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This paper discusses a methodology, specifically for solar power potential areas, to effectively design and develop solar photovoltaic power plants integrated with battery banks connected to the utility grid as an additional backup to maintain power stability and reliability. To prove the effectiveness of this method regarding its use for the design and development of the proposed system, Kinshasa city in Democratic Republic of the Congo with a huge (5425 MWh) energy deficit has been considered as a case study. In fact, the method employed in this study has considered weather data, site selection, hourly load power and energy demand analysis, specifications of PV technologies and other components of the system. Economic analysis has also been carried out for the proposed system viability assessment. With a competitive LCOE, SPP < 10 years, NPV˃0, SIR˃1, and ROI ˃10 %, and a yearly PV energy output greater than the city's energy deficit, the system proposed has been found to be feasible and viable. In a search for better performance, higher efficiency and better economic values, the proposed method is highly recommended and can be regarded as one of the most effective and the easiest for sizing large-scale PV systems. • Grid-connected solar PV plants with storage batteries running as a base unit can much help maintain power supply continuity. • An effective design method is of great interest for the sizing of large-scale grid-connected PV systems. • Using PV systems for utility applications can now be regarded as a cheaper and fast option to address electricity challenges in most African countries, in particular DRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper studies the feasibility of utilizing photovoltaic systems in a standard residential apartment in Amman city in Jordan. Data on solar radiation, sunshine duration and the ambient temperature has been recorded in Amman city. An apartment in Amman was chosen as a case study to conduct energy and economic calculations. The electrical power needs and cost were calculated for the apartment. The component design and cost of PV system required to supply required energy was calculated and the payback period for the suggested stand-alone PV system in this paper was estimated in a constant inflation rate in electricity price similar to that of interest rate. The calculated payback period was high in a stand-alone system, to decrease payback period a grid-connected PV system is suggested. Considering an annual increase of 3% in electricity price, 15% of payback period was decreased in a stand-alone PV system and 21% in a grid-connected PV system. The output results of this study show that installation of PV system in a residential flat in Jordan may not be economically rewarding owing to the high cost of PV system compared to the cost of grid electricity. A feed-in tariff law of solar electricity may help to reduce PV system cost like the case of Germany. Additional conclusions are PV systems may be economically rewarding in Jordan if applied in locations far from electrical grid or in remote large scale PV power installations to overcome economical limitations of PV technology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the present paper, an attempt has been made to investigate the theoretical and practical performances of the photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system coupled with earth water heat exchanger (EWHE) cooling system for the conditions of semi-arid region of Pilani, Rajasthan. The experimental studies have been performed for different flow rates of cooling water (0.033 kg/s, 0.025 kg/s and 0.017 kg/s) for a typical day climatic conditions. An electrical efficiency comparison was made for two scenarios when the PV panel was connected or disconnected with the thermal collector and found out that the average electrical efficiency of PV/T panels is higher than the normal PV efficiency. The results of the experimental study showed that the maximum PV panel temperature goes up to 73 °C without any cooling. On the other hand, the PV panel temperature drops in the range of 43.68–49.64 °C with the flow rate of 0.033 kg/s. It has been estimated that the electrical and thermal efficiencies of the PV/T system with cooling are in the range of 8.26–8.52% and 44.06–55.45% respectively for flow rate of 0.033 kg/s. The EWHE pipe length of 38 m found to be sufficient for the proposed system. The experimental results are validated with the theoretical model by using basic energy balance equations and found in good agreement with percentage error of 0.91–12.09%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating photovoltaic systems (FPV) can be a more sustainable alternative for the energy transition than ground-mounted photovoltaic systems, as they avoid occupying useable land and the power generation is more distributed. This paper presents the first study that calculates the FPV technical potential at the province/municipality level, focusing on water irrigation ponds, which it is a novelty in the literature that usually focuses on large water infrastructures in a national approach. In the province of Jaén (Spain), more than 3000 ponds dedicated to agricultural irrigation have been identified and their surface area and location was obtained. The results, calculated for each pond, reveal that, in a conservative scenario, in which only 25% of their surface area is covered, a minimum of 490 MWp can be installed, which can provide 251% of the province agricultural electricity consumption and 27% of the total electricity needs. This analysis has also been performed at the municipal level, where all possible FPV plants have been aggregated and compared with consumption that would be covered at this scale. Furthermore, this technology brings additional benefits, as it avoids the occupation of 12 km2 of useable land, 8.8·106 m3/year of water evaporated, while creating more than 7000 jobs. • A Technical floating PV potential assessment on water irrigation ponds is done • A Technical floating PV potential assessment at a municipal level is done • A calculation of Multi-benefits of floating PV installation is done • An energy consumption coverage assessment