The enerMENA Meteorological Network – Solar Radiation Measurements in the MENA Region

International audienceFor solar resource assessment of solar power plants and adjustment of satellite data, high accuracy measurement data of irradiance and ancillary meteorological data is needed. For the MENA region (Middle East and Northern Africa), which is of high importance for concentrating solar power applications, so far merely 2 publicly available ground measurement stations existed (BSRN network). This gap has been filled by ten stations in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan. In this publication the data quality is analyzed by evaluating data completeness and the cleanliness of irradiance sensors in comparison for all of the stations. The pyrheliometers have an average cleanliness of 99.2 % for week-daily cleaning. This is a 5 times higher effort than for Rotating Shadowband Irradiometer (RSI) stations which even have a slightly higher average cleanliness of 99.3 % for weekly cleaning. Furthermore, RSI stations show a data completeness of 99.4 % compared to 93.6 % at the stations equipped with thermal sensors. The results of this analysis are used to derive conclusions concerning instrument choice and are hence also applicable to other solar radiation measurements outside the enerMENA network. It turns out that RSIs are the more reliable and robust choice in cases of high soiling, rare station visits for cleaning and maintenance, as usual in desert sites. Furthermore, annual direct normal and global horizontal irradiation as well as average meteorological parameters are calculated for all of the stations

Temperature Effect on Performance of Different Solar Cell Technologies

One of the main parameters that affect the solar cell performance is cell temperature; the solar cell output decreases with the increase of temperature. Therefore, it is important to select the proper solar cell technology that performs better at a specified location considering its average temperatures. In addition, the solar cell performance is directly reflected on the overall economics of the project. This paper is proposed to evaluate the variations in the performance of different solar cell technologies related to temperature in Amman, Jordan. Field data of weather station and three PV systems (Poly-crystalline, Mono-crystalline and Thin-film) of identical design parameters collected from Test Field Project at Applied Science Private University, Shafa Badran, Amman, Jordan. These data were analysed in the following way: estimated specific energy yield (kWh/kWp) for the three different PV systems was calculated depending on the measured value of solar irradiance and technical specifications of the installed solar panels and inverters, then the actual energy yield at different temperatures over one year was compared with the estimated value, so the deviations could be determined and actual temperature coefficients for energy yield could be calculated, knowing that the three PV Systems have identical design parameters (tilt angle, azimuth angle, type and dimensions of mounting structure and inverter size) and same cleaning method and schedule. It was found that the thin-film solar panels are less affected by temperature with temperature coefficient of -0.0984%, and -0.109%, -0.124% for Mono-crystalline and Poly-crystalline respectively. These results can be implemented in the preliminary design steps, specifically in the selection of the solar cell technology to be installed in a specific location

Removing Heavy Metals Through Different Types of Soils and Marble Powder Found in Oman

In this research, adsorption followed by filtration was used for removing heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Mn, and Cr) from the polluted water. Three types of soils (silty, sandy and clay) and three types of marble powder (pure, impure, marble-granite mix) were used as an adsorbent. The soil and marble samples were collected from different regions of Oman. The maximum adsorption obtained was 96.01% for Zn using pure marble powder and the minimum adsorption obtained was 6.70% for Mn using impure marble powder. Through different soils, the maximum adsorption of 88.61% was achieved for Zn using clay and the lowest one is for Cr 16.51% using silty soil. The results suggest that among the marble powders, the pure ones show the maximum (96.01% for Zn) and marble-granite show the minimum (Mn 6.70%) adsorption performance. Among the adsorbents, Zn is the best adsorbate (96.01%) while the worst among the group is Mn, which merely adsorbed 6.70% with the selected adsorbents

Demand Side Management and its Possibilities in Jordan

The increase in energy consumption and energy bills in Jordan have been escalating rapidly, which requires a special concern as a large percent of the energy is imported. The need for the reducing peak demand of the distribution network is essential to decrease the overall electricity generation cost. This study was aimed at presenting a model for a home that manages its energy consumption, and the maximum savings possible if the load shifting to off-peak times was applied. It also introduced a tariff that is more concerned in time of use rather than consumption only. The power consumption profile is collected for a sample house. The profile for a week was registered and graphed. The pricing suggested was calculated per day. Moreover, some samples applied worldwide were discussed to find a suitable model. It was found that a saving rate of 16% is achievable if the time of use charge is applied. Additionally, a peak load reduction of 3.5 kWH average per day (in the peak hours) is possible

Relaminarization of wall turbulence by high-pressure ramps at low Reynolds numbers

Reverse transition from the turbulent towards the laminar flow regime was investigated experimentally by progressively increasing the pressure up to 400 MPa in a fully developed pipe flow operated with silicone oil as the working fluid. Using hot-wire anemometry, it is shown indirectly that at low Reynolds numbers a rapid increase in pressure modifies the turbulence dynamics owing to the processes which induce the effects caused by fluid compressibility in the region very close to the wall. The experimental results confirm that under such circumstances, the traditional mechanism responsible for self-maintenance of turbulence in wall-bounded flows is altered in such a way as to lead towards a state in which turbulence cannot persist any longer

