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This paper investigates the modelling accuracy of small-scale solar energy systems, in particular the effect of changing the time resolution. Accurate modelling of solar energy systems is important in designing cost-effective solutions and in research into micro-grid functionality. Currently, most modelling uses a resolution of one hour when simulating the energy in small scale renewable energy systems. Within each hour, these models take an average of the load demand and solar generation values. An hourly time resolution is ignorant of the large variations in a daily load profile that result from high power appliances and also misses short-term variations in solar generation. Few researchers using hourly modelling consider the implications in terms of the simulation accuracy. In this paper, 3 load profiles are modelled with grid connected solar systems, one with and one without a battery, totalling 6 models. Each model is simulated for 4 seasons of the year, modelled at hourly, 5 min and 1 min time resolution. The results show that the hourly model was a poor predictor of battery behaviour, over-estimating the battery state of charge (SoC) by up to 10%. It is also shown that, for systems without battery, the quantity of energy exported and self-consumed changed by an average of 5% and 8% respectively. The study concludes that increasing time resolution from hourly to 5-min resolution in energy models would be advantageous, increasing their accuracy in terms of battery behaviour and predicted self-consumption of solar energy. In particular, modelling at 5-min instead of hourly resolution shows the full benefits of installing battery storage with solar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is to study the potential behaviour of a power system with high share of nuclear and less thermal plants, in which variable RES insertion increases − for example the French case −, in order to determine the specifications for the design of a potential nuclear reactor with high "manoeuvrability". Moreover, the flexible reactor may participate more in the supply − demand balance and in particular during large frequency fluctuations caused by the high variability of RES. The studies are carried out with the PowerFactory software, which make it possible to highlight specific needs regarding the power ramp for an "ideal" flexible nuclear reactor. Using a benchmark network, the Kundur "2 areas-4 machines", the flexibility requirements are obtained as a function of the grid disturbances. For this purpose, the penetration of variable RES is progressively increased, while nuclear power is reduced and thermal power plants are totally suppressed. The study shows that a drop in RES production directly impacts the minimal frequency. A faster response speed of nuclear power makes it possible to restore this stability and return to normal operating conditions imposed by the grid operator. This paper describes therefore the process of obtaining the flexibility criterion for different cases of insertion of variable RES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable Energy Sources (RES) using PV arrays are considered and extensively employed in today's world. Islanding is an issue that happens when The RES is connected to the grid and unexpected circuit breakers are connected to the grid trip. It is necessary to notice the islanding condition in two seconds according to IEEE standards. This manuscript proposed an effectual hybrid system for islanding detection of Solar PhotoVoltaic (SPV) based distributed generation system. The proposed technique is a hybrid combination of Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) and Jelly Fish Search algorithm (JS) known as GBDT-JS Techniques. The main concept of this paper is to diminish the Non‐Detection Zone (NDZ) and maintain output power quality. These objectives are achieved by the proposed hybrid technique considering the Rate Of Change Of Frequency (ROCOF) at the target DG position is employed by the input assigned for the RF system in intelligent islanding detection. Here, Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is employed for extracting intrinsic features among islanding and grid disturbance along GBDT. Also, the JS algorithm is used in the classification of islanding and grid disturbance. To find the feasibility of the proposed system various conditions such as different loads, switch operation, and network conditions are tested. In the validation of the proposed system MATLAB/Simulink working platform is utilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport sector accounts for about one quarter of the global carbon dioxide emissions. It is dominated by fossil fuels, leading to different negative impacts on humans and the environment. Over the last years, interest in alternative automotive powertrains such as different types of electric vehicles as well as low-carbon fuels has been increasing. The main objective of this paper is to provide review of the current state of the major renewable energy systems in road transport focusing on the EU. Based on a detailed literature review, the major prospects and impediments for the future use of biofuels, renewable electricity and green hydrogen in road transport are discussed considering policies implemented, as well as emission reduction targets set for the future with a special focus on passenger car transport. The major conclusions are: (i) The prospects of biofuels