Fuzzy wavelet network identification of optimum operating point of non-crystalline silicon solar cells

The emerging non-crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell technologies are starting to make significant inroads into solar cell markets. Most of the researchers have focused on c-Si solar cell in maximum power points tracking applications of photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, the characteristics of non-c-Si solar cell technologies at maximum power point (MPP) have different trends in current???voltage characteristics. For this reason, determining the optimum operating point is very important for different solar cell technologies to increase the efficiency of PV systems. In this paper, it has been shown that the use of fuzzy system coupled with a discrete wavelet network in Takagi???Sugeno type model structure is capable of identifying the MPP voltage of different non-c-Si solar cells with very high accuracy. The performance of the fuzzy-wavelet network (FWN) method has been compared with other ANN structures, such as radial basis function (RBF), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and three layered feed-forward neural network (TFFN). The simulation results show that the single FWN architecture has superior approximation accuracy over the other methods and a very good generalization capability for different operating conditions and different technologie

A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY BASED ON LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS FOR ON-BOARD PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR MODULES IN VEHICLES

This dissertation presents a novel comprehensive assessment methodology for using on-board photovoltaic (PV) solar technologies in vehicle applications. A well-to-wheels life cycle analysis based on a unique energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, and economic perspective is carried out in the context of meeting corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards through 2025 along with providing an alternative energy path for the purpose of sustainable transportation. The study includes 14 different vehicles, 3 different travel patterns, in 12 U.S. states and 16 nations using 19 different cost analysis scenarios for determining the challenges and benefits of using on-board photovoltaic (PV) solar technologies in vehicle applications. It develops a tool for decision-makers and presents a series of design requirements for the implementation of on-board PV in automobiles to use during the conceptual design stage, since its results are capable of reflecting the changes in fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emission, and cost for different locations, technological, and vehicle sizes. The decision-supports systems developed include (i) a unique decision support systems for selecting the optimal PV type for vehicle applications using quality function deployment, analytic hierarchy process, and fuzzy axiomatic design, (ii) a unique system for evaluating all non-destructive inspection systems for defects in the PV device to select the optimum system suitable for an automated PV production line. (iii) The development of a comprehensive PV system model that for predicting the impact of using on-board PV based on life cycle assessment perspective. This comprehensive assessment methodology is a novel in three respects. First, the proposed work develops a comprehensive PV system model and optimizes the solar energy to DC electrical power output ratio. Next, it predicts the actual contribution of the on-board PV to reduce fuel consumption, particularly for meeting corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) 2020 and 2025 standards in different scenarios. The model also estimates vehicle range extension via on-board PV and enhances the current understanding regarding the applicability and effective use of on-board PV modules in individual automobiles. Finally, it develops a life cycle assessment (LCA) model (well-to-wheels analysis) for this application. This enables a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of an on-board PV vehicle application from an energy consumption, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission, and cost life-cycle perspective. The results show that by adding on-board PVs to cover less than 50% of the projected horizontal surface area of a typical passenger vehicle, up to 50% of the total daily miles traveled by a person in the U.S. could be driven by solar energy if using a typical mid-size vehicle, and up to 174% if using a very lightweight and aerodynamically efficient vehicle. In addition, the increase in fuel economy in terms of combined mile per gallon (MPG) at noon for heavy vehicles is between 2.9% to 9.5%. There is a very significant increase for lightweight and aerodynamic efficient vehicles, with MPG increase in the range of 10.7% to 42.2%, depending on location and time of year. Although the results show that the plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) do not always have a positive environmental impact over similar gasoline vehicles considering the well-to-wheel span, the addition of an on-board PV system for both vehicle configurations, significantly reduces cycle emissions (e.g., the equivalent savings of what an average U.S. home produces in a 20 month period). The lifetime driving cost ($per mile) of a gasoline vehicle with adding on-board PV, compared to a pure gasoline vehicle, is lower in regions with more sunlight (e.g., Arizona) even of the current gasoline price in the U.S. ($4.0 per gallon) assuming battery costs will decline over time. Lifetime driving cost ($per mile) of a plug-in EV with added PV versus pure plug-in EV (assuming electricity price 0.18$/kWh) is at least similar, but mostly lower, even in regions with less sunlight (e.g., Massachusetts). In places with low electricity prices (0.13 $/kWh), and with more sunlight, the costs of operating an EV with PV are naturally lower. The study reports a unique observation that placing PV systems on-board for existing vehicles is in some cases superior to the lightweighting approach regarding full fuel-cycle emissions. An added benefit of on-board PV applications is the ability to incorporate additional functionality into vehicles. Results show that an on-board PV system operating in Phoenix, AZ can generate in its lifetime, energy that is the equivalent of what an American average household residential utility customer consumes over a three-year period. However, if the proposed system operates in New Delhi, India, the PV could generate energy in its lifetime that is the equivalent of what an Indian average household residential utility customer consumes over a 33-year period. Consequently, this proposed application transforms, in times of no-use, into a flexible energy generation system that can be fed into the grid and used to power electrical devices in homes and offices. The fact that the output of this system is direct current (DC) electricity rather than alternative current (AC) electricity reduces the wasted energy cost in the generation, transmission, and conversion losses between AC-DC electricity to reach the grid. Thus, this system can potentially reduce the dependency on the grid in third world countries where the energy consumption per home is limited and the grid is unstable or unreliable, or even unavailable

A comprehensive review and performance evaluation in solar (PV) systems fault classification and fault detection techniques

