applications. Data regarding the lighting load, the duration of power shortages were obtained. The opinions of the establishments in installing SPVS were ascertained. A comparison of the economics of SPVS, a conventional engine-driven electricity generating a stand-by emergency system, and a battery system charged from the grid shows that SPVS is economically attractive. Other important advantages of SPVS have been highlighted.     

Economic evaluation of small-scale photovoltaic hybrid systems for mini-grid applications in far north Cameroon

A comparison between photovoltaic hybrid systems (PVHS), standalone photovoltaic (PV) and standalone diesel generator options is performed using the net present value (NPV) technique. A typical village mini-grid energy demand of 7.08 kWh/day is considered in the computation of energy costs and breakeven grid distances. A first sensitivity analysis is conducted using remote diesel prices of 0.8 €/l, 0.98 €/l, 1.12 €/l, 1.28 €/l with a PV module cost of 7.5 €/Wp. A second sensitivity analysis is also done using PV module costs of 5.25 €/Wp, 6 €/Wp, 6.75 €/Wp, 7.5 €/Wp with a diesel price of 1.12 €/l. The energy cost for the diesel option was found to be 0.812 €/kWh at a diesel fuel price of 1.12 €/l. The sensitivity analyses showed that minimum energy costs were attained in PVHS at renewable energy fractions in the range 82.6–95.3%. In the second sensitivity analysis the energy costs and breakeven grid distances were found to be in the ranges 0.692–0.785 €/kWh and 5.1–5.9 km respectively. For a PV module cost of 5.25 €/Wp, the lowest energy cost for the PVHS option was 0.692 €/kWh at a final renewable energy fraction of 95.3% with the diesel generator hours being 37 h compared to 2075 h in the standalone diesel generator option. Consequently, a 30% reduction in custom duties and taxes on imported PV modules and sub-systems would increase the use of small-scale and climate friendly PV mini-grids in remote areas of far north Cameroon that have an annual insolation of at least 5.55 kWh/m²/day.     

Technological system and renewable energy policy: A case study of solar photovoltaic in Taiwan

In Taiwan, having implemented some incentive measures and subsidies, some progress of renewable energy in Taiwan has occurred; however, comparing the medium and long-term target reveals a wide gap. This paper (taking the solar photovoltaic (PV) for example), applies the ‘technological system’ framework to analyze the evolution of PV in Taiwan. Here, a comparative analysis is made of the development of PV between Germany and Taiwan to understand what issues that policy makers should focus on PV utilization in Taiwan.     

Design of a photovoltaic electric power system for an indian village

Photovoltaic generation and electrochemical storage of electrical power offer an attractive possibility for the electrification of a village that is normally considered “uneconomic” for electrification by the conventional REP. The modular nature of both solar cells and storage batteries make it possible to use either a centralised or a decentralised system within a village. A critical analysis of the electrical energy requirements of the village including its domestic, agricultural, community and street lighting needs and its technoeconomic aspects is therefore to be made for the most cost effective and maximum beneficial choice between (a) the centralised village energy centre or (b) highly decentralised roof top units within the village. A methodology is first developed in this paper to investigate this problem on the basis of balance of systems (BOS) cost per peak watt and is then applied to a typical village in West Bengal, India. The analysis indicates that the centralised village energy centre approach is about five times more cost-effective than the roof top approach under the assumed conditions.     

Environmental impacts of a standalone solar water splitting system for sustainable hydrogen production: A life cycle assessment

Hydrogen is broadly utilized in various industries. It can also be considered as a future clean energy carrier. Currently, hydrogen is mainly produced from typical fuels such as coal; however, there exist some other clean alternatives which use water decomposition techniques. Water splitting via the copper-chlorine (Cu–Cl) thermochemical cycle is a superb option for producing clean carbon-free fuel. Here, the life cycle assessment (LCA) technique is used to investigate the environmental consequences of an integrated solar Cu–Cl fuel production facility for large-scale hydrogen production. The impact of varying important input parameters including irradiation level, plant lifetime, and solar-to-hydrogen efficiency on various environmental impacts are investigated next. For instance, an improve in the solar-to-hydrogen efficiency from 15% to 30%, results in a reduction in the GWP from 1.25 to 6.27E-01 kg CO₂ eq. An uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo simulation is conducted to deal with the study uncertainties. The results of the LCA show that the potential of acidification and global warming potential (GWP) of the current system are 8.27E-03 kg SO₂ eq. and 0.91 kg CO₂ eq./kg H₂, respectively. According to the sensitivity analysis, the plant lifetime has the highest effect on the total GWP of the plant with a range of 0.63–1.88 kg of CO₂ eq./kg H₂. Results comparison with past thermochemical-based studies shows that the GWP of the current integrated system is 7% smaller than that of a solar sulfur-iodine thermochemical cycle.     

