Renewable energy for Latium: looking for innovative technologies in PV and solar thermal field.

European METTTES Project, financed within the FP6-2005-INNOV-7 call, aimed to test a new methodology to encourage the launch of transnational collaborations technology based among European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and/or research organizations, focusing its attention on regional technology demand, influenced by changes in regulations and standards and fostered by local incentives. METTTES considered European directives, national, regional and local measures (i.e. incentives, projects, etc.) potentially influencing companies’ behavior. In addition, METTTES has also taken into account the IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) Directive 96/61/EC, whose purpose is to achieve an integrated pollution prevention and control from the industrial activities. At the end of these analysis, METTTES derived the technology demand not from the needs of individual enterprises, but instead from the regional system. A certain number of Regional Demand Profiles (RDPs) on particular interesting industrial fields have been collected at European level; the documentation includes a comprehensive analysis and detailed presentation of current regional technology demands and forecasts as well as foresight regarding future demands triggered by legal requirements new administrative regulations or national environmental policy and BATs analysis. Each RDP document has been edited with the collaboration of local stakeholders and administrations and by auditing involving SMEs. Results of each RDP have been high quality Technology Requests (TRs) expressed by local companies which seek technological collaboration. For Latium Region this task has been performed by CNR in the sector of PV and solar thermal technologies

Streamlined life cycle assessment of transparent silica aerogel made by supercritical drying

This is the post-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2011 ElsevierWhen developing sustainable building fabric technologies, it is essential that the energy use and CO2 burden arising from manufacture does not outweigh the respective in-use savings. This study investigates this paradigm by carrying out a streamlined life cycle assessment (LCA) of silica aerogel. This unique, nanoporous translucent insulation material has the lowest thermal conductivity of any solid, retaining up to four times as much heat as conventional insulation, whilst being highly transparent to light and solar radiation. Monolithic silica aerogel has been cited as the ‘holy grail’ of future glazing technology. Alternatively, translucent granular aerogel is now being produced on a commercial scale. In each case, many solvents are used in production, often accompanied by intensive drying processes, which may consume large amounts of energy and CO2. To date, there has been no peer-reviewed LCA of this material conducted to the ISO 14000 standard. Primary data for this ‘cradle-to-factory gate’ LCA is collected for silica aerogel made by low and high temperature supercritical drying. In both cases, the mass of raw materials and electricity usage for each process is monitored to determine the total energy use and CO2 burden. Findings are compared against the predicted operational savings arising from retrofitting translucent silica aerogel to a single glazed window to upgrade its thermal performance. Results should be treated as a conservative estimate as the aerogel is produced in a laboratory, which has not been developed for mass manufacture or refined to reduce its environmental impact. Furthermore, the samples are small and assumptions to upscale the manufacturing volume occur without major changes to production steps or equipment used. Despite this, parity between the CO2 burden and CO2 savings is achieved in less than 2 years, indicating that silica aerogel can provide a measurable environmental benefit.This work is funded by the EPSRC, Brunel University and Buro Happold Ltd, the University of Bath is funded by the EPSRC grant EP/F018622/1

Manifestations of carbon capture-storage and ambivalence ofquantum-dot & organic solar cells: An indispensable abridgedreview

This study bestows an essential abridged review of the manifestations of carbon capture & storage (CCS) systems and the ambivalence of quantum-dot & organic photovoltaic (PV) solar cells. This research implicates that CCS system is evolving in capturing emissions from coal-fired electrical power stations to further mitigate climate change. Different manifestations are discussed for capturing and storing the with repercussions on operating costs, toxicity and energy efficiency. Chemical Looping Combustion appears to be the more energy efficient than Oxy-fuel CFBC and Ionic Liquids, and less expensive than Calcium Looping and Amine Scrubbing. Calcium Looping (Cal) and Ionic Liquids are also less toxic than Amine Scrubbing. Direct air technology is also very compelling at capturing emissions but highly expensive. Nevertheless, further research is still required for all CCS systems to be able to implement them widely in existing/new electrical power stations. Waste heat energy recovery systems can be used in conjunction with capture systems for further reduction of emissions. The ambivalence of quantum dot and organic solar cells are briefly reviewed. It implicates that composite film with enhanced quantum dot effects will make the film highly transparent and options of tunability of its color spectrum make the quantum dot solar cells highly attractive to a wide variety of applications. Organic solar cells are carbon-rich polymers and can be designed to improve a precise function of the cell, such as sensitivity to a certain type of light. OPV cells can only be considered as half-competent to crystalline silicon and have smaller beneficial lifespans, but could be less costly to produce in high volumes. Current research issues are substitution/compromises between electrical power conversion efficiency and average visible light transmittance. However, improving average light-transmittance decreases electrical power conversion efficiency and vice versa

Comparison of Different Solar Thermal Energy Collectors and Their Integration Possibilities in Architecture