The renewable energy industry is growing faster than ever before and in particular solar systems have significantly expanded. Abnormal conditions lead to a reduction in the maximum available power from solar (photovoltaic) systems. Thus, it is necessary to identification, detection, and monitoring of various faults in the PV system that they are the key factors to increase the efficiency, reliability, and lifetime of these systems. Up to now, faults on PV components and systems have been identified; some of them have physical damage on PV systems and some of them are electrical faults that occur on the DC side or AC side of the PV system. Here, the faults will be divided into groups based on their location of occurrence. This paper provides a comprehensive review of almost all PV system faults and fault detection techniques of PV system proposed in recent literature

Potensi Energi Matahari di Wilayah Sulawesi Selatan Berbasis Perhitungan RETSc reen Internasional

-Tulisan ini bertujuan ingin memetakan secara angka-angka tentang potensi energi \ud matahari pada beberapa kota di Sulawesi Selatan. Tinjauan akan berkisar pada \ud perencanaan suatu sistem berbasis energi matahari, dalam kaitannya dengan analisa \ud teknologi, lingkungan dan ekonomi. Secara teknologi, kita bisa menjabarkan lebih \ud detail tentang teknologi untuk sistem pemanas air dan solar panel untuk energi listrik. \ud Pembahasan terhadap aspek lingkungan mengacu kepada seberapa banyak \ud pengurangan emisi CO2 pertahun. Ini juga bisa diasumsikan dengan berapa jumlah \ud pengiritan BBM yang bisa diperoleh pertahun. Aspek ekonomi juga perlu dikemukakan \ud karena berkaitan dengan keuntungan atau saving pertahun untuk suatu sistem \ud berdasarkan data-data ekonomi makro, seperti angka inflasi, rasio utang dan bunga \ud pinjaman bank. Hasil pembahasan dari tulisan ini selayaknya dapat dijadikan \ud referensi buat pembuat kebijakan dalam hal ini pemerintah daerah, investor dan \ud pemilik otoritas kelistrika

Estimating the impact of azimuth-angle variations on photovoltaic annual energy production

The performance of a photovoltaic (PV) installation is affected by its tilt and azimuth angles, because these parameters change the amount of solar energy absorbed by the surface of the PV modules. Therefore, this paper demonstrates the impact of the azimuth angle on the energy production of PV installations. Two different PV sites were studied, where the first comprises PV systems installed at –13°, –4°, +12° and +21° azimuth angles in different geographical locations, whereas the second PV site included adjacent PV systems installed at –87°, –32°, +2° and +17° azimuth angles. All the investigated PV sites were located in Huddersfield, UK. In summary, the results indicate that PV systems installed between –4° and +2° presented the maximum energy production over the last 4 years, while the worst energy generation were observed for the PV system installed at an azimuth angle of –87°. Finally, the probability projections for all observed azimuth angles datasets have been assessed. Since PV systems are affected by various environmental conditions such as fluctuations in the wind, humidity, solar irradiance and ambient temperature, ultimately, these factors would affect the annual energy generation of the PV installations. For that reason, we have analysed the disparities and the probability of the annual energy production for multiple PV systems installed at different azimuth angles ranging from –90° to +90° degrees, and affected by different environmental conditions. These analyses are based on the cumulative density function modelling technique as well as the normal distribution function

Performance evaluation of the photovoltaic system

The various renewable energy source technologies, Photovoltaics (PV) transforming sunlight directly into electricity, have become standard practice worldwide, especially in countries with high solar radiation levels. PV systems have been developed rapidly over recent years, and many new technologies have emerged from different producers. For each type of PV module, manufacturers provide specific information on rated performance parameters, including power at maximum power point (MPP), efficiency and temperature factors, all under standard solar test conditions (STC) 1000 W/m2. Air. In addition, the mass (AM) of 1.5 and the cell's temperature was 25 ̊C. Unfortunately, this grouping of environmental conditions is infrequently found in outdoor conditions. Also, the data provided by the manufacturers are not sufficient to accurately predict the performance of photovoltaic systems in various climatic conditions. Therefore, monitoring and evaluating the performance of the off-site systems is necessary. This thesis aims to overview various photovoltaic technologies, ranging from crystalline silicon (c-SI) to thin-film CdTe and GiCs. The following are the main parameters for evaluating the external units' performance to describe the PV systems' operation and implementation. In addition, a review of the impacts of various environmental and operational factors, such as solar radiation, temperature, spectrum, and degradation

Solar Power System Plaing & Design

Photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) systems for the conversion of solar energy into electricity are technologically robust, scalable, and geographically dispersed, and they possess enormous potential as sustainable energy sources. Systematic planning and design considering various factors and constraints are necessary for the successful deployment of PV and CSP systems. This book on solar power system planning and design includes 14 publications from esteemed research groups worldwide. The research and review papers in this Special Issue fall within the following broad categories: resource assessments, site evaluations, system design, performance assessments, and feasibility studies

NASA SBIR abstracts of 1991 phase 1 projects

The objectives of 301 projects placed under contract by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are described. These projects were selected competitively from among proposals submitted to NASA in response to the 1991 SBIR Program Solicitation. The basic document consists of edited, non-proprietary abstracts of the winning proposals submitted by small businesses. The abstracts are presented under the 15 technical topics within which Phase 1 proposals were solicited. Each project was assigned a sequential identifying number from 001 to 301, in order of its appearance in the body of the report. Appendixes to provide additional information about the SBIR program and permit cross-reference of the 1991 Phase 1 projects by company name, location by state, principal investigator, NASA Field Center responsible for management of each project, and NASA contract number are included

Advanced Operation and Maintenance in Solar Plants, Wind Farms and Microgrids

This reprint presents advances in operation and maintenance in solar plants, wind farms and microgrids. This compendium of scientific articles will help clarify the current advances in this subject, so it is expected that it will please the reader