A model of silicon solar cells for concentrator photovoltaic and photovoltaic/thermal system design

The design of photovoltaic (PV) and photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar energy conversion systems employing optical concentration requires simple models of solar cells which nevertheless have sufficient accuracy to be employed in design decisions. Semi-empirical expressions are presented for open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, fill factor, and conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells as explicit functions of optical concentration (C) and temperature (T). In addition similar expressions are given for the solar cell current as a function of C and T and of the operating voltage V, to enable characterization under conditions of nonoptimal power transfer. The agreement of the model with experimental data is shown to be within ? 10% for all parameters. An example of an application of the model to system design is also presented.     

An experimental study on using natural vaporization for cooling of a photovoltaic solar cell

This study attempts to investigate a new way for cooling PV cell using natural vapor as coolant. The performance of solar cell was examined on simulated sunlight. The natural vapor encountered backside of PV cell vertically in various distribution and different mass flow rates. Also, the effect of natural vapor temperature in cooling performance was analyzed. Results indicated that the temperature of PV cell drops significantly with increasing natural vapor mass flow rate. In detail, the PV cell temperature decreased about 7 to 16 °C when flow rate reaches 1.6 to 5 gr min^− 1. It causes increasing electrical efficiency about 12.12% to 22.9%. The best performance of PV cell can be achieved at high natural vapor flow rate, low natural vapor temperature and the obtained optimum distribution condition.     

An ex-ante evaluation of a White Certificates scheme in The Netherlands: A case study for the household sector

Increased efficiency of energy demand is generally recognized as a very cost-effective strategy to reduce energy requirements and the related environmental impacts (e.g. the greenhouse effect). In order to improve energy efficiency the use of innovative market mechanisms, such as the White Certificates (WhC), has been proposed. The basic idea underlying this policy instrument is that specific energy saving targets are set for energy suppliers or energy distributors. These requirements must be fulfilled in a predefined time frame. The focus of this paper is on the effect on energy efficiency improvement, on the behavior of the end consumers and the market of energy efficiency measures. Furthermore, we study the possible effects of WhC in The Netherlands by means of a theoretical analysis and an empirical bottom-up model. We compare concrete energy efficient technologies in terms of cost-effectiveness and energy efficiency improvement. In combination with existing Dutch policies for energy efficiency improvement in the built environment, the contribution of this innovative scheme could enhance the accomplishment of energy efficiency targets. In this paper, two packages of energy saving measures of a WhC scheme are studied for Dutch households. The costs of these technologies are estimated through the use of different discount rates, which imply overcoming of the market barriers through the use of the WhC. A scheme that includes all available technologies as flexible options appears as a realistic solution and can generate cost effectively up to 180 PJ primary energy savings and 4550 M€ cumulative net savings in the year 2020, at a discount rate of 5%, under the precondition that the policy and administrative costs can be kept low.     

A case study of solar photovoltaic power system at Sagardeep Island,India

The application of renewable energy in electric power system is growing fast. Photovoltaic and wind energy sources are being increasingly recognized as cost-effective generation sources for remote rural area isolated power system. This paper presents the performance analysis of solar photovoltaic (SPV) system installed at Sagardeep Island in West Bengal state of India. The technical and commercial parameters are used to carry out the performance analysis. The effect of the SPV installation on social life is also studied. SPV installations not only provide electricity to people but also raised their standard of living.     

A new and inexpensive temperature-measuring system: Application to photovoltaic solar facilities

This article presents the design, construction and testing of a new and inexpensive digital sensor-based temperature-measuring system, whose principal characteristics are: precision, ease of connection, immunity to noise, remote operation and easy scaling, and all this at a very low cost. This new digital sensor-based measuring system overcomes the traditional problems of digital measuring sensors, offering characteristics similar to Pt100-based measuring systems, and therefore can be used in any installation where reliable temperature measurement is necessary. It is especially suitable for installations where cost is a deciding factor in the choice of measuring system. It presents a practical application of the developed instrumentation system for use in photovoltaic solar facilities. This new temperature-measuring system has been registered in the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office with the number P200803364.     

