Photovoltaics: Precision Power Measurement for the Fastest Growing Renewable Energy Technology

The JRC's European Solar Test Installation (ESTI) recently updated its ISO 17025 calibration accreditation and can now offer top precision electrical performance calibration for PV cells and modules.JRC.C.2-Energy Efficiency and Renewable

Online data and tools for estimation of solar electricity in Africa: the PVGIS approach

We present interactive web tools for map-based query of a solar radiation database and for performance assessment of solar photovoltaic systems. The high-resolution geographic database covers the Mediterranean Basin, Africa and South-West Asia. Daily global irradiation was primarily computed from Meteosat satellite images by the Heliosat-2 method and stored in the HelioClim-1 database. From this database, long term monthly and yearly averages of global horizontal irradiation were derived for the period 1985-2004. Using the PVGIS method, based on the solar radiation model r.sun, interpolation of the clear-sky index and terrain shadowing, the original spatial resolution of HelioClim-1 database (15' x 15') was enhanced to 2 km x 2 km. A set of web tools was developed to query basic climatic and geographic data for a chosen location, and to estimate and optimize energy output from photovoltaic system at arbitrary inclination and orientation of modules. The PVGIS system can be accessed at http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/pv/

Integration of Helioclim-1 database into PV-GIS to estimate solar electricity potential in Africa

pages 2989-2992We present a method for computing high resolution database of global horizontal irradiation for Africa and the Mediterranean Basin. Following this, we analyse the geographical and time variability of the solar energy potential for electricity applications. The primary solar radiation data were previously computed from Meteosat satellite images by the Heliosat-2 method and stored in the HelioClim-1 database. From this database, the long term monthly and yearly averages of global irradiation on horizontal plane (period 1985-2004) were derived. Using the PV-GIS method, based on a clear-sky model, interpolation of the clear-sky index and terrain shadowing, the original spatial resolution of HelioClim-1 database (15') was enhanced to 2 km. Using daily global irradiation from the enhanced PV-GIS database we estimated the electricity generation from a typical solar home system. Assuming a 100 Wp installation with a battery and battery charger, together with a performance ratio of 0.75, the power production ranges from about 0.3 to 0.6 kWh per day in most locations in Africa

The Teachers' Health and Wellbeing Study Scotland

© NHS Health Scotland 2004In Scotland, as in the rest of Europe and the UK, issues of health and well being have come to be of increasing concern in the contemporary workplace, and no less so in the teaching profession where levels of ill-health retirement and workrelated sickness absence have become perennial concerns (Wilson 2002; Brown and Macdonald, forthcoming; Travers and Cooper 1996). Indeed, it has been estimated that stress in physical and psychological terms may cost taxpayers in Scotland approximately £43 million per year and, in addition, that some £37 million a year is spent on supply teachers to cover for those who are absent. Furthermore, it has been proposed that anything between £750,000 – £1.5 million might be saved every year in Scotland through the introduction of comprehensive teacher support systems (Goss 2001). While it is a well-established fact that teaching is one of the most stressful jobs (Smith et al, 2000a, 2000b; Trunch, 1980; Tuetteman and Punch, 1990), very little primary data on teachers in Scotland actually exist. Rather, the evidence base in Scotland is dominated by reviews cataloguing the evidence and arguments concerning the nature and sources of teacher stress, for example, the Scottish Council for Research in Education (SCRE) has published two of the most detailed reviews of the sources and prevalence of teachers’ stress (Johnstone, 1989; Wilson, 2002). In an effort to form a baseline picture of teachers’ health needs in Scotland, as well as a more strategic view of what could be done to address these growing problems, NHS Health Scotland and the charity Teacher Support Scotland (TSS) with support from the Esmee Fairburn Foundation commissioned research to explore the issue of teachers’ health and well being. The explicit aim of the endeavour was to address the ‘growing perception in Scotland that there is a need for consistent and systematic support for teachers on a national basis’ (NHS Health Scotland 2003), the concern being that teacher recruitment,. retention and morale will be adversely affected if such support is not forthcoming. There were three components to the research, the aims of which were: 1. to map the context and support which is currently offered to teachers in Scotland. 2. to ask teachers themselves about their health needs and the support they would like to be offered in the future. 3. to catalogue the interventions from around the world which might be effective in addressing teachers’ health and well being. Data were collected for each strand respectively through: 1. A survey of the HR Departments of all 32 Scottish Local Authorities to determine the nature and extent of support for health and well being issues among teachers. 2. A health and well being questionnaire survey of a sample of teachers drawn from the register of the General Teaching Council of Scotland and a focus group session with staff members in a SEN school. 3. A “rapid evidence assessment” using international social science and occupational health databases to search for relevant literature on health interventions which have been used to improve health and well being in the teaching profession across the world. This report summarises the results from all three strands of the research project.NHS Health Scotland, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Teacher Support Scotlan