Innovative Solutions for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Jordan

The aim of this paper is to specify people’s awareness, acceptance and needs for the Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy efficiency (EE) innovations in Jordan. This took place after having studied the most influential innovations on RE and EE in Germany, Spain and Turkey. Then, two suitable innovations were selected; in particular, PV mobile charger and sodium light unit regulator. Our research was based on the analysis of qualitative interviews and a questionnaire. The results showed that (53%) are willing to buy PV mobile charger depending on its life cycle and efficiency even if it is expensive. About (89%) of respondents realized that it is important to develop and support the EE innovative solution of using sodium regulator in lighting the streets by the municipalities, and about (49%) would like to take practical steps for the RE and EE developments if they could. The results also show that all respondents are willing to pay extra cost to obtain green energy; (20%) want the cheapest possible solution in this regard. the study results indicate that Jordanian people do expect more from the public sector about renewable energy production; whereas a large percentage (63%) thinks that public sector should take the first step towards renewable energy production. The acceptance and awareness of the society on RE and EE innovations is one of the most important drivers towards the transition to RE and EE in Jordan

A Multicriteria Approach to Modelling Pandemic Response under Strong Uncertainty: A Case Study in Jordan

In responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence-based policymaking and risk mitigation have been confronted with limited decision-making mechanisms under conditions of increased uncertainty. Such methods are particularly called for in contexts where reliable data to a large extent are missing and where the chosen policy would impact a variety of sectors. In this paper, we present an application of an integrated decision-making framework under ambiguity on how to contain the COVID-19 virus spread from a national policy point of view. The framework was applied in Jordan and considered both local epidemiologic and socioeconomic estimates in a multistakeholder multicriteria context. In particular, the cocreation process for eliciting attitudes, perceptions, and preferences amongst relevant stakeholder groups has often been missing from policy response to the pandemic, even though the containment measures’ efficiency largely depends on their acceptance by the impacted groups. For this, there exist several methods attempting to elicit criteria weights, values, and probabilities ranging from direct rating and point allocation methods to more elaborated ones. To facilitate the elicitation, some of the approaches utilise elicitation methods whereby prospects are ranked using ordinal importance information, while others use cardinal information. Methods are sometimes assessed in case studies or more formally by utilising systematic simulations. Furthermore, the treatment of corresponding methods for the handling of the alternative’s values has sometimes been neglected. We demonstrate in our paper an approach for cardinal ranking in policy decision making in combination with imprecise or incomplete information concerning probabilities, weights, and consequences or alternative values. The results of our cocreation process are aggregated in the evaluation of alternative mitigation measures for Jordan, showcasing how a multistakeholder multicriteria decision mechanism can be employed in current or future challenges of pandemic situations, to facilitate management and mitigation of similar crises in the future, in any region

The Impact of Energy Source on the Life-Cycle Assessment of Power-to-Liquid Fuels

Powet-to-Liquid (PtL) fuels is a promising technology and promising alternative to biofuels and conventional fuels. In this work, the environmental impact of PtL was investigated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in order to see how the energy source used in producing the PtL affects the environmental impacts the fuel has. The electrolysis cell used is Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC), and the pathway of CO2 provision is biomass power plant. Four scenarios of energy sources were compared; the first scenario is electricity from German grid and heat from chemical industry, the second one is electricity from Saudi Arabia grid and heat from chemical industry, the third one is the electricity from wind turbine and heat from evacuated tube collector, and the fourth scenario is electricity from photovoltaic and heat from evacuated tube collector. The result of the life cycle assessment showed that the PtL fuels have environmental benefits over the fossil reference only in the third and fourth scenarios where renewable electricity was use

Are energy security concerns dominating environmental concerns? Evidence from stakeholder participation processes on energy transition in Jordan

To satisfy Jordan’s growing demand for electricity and to diversify its energy mix, the Jordanian government is considering a number of electricity-generation technologies that would allow for locally available resources to be used alongside imported energy. Energy policy in Jordan aims to address both climate change mitigation and energy security by increasing the share of low-carbon technologies and domestically available resources in the Jordanian electricity mix. Existing technological alternatives include the scaling up of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind; the deployment of nuclear energy; and shale oil exploration. However, the views, perceptions, and opinions regarding these technologies—their benefits, risks, and costs—vary significantly among different social groups both inside and outside the country. Considering the large-scale policy intervention that would be needed to deploy these technologies, a compromise solution must be reached. This paper is based on the results of a four-year research project that included extensive stakeholder processes in Jordan, involving several social groups and the application of various methods of participatory governance research, such as multi-criteria decision-making. The results show the variety of opinions expressed and provide insights into each type of electricity-generation technology and its relevance for each stakeholder group. There is a strong prevalence of economic rationality in the results, given that electricity-system costs are prioritized by almost all stakeholder groups