Investigation of the energy performance of a novel modular solar building envelope

The major challenges for the integration of solar collecting devices into a building envelope are related to the poor aesthetic view of the appearance of buildings in addition to the low efficiency in collection, transportation, and utilization of the solar thermal and electrical energy. To tackle these challenges, a novel design for the integration of solar collecting elements into the building envelope was proposed and discussed. This involves the dedicated modular and multiple-layer combination of the building shielding, insulation, and solar collecting elements. On the basis of the proposed modular structure, the energy performance of the solar envelope was investigated by using the Energy-Plus software. It was found that the solar thermal efficiency of the modular envelope is in the range of 41.78–59.47%, while its electrical efficiency is around 3.51% higher than the envelopes having photovoltaic (PV) alone. The modular solar envelope can increase thermal efficiency by around 8.49% and the electrical efficiency by around 0.31%, compared to the traditional solar photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) envelopes. Thus, we have created a new envelope solution with enhanced solar efficiency and an improved aesthetic view of the entire building

Analysis of spatial fixed PV arrays configurations to maximize energy harvesting in BIPV applications

This paper presents a new approach for efficient utilization of building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems under partial shading conditions in urban areas. The aim of this study is to find out the best electrical configuration by analyzing annual energy generation of the same BIPV system, in terms of nominal power, without changing physical locations of the PV modules in the PV arrays. For this purpose, the spatial structure of the PV system including the PV modules and the surrounding obstacles is taken into account on the basis of virtual reality environment. In this study, chimneys which are located on the residential roof-top area are considered to create the effect of shading over the PV array. The locations of PV modules are kept stationary, which is the main point of this paper, while comparing the performances of the configurations with the same surrounding obstacles that causes partial shading conditions. The same spatial structure with twelve distinct PV array configurations is considered. The same settling conditions on the roof-top area allow fair comparisons between PV array configurations. The payback time analysis is also performed with considering local and global maximum power points (MPPs) of PV arrays by comparing the annual energy yield of the different configurationsPeer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Ancillary Services in Hybrid AC/DC Low Voltage Distribution Networks

In the last decade, distribution systems are experiencing a drastic transformation with the advent of new technologies. In fact, distribution networks are no longer passive systems, considering the current integration rates of new agents such as distributed generation, electrical vehicles and energy storage, which are greatly influencing the way these systems are operated. In addition, the intrinsic DC nature of these components, interfaced to the AC system through power electronics converters, is unlocking the possibility for new distribution topologies based on AC/DC networks. This paper analyzes the evolution of AC distribution systems, the advantages of AC/DC hybrid arrangements and the active role that the new distributed agents may play in the upcoming decarbonized paradigm by providing different ancillary services.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad ENE2017-84813-RUnión Europea (Programa Horizonte 2020) 76409

A plug-and-play ripple mitigation approach for DC-links in hybrid systems

© 2016 IEEE.In this paper, a plug-and-play ripple mitigation technique is proposed. It requires only the sensing of the DC-link voltage and can operate fully independently to remove the low-frequency voltage ripple. The proposed technique is nonintrusive to the existing hardware and enables hot-swap operation without disrupting the normal functionality of the existing power system. It is user-friendly, modular and suitable for plug-and-play operation. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the ripple-mitigation capability of the proposed device. The DC-link voltage ripple in a 110 W miniature hybrid system comprising an AC/DC converter and two resistive loads is shown to be significantly reduced from 61 V to only 3.3 V. Moreover, it is shown that with the proposed device, the system reliability has been improved by alleviating the components' thermal stresses

Flexible Integration of Alternative Energy Sources for Autonomous Sensing

Recent developments in energy harvesting and autonomous sensing mean that it is now possible to power sensors solely from energy harvested from the environment. Clearly this is dependent on sufficient environmental energy being present. The range of feasible environments for operation can be extended by combining multiple energy sources on a sensor node. The effective monitoring of their energy resources is also important to deliver sustained and effective operation. This paper outlines the issues concerned with combining and managing multiple energy sources on sensor nodes. This problem is approached from both a hardware and embedded software viewpoint. A complete system is described in which energy is harvested from both light and vibration, stored in a common energy store, and interrogated and managed by the node

Definition study for photovoltaic residential prototype system

A site evaluation was performed to assess the relative merits of different regions of the country in terms of the suitability for experimental photovoltaic powered residences. Eight sites were selected based on evaluation criteria which included population, photovoltaic systems performance and the cost of electrical energy. A parametric sensitivity analysis was performed for four selected site locations. Analytical models were developed for four different power system implementation approaches. Using the model which represents a direct (or float) charge system implementation the performance sensitivity to the following parameter variations is reported: (1) solar roof slope angle; (2) ratio of the number of series cells in the solar array to the number of series cells in the lead-acid battery; and (3) battery size. For a Cleveland site location, a system with no on site energy storage and with a maximum power tracking inverter which feeds back excess power to the utility was shown to have 19 percent greater net system output than the second place system. The experiment test plan is described. The load control and data acquisition system and the data display panel for the residence are discussed