depend on their future economic and environmental performance as well as on land availability and the food versus tank discussion. (ii) The high investment costs of battery- and fuel cell electric vehicles are still a major barrier for their faster market penetration but they could be reduced in future due to technological learning. In addition, their contribution to the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions is achievable only in combination with the increasing use of renewable energy sources in electricity generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) that are variable and not "dispatchable", may weaken the power system supply-demand balance. Nuclear power plants (NPP) contribute in part to this daily and seasonal balance thanks to the "load-following" mode in France for example, but there are still limits to their use. These limits prevent a nuclear power modulation as efficient and quickly as the conventional thermal power plants. The need in terms of power ramps for nuclear in a constrained power system has been quantified in previous studies. Nuclear may compensate for the removal of thermal power plants, in order to fulfill energetic strategies of CO2 reduction. The possibility that nuclear reactors can achieve power ramps of significant values (>5%Pn/min) is put forward and could make possible to replace the services currently provided by thermal power plants. The objective of the study is then to use these power system requirements as the main input parameter for the modelling of a current simplified nuclear reactor capable of responding to frequency control within a specific hypothesis framework. In this paper, a French 1300 MW pressurized water reactor is modelled. Parametric studies are carried out in order to reveal technical and technological constraints when increasing electric power ramp. The study explores ways of design, which may influence reactor flexibility, such as the neutron parameter, Doppler coefficient, or the thermohydraulic parameter, delay in the primary loop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCCC) are largely engaged in renewable energy compared to other sources of energy for achieving sustainable development, i.e., maintaining balance between environmental, socio-economic and energy security and governance; this include mitigating climate change, reducing air pollution, improving energy access and enhancing energy security. According to IRENA report, by 2030, the GCCC could save 354 million barrels of oil equivalent (a 23% reduction), create more than 220,500 jobs, reduce the power sector's carbon dioxide emissions by 22%, and cut water withdrawal in the power sector by 17% based on the renewables targets already in place. The GCCC have been undertaking renewable energy projects for more than 30 years but recently a trend for increasingly ambitious projects is being witnessed. These are being supported by renewable energy targets, innovative research and development, and investments across the entire industry value chain. The renewable energy targets in GCCC are as follows: Bahrain; 5% by 2025 (250 MW) and 10% by 2035, UAE; 30% by 2030 (5000 MW), KSA; 30% by 2040 (5400 MW), Oman 10 by 2020 (600 MW), Kuwait; 15% by 2030 (11,000 MW) and Qatar; 20% by 2030 (1800 MW). The paper highlight on the vast investment and applications carried in GCCC which can be considered as a transition phase in solar and wind energy use in these countries. It also suggests advantageous investments in sustainability in GCCC like investing in Electric Vehicle, Building Integrated PV or Building Integrated Wind Turbine, Rooftop PV for small −scale installation, and Solar and Wind Water Desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key elements of decarbonizing global energy networks and integrating renewable energy sources is green energy storage technology. Energy Storage Systems (ESS), which store surplus produced electricity and make it available on demand, are essential for reducing fluctuations. Electromechanical, electromagnetic, thermodynamic, chemical and hybrid approaches have all been used in the development of energy storage technologies. A comprehensive list of current papers in the literature section is compiled to illustrate the range of advancements in this field. This paper reviews green energy storage systems, focusing on their primary uses. Power utilities will benefit from this thorough analysis of energy storage systems; the researchers choose the finest and newest energy storage technology based on its practicality and affordability. These days, several nations use energy storage systems to plan for future energy needs. Variations in solar radiation cause a solar photovoltaic generator to overproduce electricity. The implementation of a hybrid energy storage system would help to increase the reliability of solar-powered power generation. The microgrid is a crucial component of the smart grid network for solar installations. This study looks at the microgrid's energy storage system for photovoltaic systems. The topologies and storage system configurations of the microgrid are analyzed together with power electronic interference, control systems, and optimization of the energy storage system and renewable sources. a general technique for sizing the HESS of PV systems using design space as well as pinch analysis. HESS scales that link generator ratings to storage capacity are developed in the proper sizes by using pinch analysis to load and resources data.

