The photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion chain: irradiation to grid impact

The research presented in this thesis aims to enhance understanding of the influence of the inherent variability of solar irradiance on nationwide photovoltaic (PV) system performance. The spatial and temporal consistency of the solar resource is investigated. The case study area is the UK and the body of work presents nine publications written over four years with this objective in mind.The key research theme is to produce national solar resource maps from ground-based measurements of solar radiation. Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques are utilised to build a UK map of irradiation from geographically sparse data, requiring development of new tools to both generate and verify the map data. With an augmented understanding of the solar resource, PV system dispersal is then investigated, allowing analysis and prediction of the impact on the electrical grid. The papers describe: (1) determination of the most appropriate algorithm for interpolating ground-based irradiation measurements in the UK to countrywide coverage; (2) selection of solar irradiance component separation and translation models to obtain plane-of-array irradiation from the weather station global horizontal records; (3) justification of weather stations data as a fundamental model input; (4) statistical analysis of LiDAR data and application of GIS models to LiDAR data to obtain PV system tilts and azimuths as model inputs for (2); (5) conversion of solar irradiation to electrical output; (6) shading effects; (7) study of geographic divergence of generation; (8) aggregate grid variability; and (9) future installation scenarios.There has been no previous study which commences with obtaining irradiation values for PV and proceeds through the entire modelling chain to assess cumulative impacts on grid transformers. This study may be adapted as a guide when undertaking equivalent research in other countries. Specifically, the work presented here is more extensively validated than that of previous authors. A nationwide analysis of spatial and temporal variation of PV output is delivered and current and future impacts on the National Grid are taken into consideration.</div

COVID-19 in the Context of Forced Displacement: Perspectives from the Middle East and East Africa

This background paper presents considerations on how the COVID-19 pandemic is accentuating existing vulnerabilities of populations forcibly displaced by war (refugees, asylum-seekers, internally-displaced and stateless persons), in settings across East Africa and the Middle East. In addition to the devastating health threat the pandemic poses, lockdown measures imposed by governments to reduce transmission are having outsized effects on forcibly displaced populations, further entrenching poverty, xenophobia and creating new humanitarian protection issues. With the exceptional physical distancing requirements of this pandemic adding impetus to a global drive towards the localisation of humanitarian responses, we also describe some of the local responses to COVID-19 mounted by forcibly displaced communities and humanitarian actors early in the epidemic. We end by offering suggestions for how greater inclusion could help address vulnerabilities of displaced people to COVID-19. This background paper is based on a rapid review of existing published and grey literature and personal communication with humanitarian actors, social scientists and representatives of local organisations working in diverse settings of displacement in the Middle East and East Africa. It was developed for the Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP) by the RECAP project at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (led by Diane Duclos and Jennifer Palmer). Summary considerations on the ways humanitarian actors, civil society organisations and government departments with specific responsibilities towards displaced people can lessen vulnerabilities in this pandemic are available in a summary paper: Operational considerations: COVID-19 and forced displacement in the Middle East & East Africa

Relationships of Self-Concept, Food and Nutrition Attitudes and Knowledge, and Health Habits to Food Selection and Nutrient Intake

To examine the relationships between self-concept and food- and nutrition-related behavior, information was collected from 153 single women ages 18-35. Participants were contacted through their places of employment and represented a variety of occupations. Each participant had an educational level between a high school diploma and a four-year college degree. Participants completed a questionnaire requesting information about demographic facts, attitudes toward self, attitudes toward the importance of food and nutrition, nutrition knowledge, and health habits. Each participant also completed a three-day food record. Factor analysis of the attitudes toward self, attitudes toward the importance of food and nutrition, and health habits variables yielded 14 meaningful factors. These factors and nutrition knowledge were evaluated for relationships with food selection and nutrient intake. Participants consumed \u3c75% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for energy, calcium, and iron and \u3e125% of the RDA for protein. Snacks were the source of about 17% of calories. Mean score on the 25-point nutrition knowledge test was 14.8 ± 3.6. Scores on one of the factors, Super Person (leader, self-confident, and aggressive) were negatively correlated with 5 of the 15 dietary components studied. Scores on Your Own Thing also were negatively correlated with several dietary components. Scores on the self-perception of a Traditional orientation to life factor (help others and work hard) and the self-perception of being Careful in other health areas factor were positively related to dietary patterns. Scores on the attitude that Nutrition Is Important factor and nutrition knowledge also were positively related to food consumption and nutrient intake

Comparison of typical meteorological year and on-site measurements for solar PV site selection

The standard approach when simulating photovoltaic output is to employ Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) data sets. This paper uses statistical analyses to investigate several TMYs. The objectives are: (1) to ascertain which TMY generation method most accurately reproduces solar conditions in the UK; (2) to discover the minimum time resolution at which TMYs delver reliable results; and (3) to determine if there are any circumstances in which TMYs can replace long-term time series

Advancing Arts Education through an Expanded School Day: Lessons from Five Schools

In schools across the country, educators recognize the power of the arts to change young lives. They know that students' sustained engagement with enriching, high-quality experiences in the arts promotes essential skills and perspectives -- like the capacity to solve problems, express ideas, harness and hone creativity, and persevere toward a job well done. And yet today, educators at many schools that operate with conventional schedules are forced to choose between offering their students valuable opportunities to pursue the arts and focusing on other rigorous core classes that also are necessary for success in the 21st century. This study, which highlights an exciting new approach, is produced by the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL), an organization dedicated to expanding learning time to improve student achievement and enable a well-rounded education, with support from The Wallace Foundation, a national philanthropy seeking to improve education and enrichment for disadvantaged children. In these pages, we present portraits of five schools that are advancing arts education through an expanded school day as they create vibrant and inclusive models of truly enriching education for all students

Assessment of potential for photovoltaic roof installations by extraction of roof slope from lidar data and aggregation to census geography

Leading topics in PV research include field performance and grid impact. A national understanding of roof features (slope, orientation, area) is essential for modelling the timing of PV installation scenarios with their associated irradiance data. However, such information is not currently available. This paper demonstrates the extraction of building characteristics from LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data. These characteristics are then aggregated and scaled-up to produce a UK-wide map of PV potential, based on suitable roof tilts and azimuths

The future scope of large-scale solar in the UK: site suitability and target analysis

This paper uses site suitability analysis to identify locations for solar farms in the UK to help meet climate change targets. A set of maps, each representing a given suitability criterion, is created with geographical information systems (GIS) software. These are combined to give a Boolean map of areas which are appropriate for large-scale solar farm installation. Several scenarios are investigated by varying the criteria, which include geographical (land use) factors, solar energy resource and electrical distribution network constraints. Some are dictated by the physical and technical requirements of large-scale solar construction, and some by government or distribution network operator (DNO) policy. It is found that any suitability map which does not heed planning permission and grid constraints will overstate potential solar farm area by up to 97%. This research finds sufficient suitable land to meet Future Energy Scenarios (UK National Grid outlines for the coming energy landscape)