Potential for Solar Energy in Food Manufacturing, Distribution and Retail

The overall aim of the study was to assess the potential for increasing the use of solar energy in the food sector. For comparative purposes the study also included an assessment of the benefits that could arise from the use of other renewable energy sources, and the potential for more effective use of energy in food retail and distribution. Specific objectives were to: i) establish the current state of the art in relevant available solar technology; ii) identify the barriers for the adoption of solar technology; iii) assess the potential for solar energy capture; iv) appraise the potential of alternative relevant technologies for providing renewable energy; v) assess the benefits from energy saving technologies; vi) compare the alternative strategies for the next 5-10 years and vii) Consider the merits of specific research programmes on solar energy and energy conservation in the food sector. To obtain the views of the main stakeholders in the relevant food and energy sectors on the opportunities and barriers to the adoption of solar energy and other renewable energy technologies by the food industry, personal interviews and structured questionnaires tailored to the main stakeholders (supermarkets, consultants for supermarket design; energy and equipment suppliers) were used. The main findings from the questionnaires and interviews are: - Key personnel in supermarkets and engineers involved in the design of supermarkets are aware of the potential contribution of renewable energy technologies and other energy conservation measures to energy conservation and environmental impact reduction in the food industry. A number of supermarket chains have implemented such technologies at pilot scale to gain operating experience, and more importantly, for marketing reasons, to gain competitive advantage through a green image. - From installations to date in the UK the most notable are a 600 kW wind turbine at a Sainsbury's distribution centre in East Kilbride and a 60 kWp photovoltaic array at a Tesco store in Swansea. - The main barrier to the application of renewable energy technologies in the food sector is the capital cost. Even though significant progress has been made towards the improvement of the energy conversion efficiencies of photovoltaic technologies (PVs) and reduction in their cost, payback periods are still far too long, for them to become attractive to the food industry. - Wind energy can be more attractive than PVs in areas of high wind speed. Apart from relatively high cost, the main barrier to the wide application of wind turbines for local power generation is planning restrictions. This technology is more attractive for application in food distribution centres that are normally located outside build-up areas where planning restrictions can be less severe than in urban areas. In these applications it is likely that preference will be for large wind turbines of more than 1.0 MW power generation capacity as the cost of generation per unit power reduces with the size of the turbine

Street lighting using hybrid solar/wind system for Balai Cerapan UTM

Global issues such as global warming, rising sea level, deprivation of fossil fuel and rising electricity cost have accelerated the research and development on alternative energy sources. In recent years, wind and solar sources have become the prominent source of alternative energy. Wind and solar sources are popularly integrated together in renewable energy systems because solar cells can produce the electricity needed during sunny days while wind turbines can cover the electricity needs during windy days. In UTM, there are lots of street lights, powered by utility electricity installed. As the campus area of UTM is very wide, the amount of electricity cost incurred to UTM is very high. Hence, in this study, an alternative has been searched to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel electricity. Therefore, an appropriate hybrid solar/micro wind unit into a dedicated LED street lighting system has been proposed and installed at UTM’s Balai Cerapan. The hybrid street light comprises of a 80W mini PV panel, a 300W micro wind turbine, a 90Ah battery, control unit and a 30W LED street light. The built in energy management control has been modified and tested to provide smarter control between PV panel and micro wind system throughout the day for a smarter energy management. This new algorithm is able to dim the LED lamp brightness when there is no motion detected. From the simulation, it has been found that potential energy savings of at least 77% can be achieved by using the new energy management algorithm. Hence, it can be concluded that the proposed hybrid solar/wind with dedicated LED street lighting system has been successfully installed, modified (through simulation) and operated at UTM’s Balai Cerapan. As implication, it is hoped that installation of this similar proposed units will help to save the UTM’s electricity bills on the street lighting purpose, without compromising the security and comfort to the users

Energy for Development: The Potential Role of Renewable Energy in Meeting the Millennium Development Goals

This report identifies renewable energy options that are currently in wide use in some regions and that are now ready for large-scale introduction in many areas of the developing world. Through 26 case studies, the report cites biogas, small hydro, solar, wind, ethanol, and biodiesel, among other technologies, as viable options for poverty alleviation in developing countries.As their cost has declined and their reliability has improved, renewable energy technologies have often emerged as more affordable and practical means of providing essential energy services. Although the strongest renewable energy growth has been in grid-connected power systems and liquid fuels for transportation, several technologies are well-suited to providing modern energy services for low-income people. Scaling up a broad portfolio of renewable energy options can make a major contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, concludes the report.The creation of REN 21 was sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Formally established in Copenhagen in June 2005, REN 21 is now supported by a steering committee of 11 governments, five intergovernmental organizations, five non-governmental organizations, and several regional, local and private organizations

Governing carbon mitigation and climate change within local councils: a case study of Adelaide, South Australia