Photovoltaic Systems (PVSs) are commonly used to produce electricity for various applications. The solar irradiances will not be constant on every time, it will be always fluctuating and changing. Many PV modules need to be managed in the combination of parallel and series to meet load requirement at rated voltage. In order to harvest maximum energy from PV modules, it must be worked at particular voltage which is related to maximum power location. Generally a boost converter is associated to work as a maximum power point tracker (MPPT) device with help of perturb and observe (P&O) mechanism. A battery bank is incorporated to form a dc-link to store the energy from PV to be utilized whenever it is required. Therefore, a dc to dc bidirectional device is placed to regulate the discharging and charging process of batteries. Compared to PI and conventional Fuzzy controllers, Takagi Sugeno-Fuzzy (TS-Fuzzy) controllers are able to generate accurate response quickly under rapid changes of solar irradiance. Therefore, TS-Fuzzy controller based control method for the dc to dc circuit is implemented in this paper. The P&O algorithm is also integrated to control mechanism of a dc to dc bidirectional circuit. Hence no need of an extra circuit for working as MPPT circuit. Hardware – in the – Loop (HIL) is developed by using OPAL-RT units to analyze various results in this paper.

This paper presents a machine learning based solar power forecast method that can take into account shading related fluctuations. The generated PV power is difficult to predict because there are various fluctuations. Such fluctuations can be weather related when a cloud passes over the array. But they can also occur due to shading caused by stationary obstacles, and this paper addresses this form of shading. In this work an approach is presented that improves the forecast under such fluctuations caused by shading. A correction of the prediction could successfully reduce error due to shading. The evaluation of the model is based on five sets of recorded shading data, where shading resulted from intentionally placed structures. The correction uses internal inverter data and irradiance values of the previous day to perform the correction and was able to reduce the RMSE of four 10 kWp systems with different orientation and tilt angle under shading and thus improve the prediction accuracy by up to 40%. The model can detect how intense the shading is and correct the forecast by itself.

In being aware of certain factors as the increasing of the pollution levels, the effects of the Urban Heat Island, or all the extreme climate events attributable to the constant increasing of CO2 emissions. This paper intends to propose an innovative approach to design systems and components that allow to adapt the built environment and mitigate the effects of the Climate Change in the urban Mediterranean areas. An experimental investigation at the building scale was conducted to study the environmental aspects in the early design phase that incorporate circular and ecological materials. The physical interactions between the built and the natural environment is enhanced with the upcycling design of the “Liminal Space” through the prototypological model for the “Green Responsive System”. The focus on the LS needs to push the technological definition beyond the concept of building envelope, just as the element of internal/external separation. The LS is where the “Advanced Circular Design” model can improve with the design of the GRS all the technological elements of adiabatic nature. The proposed framework enables the GRS to have a dynamic and systemic answer to the extreme change of the climatic situation in order to have a strong impact on the performance related to the environmental aspects. The parametric tools in the ACD model offers an important digital interface that can include all the regenerative requirements of the entire building considering the embodied CO2 emissions, the production and the energy consumption during the operational phase, and at the same time to control and improve the recyclability of all its components. The structure of the paper is presented as a succession of digital and physical design processes that identify all the phases for the definition of the GRS when it works on the LS. This becomes a central node in the development of the methodological framework for the upcycling design and the digital control of the responsiveness in the technological systems used for the integration of the physical aspects and the digital devices by using circular materials.

This paper presents the design and development of an integrated hybrid Solar-Darrieus wind turbine system for renewable power generation. The Darrieus wind turbine's performance is meticulously assessed using the SG6043 airfoil, determined through Q-blade simulation, and validated via comprehensive CFD simulations. The study identifies SG6043 as the optimal airfoil, surpassing alternatives. CFD simulations yield specific coefficients of power (0.2366) and moment (0.0288). The paper also introduces a hybrid prototype, showcasing of 10 W photovoltaic module and improved turbine performance with the SG6043 airfoil. The focus extends to an optimized hybrid PV solar-wind system seamlessly integrated with IoT technology for remote monitoring. Addressing weather challenges, the research suggests blade shape optimizations via Q-blade and an IoT-based solution leveraging the ESP32 Wi-Fi module. Theoretical results project electrical energy generation ranging from 0.88 kW on March 14, 2023, to 0.06 kW on February 20, 2023. Darrieus wind turbines, experiencing increased blade drag, require less lift to operate. Experimental and theoretical results converge well, affirming the model's reasonable assumptions. Beyond advancing renewable energy technologies, this research sets the stage for future investigations aimed at enhancing the efficiency and capabilities of hybrid wind-solar PV systems.