Techno-economic assessment of a hydrogen refuelling station powered by an on-grid photovoltaic solar system: A case study in Morocco

The present work sheds light on the green hydrogen future in Morocco. A detailed techno-economic assessment and evaluation of a hydrogen refuelling station powered by an on-grid photovoltaic system are presented and discussed. This station is designed to supply the fleet of taxis in a Moroccan city by assuming different scenarios to replace the current taxi system with fuel-cell electric vehicles. A model is proposed to estimate the daily demand for hydrogen, which is used to determine the sizing of the station's components. An economic analysis is then conducted to calculate the cost of hydrogen production. The technical results demonstrate that about 152 kg/day is required to supply the total fleet, while only 30.4 kg/day is enough to provide 20%. It is also found that the costs of hydrogen produced are inversely proportional to the capacity of the hydrogen refuelling station, and the hydrogen cost is about 9.18 $/kg for the larger station and 12.56 $/kg for the smaller one. The proposed system offers an attractive solution to enhance the country's development and reduce the consumption of hydrocarbon fuels.     

Geothermal and solar based mutligenerational system: A comparative analysis

The current study focuses on the comparative analyses of multigeneration systems integrated with an electrolyzer for the production of hydrogen, for work rate a regenerative Rankine Cycle and finally for the cooling effect vapor absorption cycle was used. The power produced by both proposed systems was observed to yield some difference based on their positioning in the system and similarly, the rate of hydrogen production from the electrolyzer was also observed. Energetic and exergetic analyses of both the systems are done including all the concerned components. Certain parameters are varied to observe the overall changes in the system along with their effect on the overall efficiencies. A comparative analysis between the two proposed systems was carried out in the present study and eventually providing an efficient system, adding up to the novelty of this publication. At the similar ambient working conditions one of the systems was observed to yield an approximately 0.45% power efficiency difference but when the working parameters were varied, the difference was observed to be abrupt. The electrolyzer has a generation rate of 0.296 g/s and 0.2648 g/s respectively for both systems at base working conditions. At 800 W/m² of solar irradiance, the Rankine-Trough-Vapour (RTV) cycle produced 11.77% more net power as compared with Vapour-Trough-Rankine (VTR) cycle. Hydrogen production is considered to be one of the most valuable asset of this analysis because of its immense use in multiple processes. Furthermore, this study suggests the most efficient system for different atmospheric conditions.     

Willingness to pay and preferences for alternative incentives to EV purchase subsidies: An empirical study in China

The transport sector's promotion of electric vehicles (EVs) is an important tool in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The high monetary subsidies widely used to promote EV diffusion in many countries are not sustainable in the long term. Therefore, effective alternative incentives are needed as subsidies are gradually phased out. In this paper, consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for alternative incentives is studied based on a questionnaire survey. Using a discrete choice experiment, 1719 Chinese consumer questionnaires were collected. Consumers' WTP for nine alternative policies was calculated by applying the multinomial logit model and mixed logit model, and the mixed logit model is used as the main model of this study because of its better statistical performance. Finally, the relationship between the respondent heterogeneity and policy preferences was studied. The results show that alternative incentives can fill the gap produced by subsidy reductions. EV privileges like no restrictions on driving and purchases, which have the lowest implementation cost, are suitable for first- and second- tier cities. For second-tier cities, construction of more charging stations is the most appropriate choice. The heterogeneous features of the respondents, including cities of residence, type of vehicle owned, recognition of the environmental benefits of EVs, gender, and whether the family has children, had a significant impact on policy preferences.     

An analytical study of a hybrid wind-passive solar system

This paper presents the results of an analytical performance and economic evaluation of a combined passive solar and wind powered residential heating and electrical energy system. Simulated in a New England wind and weather environment, the modeled system is based on the coupling of a vertical axis wind turbine with a super-insulated passive solar house. The analytical model is composed of four major sections: (1) residential heating and energy load; (2) wind turbine generator system; (3) energy system performance model; and (4) life-cycle costing economic analysis. Results for the heating, electrical supply and economic performance of the system are presented, varying such key parameters as residence window area, insulation, storage size, wind turbine size, and site average wind speed. These results show that when sited in adequate wind regimes (average wind speed greater than 5.4 m/sec (12 mph)) and coupled with super-insulated passive structures, wind turbines can provide significant fractions of the electrical and heating requirements in the New England environment.     