at municipal level with floating PV is done [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable hybrid systems with small capacities are widely installed for joining demand response in modern communities. Based on hybrid systems, renewable energy generation can be stored and used for power supply during peak load period. It is impractical to control power flow in such small-scale systems, because power flow dispatching asks for extra investment of expensive regulators and adaptors. In this paper, a switching grid connected photovoltaic system is studied for simplifying system installation. Optimal switching control model is proposed to sufficiently utilize the solar energy and to minimize electricity cost under the time-of-use program. As shown in results, optimal scheduling of the PV system can achieve promising cost savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An analysis of scientific publications on solar energy was conducted to determine whether public interest in the subject is mirrored by more intense research in the area. To this end, the research published by Spain and Germany, the two EU countries with the highest installed photovoltaic capacity, was analyzed based on Web of Science data. The results show that: solar output has risen substantially; solar research has a greater impact (measured in terms of citations) than publications on other renewables such as wind power; scientific production on solar energy is high in Germany and Spain, which together account for 51% of the total in the EU-27; the pattern of topics researched in the two countries is very similar; and their international collaboration is more intense than the world average and higher than in countries such as the USA, China or Japan. Collaboration between them is likewise intense. The main conclusion is the divergence in Germany and Spain between solar energy demand/output growth, being exponential, and the growth of research papers on the subject, which is linear. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The LACCD has a goal of establishing net-zero energy operations across its nine campuses. The project faces many challenges, including limited open areas for installing solar PV, increasing energy consumption challenges associated with campus energy growth and the high cost of installing solar PV. A previous study by found that the LACCD would need to install a 9.5 MW solar PV array in order to meet total campus energy demand on a college campus through the year 2020. This paper attempts to evaluate the financial feasibility of such a project, taking into account the current local, state and federal renewable energy incentives available. We find that despite the availability of financial incentives by local municipal utility companies including installation rebates and net metering, the cost of electricity generated by solar PV still remains approximately 30% higher than electricity generated by fossil fuels. We also find that the optimal solar PV array size from a financial standpoint is one that is sized to generate and meet all electrical demand during sunlight hours. Any array larger than this yields diminishing returns. Finally our analysis examined the influence of per kW installation cost and found that only when prices dropped to $3.00 per installed watt did a net-zero energy solar PV array have an NPV of 0. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Renewable sources of energy are anticipated to play a major role in electricity generation in Ireland in the future. Currently, electricity is mainly generated from imported gas and coal due to a lack of indigenous fossil fuel resources in Ireland. Solar energy is omnipresent, freely available and environmental friendly. The utilisation of solar energy to produce electricity has become increasingly attractive worldwide. However, solar electricity generation has not been very popular in Ireland to-date either on a large scale or on a domestic scale. The unclear economics of domestic solar PV systems, under Irish conditions, is considered the biggest obstacle for expanding domestic solar PV system installation in Ireland. This paper presents a methodology to accurately evaluate the economic viability of a domestic solar PV system on a case-by-case basis. The methodology utilises the software programmes HOMER and Microsoft Excel 2007 for the energy and economic analyses. Utilising this methodology, a realistic economic analysis of eight sample domestic solar PV systems available in Ireland is presented. Based on the predictions, the domestic solar PV system is not economically viable under current conditions in Ireland. Domestic solar PV systems still do not look promising even if better financial support is given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During the last few years the photovoltaic energy market has seen an outstanding growth. According to the new directive on renewable energies of the European Commission (2009/28/EC), the European Union should reach a 20% share of the total energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020. The national overall targets impose for Italy a 17% renewable share: in case of failure the gap would be filled by importation of renewable energy from non-UE countries. The ambitious national targets and thus the continuously increasing interest on renewable fuels, require simple but reliable methods for the energy potential assessment over large-scale territories. Considering roof-top integrated PV systems, the assessment of the PV energy potential passes through the evaluation of the roof surface area available for installations. In the present paper a methodology for estimating the PV solar energy potential is presented, together with its application to Piedmont Region (North-Western Italy). The roof area suitable for solar applications, is calculated through the analysis of available GIS data. The solar radiation maps are taken from the database of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. Different solar energy exploitation scenarios are proposed with the relative perspective results and confidence interval. Further developments and applications of the presented methodology are finally discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]