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The paper addresses the need to simplify the comparison between different climatic conditions. Therefore, the concept of Mission Profiles is introduced to PV. Mission Profiles are a set of climatic stresses compiled to allow direct comparisons such as temperature, humidity, and UV exposure. The use-case in this paper is a comparison of a temperate with a hot climate. The results show that temperature driven processes are highly accelerated for the hot climate, whereas processes that involve humidity may lead to a similar annual degradation. The impact of light, particularly UV, is even more complex. UV triggered reaction processes can be photon absorption triggered and accelerated by temperature. However, for most observed interactions and material changes UV light goes in conjunction with moisture (H2O) for the chemical reaction and is accelerated by temperature. Calculating the impact of temperature and UV is possible. However, the impact of moisture is almost impossible as it requires the knowledge of the local microclimate. Only a “worst-case” scenario can be assumed while using ambient relative humidity for most events of the day, that, however, do typically not include condensation. With the introduction of Mission Profiles, it should be possible to assess stress more easily for particular sites in general. Differences in mounting such as open rack compared to e.g., BiPV can also better addressed, however, with some assumption to define the microclimate (e.g., exclude rear side cooling).

The noticeable rise in electricity demand, environmental concerns, and the intense land burden has led to installing PV systems on water bodies to create floating photovoltaic (FPV). Of all market niches, FPV is the one developing the fastest. Along with some of its well-documented merits comes a claim that FPV modules operate at a lower temperature than their ground-mounted counterparts (GPVs). This claim is essential due to the performance loss of PV modules at high operating temperatures. Some literature claims that FPVs are so well-cooled that they maintain around 10% higher efficiencies. However, this cooling is poorly quantified, and the root cause remains unclear in the industry. In this paper, an extensive review of all the latest published literature and white paper advertisements was analyzed. The gains in energy yield coming from different root causes range from 0.11% to 31.29%! This proves the point of lack of clarity of potential gain of FPV. The paper then analyses four possible explanations for this cooling effect and its root causes. The FPV performance parameters are isolated and systematically investigated through physics-based finite element modeling. The impacts of wind velocity, wind direction, water temperature, relative humidity, air temperature, proximity to water, tilt angle, and others are evaluated and explained. The outcomes dictate that FPV is cooled largely through wind convection. But the increase in efficiency is below the anticipated values, ranging from 0.5% to 3%.

Industrial enterprises around the world are grappling with greenhouse gas emission reduction expectations, whether being driven by respective government policy for climate change or by shareholders to drive corporate sustainability through maintaining access to their ‘net zero’-demanding markets. In some instances, the enterprises co-located within complex industrial areas are coming together to face the common carbon reduction challenge as a collective. The Kwinana Industrial Area in Perth, Western Australia is well regarded on the world's stage as a successful integrated heavy industrial precinct, presenting as an extensive, complex, and broad-based example of Industrial Symbiosis. In earlier papers, the authors have posited a novel four-dimensional framework to expand the definition of Industrial Symbiosis to be used to understand why one industrial precinct may be more successful for its resident industries to operate within than another, and for application in the design of new industrial areas. The four dimensions are described as Materials Exchange, Skilled Workforce, Support Industry, and Governance. Through the lens of climate change literature and policy frameworks, we investigate the governance dimension and industry's response to the contemporary climate challenge. The outputs of the paper include a literature review of the governance dimension, and a description of the cascading nature of climate change policy from global through to the enterprise level. We illustrate how climate change governance is enhanced in practice by detailing how the enterprises in Kwinana collectively responded to the global requirement for carbon reduction, achieved through the facilitative governance-based intervention of their industry association, the Kwinana Industries Council. Exploring this in-practice example helped to consolidate the hypothesis that successful industrial symbiosis is about positive relationships across several dimensions building towards improved Circular Economy outcomes.