A model of household energy services in a low-income rural African village

Energy use is closely linked to quality of life in rural Africa. The gathering of fuel-wood and other traditional fuels is a strenuous and time consuming task mainly performed by women; indoor exposure to particulate matter, mainly from cooking and heating with traditional fuels, causes about 2.5 million deaths each year in developing countries (Bruce et al., Bull World Org. 78 (2000) 1078). Modern fuels and appliances allow households to reduce their exposure to smoke from biomass cookers and heaters. Yet modern fuels are costly for income-poor households and often carry their own external costs. For example, numerous children are poisoned from ingesting paraffin, and whole villages have burned from fires triggered by paraffin stoves and lamps.     

Field experience study and evaluation for hydrogen production through a photovoltaic system in Ouargla region,Algeria

An experimental study on small-scale for solar hydrogen production system via a Proton Exchange Membrane electrolysis under a desert climatic condition in Ouargla region (South-East of Algeria) has been carried out, the target of this study has been first to evaluate hydrogen production by water analysis and to store the solar energy which has had the form of a hydride-metal hydrogen, after that, to investigate the performance of sophisticated commercial electrolyser (HG-60)powered by photovoltaic panels via the Power Management Unit (PMU) as a power conditioner, this paper has also a mathematical models based on real-time experiments were used to simulate both the photovoltaic system and PEM electrolyser work, along with attempting to direct linking strategy with the same experimental components of photovoltaic panels and commercial electrolyser, it was found through this study, the addition of the number of commercial electrolyser with the bank of four HG-60 stacks in series. More effective considering the improving voltage matching, with power transfer efficiency reach to 99%, also another factor is the photovoltaic panels slope on panel output power and hydrogen productivity are theoretically examined, where the proper selection of optimal tilt angle has an importance for collecting the maximum hydrogen amount, eventually, over the experiment span, the real-amount of hydrogen vented over experiment course is around 92.54l.     

Energy taxes as a signaling device: An empirical analysis of consumer preferences

This paper presents an econometric study dealing with household demand in Sweden. The main objective is to empirically examine the differences in consumer reaction to the introduction of, or the change, in environmental taxes. Main focus is on environmental taxes as a signaling device. The hypothesis is that the introduction of an environmental tax provides new information about the properties of the directly taxed goods. This in turn may affect consumer preferences for these goods, hence altering the consumption choice. The result from the econometric analysis shows that all goods have negative own-price elasticities, and positive income elasticities. Concerning the signalling effect of environmental taxes the results are somewhat ambiguous. The tax elasticity for energy goods used for heating seems to be significantly higher than the traditional price elasticity, whereas the opposite seems to be the case for energy goods used for transportation.     

ANFIS-based modelling for photovoltaic power supply system: A case study

Due to the various seasonal, monthly and daily changes in meteorological data, it is relatively difficult to find a suitable model for Photovoltaic power supply (PVPS) system. This paper deals with the modelling and simulation of a PVPS system using an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Scheme (ANFIS) and the proposition of a new expert configuration PVPS system. For the modelling of the PVPS system, it is required to find suitable models for its different components (ANFIS PV generator, ANFIS battery and ANFIS regulator) that could give satisfactory results under variable climatic conditions in order to test its performance and reliability. A database of measured climate data (global radiation, temperature and humidity) and electrical data (photovoltaic, battery and regulator voltage and current) of a PVPS system installed in Tahifet (south of Algeria) has been recorded for the period from 1992 to 1997. These data have been used for the modelling and simulation of the PVPS system. The results indicated that the reliability and the accuracy of the simulated system are excellent and the correlation coefficient between measured values and those estimated by the ANFIS gave a good prediction accuracy of 98%. Additionally, test results show that the ANFIS performed better than the Artificial Neural Network (ANN), which has also being tried to model the system. In addition, a new configuration of an expert PVPS system is proposed in this work. The predicted electrical data by the ANFIS model can be used for several applications in PV systems.     

A simulation model for predicting the performance of a solar photovoltaic system with alternating current loads

This paper describes the development of a simulation model for predicting the performance of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system under specified load requirements and prevailing meteorological conditions at the site location. This study is aimed at situations where the loads are provided by alternating current (AC) electrical devices. The model consists of several submodels for each of the main components of the PV system; namely, PV array, battery, controller, inverter and various loads. Mathematical equations developed for modeling the performance of each component are explained along with the methodology to determine the performance coefficients. In order to validate the developed simulation model, an experimental system has been set up and tested under a variety of climatic conditions. Simulated results from the model under the same operating and environmental conditions are compared with those observed from the experimental tests. Good agreement is found in the comparison. Slight discrepancies appearing in the results are described and recommendations are given for further improvement. The simulation model developed can be used not only for analyzing the PV system performance, but also for sizing the PV system which is most suitable to the load requirements at any specified location provided that the local meteorological data is available.