There is growing concern about climate change impacts on local government areas. In Australia, the federal carbon tax (from 1 July 2012) will also increase costs for local councils. This paper evaluates what carbon mitigation (i.e. energy, water, and waste management) actions have been implemented by metropolitan Adelaide councils (n=14) and why (or why not). A survey of environmental officers profiled carbon mitigation actions, emissions auditing, and motives for emissions reduction by Adelaide councils. The main reasons for adopting carbon actions were a climate change plan, climate leadership, and cost savings. Internal council governance of climate change actions was also evaluated. A climate governance framework based on adaptive management, communication, and reflective practice (Nursey-Bray 2010) was applied to assess climate mitigation by Adelaide councils

Development of Hybrid Photovoltaic-Wind System for LED Street Lighting

This paper presents the development of hybrid Photovoltaic (PV)-Wind system connected to light emitting diode (LED) street lighting as the load. The aim of this research is to analyze the energy performance from the combination of PV system and wind system which is hybrid system to the LED lamp as the load. In this project, the PV panel and wind turbine used to generate the energy and the output of the energy control by two equipments which are solar charger controller and hybrid charger controller. The output of both PV and wind connected with the battery as storage energy for this system. In this research, the PV system produces the best energy compared to the wind system and it is reliable to charge the battery of the system and supply to the loa

an innovative wind solar hybrid street light development and early testing of a prototype

An innovative renewable hybrid microgeneration unit has been designed to be fully embedded into a dedicated LED street lighting system. The key feature of this new concept is the arrangement of a multiple Savonius vertical axis wind turbine into the structure itself of the post. A photovoltaic panel is integrated to contribute to power generation. The energy is collected by a power conversion equipment along with a storage device which ensures the lighting also during windless nights. The main application of this project is the standalone street lighting, but also a grid connected option is feasible, making the system compatible with microgrid concepts. Different Savonius rotors have been designed and characterized by wind tunnel tests. The adopted cylindrical geometry has shown a maximum power factor of 0.21. A dedicated safety equipment has been designed to prevent turbine over-speed by automatic stop in extreme wind condition. A full-scale prototype of the generator/lighting system has been installed. The experimental data acquisition is currently in progress to analyse on site performance and to allow energy simulations

Applications of solar energy to power stand-alone area and street lighting

A stand-alone solar-powered street or area lighting system is designed and operated completely independent of the power grid. The equipment and maintenance costs associated with a stand-alone solar-powered system are compared with the cost of using electricity to run grid connected street lights. The project focused on the viability of using solar energy to power the lights in the area surrounding St. Louis, Missouri. The results had to be consistent to warrant converting new areas to independent solar powered lighting. A prototype system is constructed from equipment available on the market for the purpose of gathering data on different lighting sources. The prototype uses a 100W high pressure sodium lamp, 165W solar panel, a maximum power point tracker, an inverter, and lead acid gel batteries. The system has the design capability to last for four days of overcast skies and generate around 9500 lumens of brightness. The results are used to determine the size of the panel and the number of batteries required to guarantee that the lamp would work a preset number of days without failure. Real-life data collected by the prototype system and verified by computer simulations were used to evaluate the long-term performance of the system. An economic analysis is also performed to determine if the project is cost effective --Abstract, page iii

Energy use in Urban Transport sector within the Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) of three Italian Big Cities

Promising Renewable Energy solutions could be installed in cities, but they require specific morphological conditions as well as architectural integration. Transport sector is still neglected from a strong policy initiative. A first attempt along with a defined framework to attract economic resources as well as interested stakeholders is the Covenant of Mayors (CoM). Within this agreement, the Municipality has to design a plan, the so-called Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP). The plan must contain a clear outline of the strategy and relative actions to be taken by the local authority to reach its commitments in 2020, in terms of sustainability goals set by EU 20-20-20. The aim of this paper is to discuss and evaluate the differences of fuel usage and transport sector interaction in Italian urban scenarios, taking into account geographical and morphological constraints, and to compare the forecasts for 2020 and 2030scenarios, in accordance with European and National laws in force

15-05 Infrastructure and Technology for Sustainable Livable Cities

Providing access and mobility for key installations and businesses located in cities become a challenge when there is limited public transport and non-motorized facilities. The challenges are significant in cities that are subjected to severe winter weather conditions. Improving access to sustainable mobility choices is a key aspect of developing livable cities. This project scope is limited to identifying methods and infrastructure to promote walking and cycling. With regards to cycling, bike-share program development and use of location-allocation models as planning tools are presented. To minimize exposure to adverse weather conditions, underground and above ground pedestrian systems are provided. These two infrastructure options are explored during this study. Providing energy efficient lighting systems to make pedestrians and cyclists feel safe to travel within cities is paramount to improve mobility. Energy efficient lighting systems, cost of implementation, and planning tools are discussed. In winter cities, providing snow and ice free streets and walkways promote walking and cycling. Technologies used for such endeavors and implementation case studies are presented. Electricity needed to operate kiosks at bike-share stations, pedestrian lighting, and snow melting systems can be generated through renewable sources. Solar and wind are two such resources discussed in this report. Also, a few tools that can be used for identifying optimal locations for placing solar and wind sensitive infrastructure are presented