This paper proposes a methodological approach to energy renovation in valuable buildings, encompassing architectural, historical, and energy analyses. The research tests its application on a case study: a retrofit proposal for Palazzo Affari in Turin, an office building designed by Carlo Mollino for the Chamber of Commerce (1964–1974). The building, still in use, has never been thermally renovated yet. Palazzo Affari gathers structural, technological, and spatial experimentation worth to be preserved. The core of Mollino's design is a versatile plan, clear from any structural encumbrances, which was made possible thanks to an innovative structural technique. Façades are cladded with finely designed concrete prefabricated panels. As a 20th-century masterpiece, it must be recognized as culturally valuable but also shows enormous energy improvement potential, as many buildings of its age. Based on a deep understanding of the building, the paper proposes a combination of traditional and innovative ad hoc solutions for its renovation, mediated by the need for material and iconic preservation. Both the substitution of the façade panels and the insulation from the outside are excluded. The opaque parts of the façade are insulated from the inside using high-performance Vacuum-Insulation-Panels, and cladded by a new counter-facade conceived to be produced in panels through digital fabrication. On the other hand, windows are fully replaced by choosing glass which is both high-performing and respectful of the original chromaticity and transparency. The new window frames with thermal break are specially designed to respect the original external thickness. The design is configured as an add-in intervention, coherent with the pre-existence. Substitutions are carefully weighted and respect the original architectural features. FEM analysis demonstrates the reduction of the thermal flux through the opaque walls by 80% and through the windows by 65%. The solar factor is reduced by 35%, thus improving the summer internal thermal comfort.

As for the recent scientific findings, carbon neutrality is no more sufficient within the research for a sustainable development, as climate change effects are becoming crucial factors to be considered. Therefore, in developing strategies and applying design technologies for sustainability in urban settlements, a focus on climate neutrality is required, to build climate resilience together with energy efficiency. This paper presents an experimental methodology applied within the ABITAlab activities for the assessment of the Urban Regeneration Integrated Plan (PIRU) for the Mediterranean city of Taranto. In this experience the Advanced Sustainable Design (ASD) was applied by addressing both energy efficiency and climate resilience for climate neutrality. The importance of the experimentation is defined by the relation upon which, since Regenerative Design principles apply to ASD, the presented assessment methodology is applied to the ASD Process, through which, by studying regenerative scenarios, the goal of production of positive environmental and social impacts overcome the concern for the reduction of negative environmental impacts. The paper is structured as follows: after research reported in the literature section, the proposed assessment methodology is built interpolating three types of validated assessment methodologies to address climate neutrality: (1 and 2) through NbS and SUDS for climate resilience; (3) through PEDs for energy efficiency. Then, the methodology is validated through its application to the presented project experience within a regenerative scenario of transformative resilience. At the end, the experimentation results validate: (a) the workflow methodology divided in three different steps; (b) the scientific contribution of the methodology based on the integration of three different assessment methods. The work presented is validated for the Advanced Sustainable Design for climate neutrality within regenerative scenario, replicable in the Mediterranean area.

The pandemic of COVID-19 crisis suddenly appeared worldwide, and there were no proper crisis management procedures taken in advance to contain such a problem. Moreover, it has had harmful and unmeasured consequences on most life sectors, including construction, which has been severely impacted during the pandemic. This paper aims to review factors with a high-risk impact on hospitals' construction projects during the outbreak of COVID-19 in developing countries by considering the case of Iraq's construction sector. A mixed methodology of qualitative and quantitative research approaches was used. The qualitative method involved (1) a literature review and (2) semi-structured interviews to identify high-risk factors that affect construction projects during the outbreak of COVID-19. The quantitative method involved (1) collecting survey data from 205 industry professionals and experts to determine each risk factor's importance and influence. Cronbach's alpha test to check the reliability of the collected data set, and (3) a fuzzy inference system method was used to assess the impact of each factor on construction projects during the pandemic. The findings of this study indicate that the construction industry has been hit severely during the COVID-19 in Iraq. Moreover, 17 high-risk sub-factors under six main construction factors involve health and safety, risk management, management deficiency, financial, supply chain management and contractual impact hospital construction projects. Furthermore, the most significant risk factors had impacted hospital construction projects by calculating their means were (1) commitment to safety and health recommendations with a level of impact equal to 4.81; (2) risk management procedures with a level of impact equal to 4.63; (3) equipment delivery delays with a level of impact equal to 4.54; (4) worker acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination with a level of impact equal to 4.36; (5) increase of price material with a level of impact equal to 4.18; (6) lack of use of the latest technology with a level of impact equal to 4.09; (7) delay in payments with a level of impact equal to 3.90; and (8) lack of training to deal with the pandemic with a level of impact equal to 3.81. As such, this paper contributes by providing effective policies and measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on hospital construction projects in Iraq.