Solar energy is becoming an alternative for the limited fossil fuel resources. One of the simplest and most direct applications of this energy is the conversion of solar radiation into heat, which can be usedin water heating systems. A commonly used solar collector is the flat-plate. A lot of research has been conducted in order to analyze the flat-plate operation and improve its efficiency.The solar panel can be used either as a stand-alone system or as a large solar system that is connected to the electricity grids. The earth receives 84 Terawatts of power and our world consumes about 12 Terawatts of power per day. We are trying to consume more energy from the sun using solar panel. In order to maximize the conversion from solar to electrical energy, the solar panels have to be positioned perpendicular to the sun. Thus the tracking of the sun’s location and positioning of the solar panel are important.The main goal of this article is explaining all the solar thermal systems available and the integration possibilities with comparisons for better usages and integration process into design

Cellulosic-crystals as a fumed-silica substitute in vacuum insulated panel technology used in building construction and retrofit applications

This article investigates impact of substituting fumed silica with a cellulosic-crystal innovation in a commercial Vacuum Insulated Panel (VIP) core. High building performance demands have attracted VIP technology investment to increase production capacity and reduce cost. In building retrofit VIPs resolve practical problems on space saving that conventional insulations are unsuitable for. Three challenges exists in fumed silica: cost, low sustainability properties, and manufacture technical maturity. Cellulosic nano-crystal (CNC) technology is in its infancy and was identified as a possible alternative due to a similar physical nano-structure, and biodegradability. The study aim was to determine a performance starting point and establish how this compares with the current benchmarks. Laboratory cellulosic-crystal samples were produced and supplied for incorporation into commercial VIP manufacture. A selection of cellulosic-panels with core densities ranging 127–170 kg/m3 were produced. Thermal conductivities were tested at a pressure of 1 Pa (0.01 mBar), with the results compared against a selection of fumed silica-VIPs with core densities ranging 144–180 kg/m3. Conductivity tests were then done on a cellulosic-VIP with 140 kg/m3 density, under variable pressures ranging 1–100,000 Pa (0.01–1000 mBar). This investigated panel lifespan performance, with comparisons made to a fumed silica-VIP of similar core density. Manufactured cellulosic-samples were found unsuitable as a commercial substitute, with performance below current standards. Areas for cellulosic nano-material technology development were identified that show large scope for improvement. Pursuit could create a new generation of insulation materials that resolve problems associated with current commercial versions. This is most applicable in building retrofit where large ranges of domestic and commercial cases are marginalised from their construction markets due to impracticalities and high upgrade costs. This being a problem in multiple economies globally

Clean & Green: Best Practices in Photovoltaics

Outlines the impact of using toxic compounds in manufacturing solar panels compared to the effects of fossil fuels and nuclear power; best management and operations practices for protecting workers and the environment; and considerations for investors

Opportunities from Renewable Resources: From biobased chemicals to biomaterials

Renewable resources and materials are considered as sustainable alternatives to their petroleum-derived counterparts which are often associated with negative social and environmental impact. In particular, where renewable resources occur as a by-product or waste as a consequence of primary and secondary processing, they can be viewed as a potential source of carbon neutral biobased chemicals, materials and (bio)energy through a process termed valorization. This thesis presents the valorization of unavoidable food supply chain wastes (UFSCW), namely, pea-, ginger- and agricultural straw-waste to afford biobased chemicals, materials and (bio)energy. Pea and ginger wastes were successfully defibrillated in to microfibrillated celluloses (MFC) via acid-free microwave hydrothermal treatment as evidenced by changes in IR, TGA, 13C CPMAS NMR, SEM, TEM, XRD, CrI and their ability to form hydrogels. The hydrolysate was rich in sugars, organic acids and, interestingly, starch (only for ginger waste). The effect of extrusion on pea waste gave higher CrI (approx. 1%-15%) and thermal stability (around 1-11oC), reduced lignin and hemicellulose content, narrower fibril width (about 0.4-3.3 nm), better water holding capacity (5 to 40 % higher) and higher surface area compared (approx. 7-20 m2/g) with their non-extruded counterparts. Ginger essential oils were successfully isolated in good yield (heptane; ~4%) with a composition similar to industrial grade ginger oil. Microwave pyrolysis of ginger afforded hydrochars (20 - 24.5 MJ kg−1) and bio-oils of variable quality dependent on the processing conditions. Bioboards (maximum IBS:0.25 N/mm2) were successfully manufactured from agri-straws and biosilicate binders, and initial attempts to produce foam materials, as an inner layer of a structural insulation panel (SIP) are reported. Preliminary attempts to increase hydrophobicity via silanization are reported. In conclusion, this thesis shows that biorefineries that deliver chemicals, materials and (bio)energy can be envisaged from valorization of pea, ginger and agri-straw UFSCWs