Uncertainties in solar electricity yield prediction from fluctuation of solar radiation

We have analyzed the variability of solar radiation in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions by comparing yearly and monthly averages to long-term average values calculated from the HelioClim-1 database. Daily sums of global horizontal irradiation are considered for 18 years in the period 1985-2004. Standard deviation of yearly sums of global horizontal irradiation shows low interannual variability, being mostly in the range of 4% to 6%. While in arid climate of Northern Africa, Middle East, and Southern Europe standard deviation goes below 4%, values up to 10% are identified along coasts and in mountains. In the least sunny year out of 18, the solar resource was generally never more than 9% below the long-term average, and only in a few regions the radiation deficit reached 15%. The most stable weather is found in summer with standard deviation in June below 12%. The least stable season is winter, with variability higher then 20% in December, and regionally going above 35%. The solar resource has distinctive time and geographical patterns that might affect financing of large photovoltaic systems, as well as management of the distributed electricity generation

Solar cell efficiency tables (version 62)

Consolidated tables showing an extensive listing of the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules are presented. Guidelines for inclusion of results into these tables are outlined, and new entries since January 2023 are reviewed

Solar cell efficiency tables (Version 63)

Consolidated tables showing an extensive listing of the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules are presented. Guidelines for inclusion of results into these tables are outlined and new entries since July 2023 are reviewed

Photovoltaic energy systems

This report outlines the European Commission's Joint Research Centre's contribution to standardisation activities within the field of Photovoltaic Energy Systems. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) continues to play a significant role in European and international standardisation activities within the field of Photovoltaic Energy Systems. In particular JRC experts are convenors for working groups in both the relevant IEC and CENELEC technical committees, were the project leader of one standards published by the IEC in 2019 and made a significant contribution to many others. JRC is also the project leader for two more standards which are currently subject to the standardisation process.JRC.C.2-Energy Efficiency and Renewable

Standards for the assessment of the environmental performance of photovoltaic modules, power conversion equipment and photovoltaic systems

To support the on-going preparatory activities on the feasibility of applying the EcoDesign, EU Energy label, EU Ecolabel and Green Public Procurement (GPP) policy instruments to solar photovoltaic modules, inverters and systems, this report aims to: • Identify, describe and compare existing standards and new standards under development, relevant to energy performance, reliability, degradation and lifetime. • Identify aspects not covered by existing standards, for which transitional methods may be needed.JRC.C.2-Energy Efficiency and Renewable

Transitional methods for PV modules, inverters and systems in an Ecodesign Framework

This document contains proposal for the establishment of transition methods in order to facilitate the introduction of regulations governing ECODESIGN , ECOLabel , Energy Label and GPP. This draft has been prepared for the 2nd Stakeholder Meeting for the PV Ecodesign Preliminary Study. The final version will be available at the conclusion of the preparatory study in 2019.JRC.C.2-Energy Efficiency and Renewable