This contribution addresses the future energy situation with the expected reduction of fossil primary energy supply and increasing market segments by renewable energies within the next decades. The potential of renewable energies to cover the energy demand is described as well as the necessity of energy storage systems (especially hydrogen) to compensate the fluctuations of primary energy sources. Furthermore the increasing use of renewable vehicle fuels is investigated with special focus on hydrogen in short and long-term considerations. As a result the paper will show an energy supply gap between decreasing fossil energies and increasing renewable energies which can only be bridged by a more efficient general use of energy. Hydrogen will be proven as best synthetic fuel by "well-to-wheel analysis" both with respect to energy efficiency, to environmental analysis as well as to customer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of battery storage systems (BSS) is an increasingly common topic in the context of the operation of various types of renewable energy sources (RES). One of the applications may be to solve the problem of energy-free operation of small hydropower plants, where quite specific requirements are placed on the design of the BSS. In the context of optimal BSS design for a given application, this paper discusses the computer analysis capabilities that are essential in the design and performance verification phase of a BSS. The paper presents the possibilities of simulation methods in the field of electrical analysis of cell current load during charging and discharging processes, thermal analysis related to the selection of a suitable cooling system with respect to the operating mode of the battery system.

This paper evaluates the quality of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’ report for 2020, and devises a new data quality assessment framework based on analysing many data quality frameworks. Data in this paper is collected from the official UN SDG official website, and the national statistics offices of the UN countries. A weighted-score sum module is also being utilized to find the best data quality dimension. These dimensions are then used to create a new data quality framework. It is found that the UN SDGs used a data quality framework that is based on statistical output factors and ignores other quality factors and therefore the score for assessing this report is 56%. The perceived identified gaps include: countries are using different quality and assessment frameworks which cause inconsistency in data quality; data is outdated and incomplete; data is not available for many indicators and countries; cost and efficiency are not part of the UN SDG data quality framework; therefore weak data management is found. Areas for improvement include creating one comprehensive data quality framework for all countries will ensure the highest data quality.

The consumption of energy for cooling is an important issue, especially in subtropical climates where there are high temperatures and dry weather in the summer; this climate forces homeowners to use mechanical-electric cooling and ventilation. The main advantage of passive cooling is to minimize energy demands which are required to achieve thermal comfort in buildings, especially with climates exhibiting high ambient temperatures. This paper presents a detailed literature review and concept breakdown for passive cooling and ventilation in building by offering the fundamental principles of the techniques of passive cooling and ventilation. Moreover, the status of passive cooling developments along with state-of-the-art research is critically reviewed in this paper. Furthermore, the article focuses on Buoyancy air-driven ventilation. Solar control techniques are explained and classified along with techniques for heat modification and dissipation. This paper offers insight into the design considerations of different passive ventilation systems and presents recommendations for future work to achieve cost-efficient, comfortable living. Moreover, novel systems are reviewed and discussed to better understand the role of Phase Change Material (PCM) in passive cooling systems.

The damage of architecture in Iraq has been caused by a series of wars during the last four decades. The last conflict against the Islamic State from 2014 to 2017 caused severe destruction to the buildings in seven governorates, namely: Nineveh, Baghdad, Anbar, Babel, Kirkuk, Diyala, Salah Aldeen. three years after the Iraqi government has announced liberation, the cities are still covered by tons of rubble and thousands of people are still staying in camps. Several international humanitarian organizations are providing urgent assistance to help some local people to rebuild their homes. This paper presents initial results of an ongoing PhD research, which focuses on the role of architectural design in the postwar reconstruction in Iraq. It addresses an architectural damage assessment of the Post-War in the Old City of Mosul, after liberation from ISIS in 2017. The damage assessment focuses the residential buildings as it is the most affected sector and the most needed to start re-building. As rubble is the main obstacle for the residents besides that it's the first step for the recovery, this paper studies the scale of destruction to determine the quantity and quality of rubble in this historic city. Thus, it presents the current actions taken by locals and examines the government movements towards rubble management. Results show that, the unguided strategy of rebuilding is inefficient causing more damage to the environment and there is no comprehensive plan to protect historic buildings with a high heritage. The aim of this paper is to provide basic guidelines and recommendations for preventing further destruction to the heritage of the Old City.

The Climate Change crisis is worsening daily. We must start to-day and not to-morrow limiting CO2 emission globally. The Antarctic is melting with alarming speed and causing sea water levels to rise by 24 inches in the Southern Hemisphere. Central Australia is experiencing its worst ever drought and forest fires causing immense damage; on 55 days in 2019 temperatures rose to 48°C while the ground temperature reached 62 °C. Vast tracts of land have been burned with loss of life, homes, produce and wildlife. Yet government reaction was skeptical of the Climate Change connection. At the same time Europe and England have had extreme rainfall and serious extensive flooding. Nowadays many countries have started to take Climate Change extremely seriously and put together plans to reduce or stop the use of coal and other fossil fuels. Most countries have pledged to stop using fossil fuels by 2030. The transport industry accounts for the major part of air pollution through the use of motor vehicles, ships and air transport. In this paper it is demonstrated that motor car usage contributes more than 3500 million metric tons of CO2 each year. UK in November 2020 pledged to combat Climate Change and reduce the emission of CO2 by 50% by 2030. Recently it has announced a ten- point drive to eliminate fossil fuels in transport, agriculture, industry and homes by 2035.Ajman should follow suit and use UK as an example. This paper will summarize the progress of renewable energy globally with examples. Renewable Energy is now a major source of generating electricity worldwide. It is clean, abundant and low cost.

This paper analyses the potential utilization of wind electric pumping for water distribution in off-grid locations of the North Region of Cameroon (NRoC), using ground measured data as well as long-term satellite-derived data. Furthermore, this paper puts emphasis on statistical indexes of accuracy for the comparison of measured (2007–2012) and long-term satellite-derived (2005–2020) data. The outcome of this study clearly indicates that long-term satellite-derived data, obtained through the Prediction of Worldwide Renewable Energy Resources, can be considered as a viable alternative to missing site-specific data from ground stations, mainly in developing countries. The accuracy of satellite-based wind resource is deemed sufficient to provide a reasonable assessment in the initial phase of wind project planning, before in situ measurements with high accuracy are available. To model wind speeds characteristics, the energy pattern factor method (EPF) has been utilized as one of the reliable Weibull distribution methods for the assessment of wind energy potential at desired turbines heights in the selected locations. Five 20-kW pitch-controlled wind turbines (WT) with a hub height of 30 m, are considered to evaluate the power output and energy produced. Volumetric flow rates and costs of water produced are estimated. The results showed that, out of the eight chosen locations, Figuil shows the best combination of capacity factors (CF) and costs of energy (COE), while the site of Poli displays the worst values of CF and COE, no matter which of the five WT is employed. Thus, selecting WT for low wind speeds regimes, should require to combine location wind resource and WT characteristics such as lower cut-in wind speed (1.5 m/s) as well as lower rated wind speed (8.0 m/s) in order to successfully and affordably implement the wind technology in the NRoC.

The challenges of climate change and lack of access to electricity create an urgent need for sustainable energy infrastructure projects in developing countries. Sustainable impact investment schemes are a potential catalyst to finance such projects. A particularly sustainable financing option can be the Consumer Stock Ownership Plan (CSOP), combining the interests of impact investors and the local population. The infrastructure, e.g., a sustainable energy mini-grid, is owned by the investors and the local population at the same time. The population thus benefits from access to electricity and active participation in energy supply, while investors benefit from new forms of investment with social impact. However, CSOP is a complex model that requires a secure organisation and infrastructure. By integrating blockchain technology, the organisational structure of the model can be automatically managed via smart contracts, reducing the influence of intermediary institutions. This makes the investment more secure, transparent, and efficient. The paper outlines a concept for an impact investment CSOP model coupled with blockchain-based smart contracts as a scalable solution for sustainable energy infrastructure projects, in which the ownership of the infrastructure is transferred to the community over time. The model considers all relevant parameters before, during and after the life cycle of the energy infrastructure and aims to secure a sustainable long-term energy supply in developing countries through self-administration, educational measures, and participation of all stakeholders. In the next step, the concept developed in this paper will be applied to an energy infrastructure pilot project at the Don Bosco Solar and Renewable Energy Centre in Ghana.

Through the H2020 BE-SMART project, we work on the validation and industrialization of new materials (and processes) for manufacturing next-generation cost-efficient, reliable and highly aesthetic/performing BIPV. On this basis, we aim at introducing novel multifunctional and transformative BIPV elements, in the concept/form of Energy Positive Glazing (EPoG). The project's developments so far indicate the high potential of e.g. using colored encapsulants, interferential filter technique and/or ceramic-based colored glazing for implementing novel “transformative” BIPV with high aesthetic quality. Yet, since BIPV's primary function is electricity production, we need to understand and quantify the impact of such coloration solutions on the performance (and reliability, in longer terms) of future BIPV. In this paper, we present an experimental comparative study on the optical and electrical performance of multiple color coated and patterned BIPV glazing solutions, towards their upscaling and commercialization. In particular, we performed optical transmission measurements and light intensity-/angle-depent IV characterization on 25 different colored glass samples and 10 different colored/patterned glass PV laminates respectively. The measurement results and their discussion presented in this paper provide valuable insights into the optical-electrical performance of the investigated colored BIPV glazing, as well as a first identification of BIPV industry-relevant colors and patterns with the best potential “compromise” between aesthetics and performance, for future energy positive glazing applications.

Renewables today are the first-choice option for a modern power system. Wind and solar are now competitive with conventional sources and commanded a high percentage of investments in renewable power. The cost of wind turbines has fallen by nearly 1/3rd since 2009 and that of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules by 80%. The number of countries that held auctions to deploy renewables has increased (from 6 in 2005 to 67 countries in 2017) with a very large increase in global investment. Global cumulative installed wind power capacity had more than 645 GW by the first quarter of 2019. The paper reviews the recent developments in wind energy conversion systems technology and discusses future expectations. Offshore wind turbines are the most possible technology for future utilization and of this, floating wind turbines are to dominate with larger scales could reach three times the present introduced scales. This is to provide more than 20% of the global demand in 2030. The paper presents several case studies for each case and highlights the technological aspects that support each development. The most important design advancements are also discussed with a forecast of the future design expectation that will affect the wind power generation program.

The sizing of the energy components is essentially designed to prevent outages and ensuring the reliability of the power supply. This paper focuses on the development of a stand-alone photovoltaic/battery/fuel cell power system considering the demand of load, generating power, and effective multi-storage strategy using a probabilistic sizing algorithm. A computer program was developed and used in the design of component sizing configuration of a stand-alone power system that comprises of a photovoltaic generator (PV), battery, water electrolyzer, a storage gas tank, a fuel cell, and an inverter for a reliable power supply. This program manages the energy flow through the various components of a stand-alone PV/battery/fuel cell power system and provide an optimal technical configuration. The optimum system configuration of a residential building with daily power demands of 69 kWh/day energy consumption is composed of PV arrays resulting in total rated power of 15 kW, 16 units of 6 V, 225 Ah battery bank, 5.5 kW fuel cell, 5.5 kW Water Electrolysis, 16.5 kg hydrogen tank, and a 5.5 kW inverter. Based on the simulation results conducted, it was shown that the sizing and development of a stand-alone PV/battery/FC energy system have been achieved with system reliability (loss of power supply equal to zero). This program could be used as a power monitoring and control system for a stand-alone PV/battery/fuel cell power system.