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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 2219

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Dr. Marco Francesconi

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Guest Editor

Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Constructions Engineering (D.E.S.T.eC), University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: fluid machinery; internal combustion engine; solar energy
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Dr. Elisa Sani

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Guest Editor

CNR-INO National Institute of Optics, Largo E. Fermi 6, I-50125, Firenze, Italy
Interests: materials for solar energy; optical properties of materials; solar receivers; ceramics; nanofluids; nanoparticles; coatings; photon management
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Dr. Mario Petrollese

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, CA, Italy
Interests: energy system modeling; energy storage system integration; system optimization; renewable energy source integration; thermal energy storage system; ORC power system; concentrating solar power plants; combined heat and power plant
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As widely recognized in the literature, solar energy is a renewable, abundant, widely distributed, and sustainable renewable source. For these reasons, solar technologies represent a potential strategy for decarbonization to ensure greener energy production. Nonetheless, the main drawback of solar energy is its intermittent behavior that changes with the alternation of day and night, weather conditions, and seasons, thus requiring heat storage to alleviate this limit.

This special issue, "Advanced Solar Technologies and Thermal Energy Storage", focuses on studies of different uses of solar energy, possibly coupled with heat storage systems, to improve the spread of solar technologies and define their state of the art in different research fields. For this reason, original papers, reviews, and perspective papers that discuss solar technologies and their uses are welcome.

Dr. Marco Francesconi
Dr. Elisa Sani
Dr. Mario Petrollese
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

solar energy and thermal energy storage systems
concentrated solar power
solar thermal and PV systems
thermal energy storage
solar desalination
solar heating
air heaters
solar industrial process
solar residential uses
solar water treatment
solar gasification
solar propulsion
solar cooling
solar chemical processes
integrated solar energy systems
numerical simulations
optic

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 22649 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy, Economic and Environmental (3E) Analysis for an Optimal CSP Technology Integration in Morocco

by Nabil Ammari, Ahmed Alami Merrouni, Abderrahmane Mendyl, Elmiloud Chaabelasri and Tamás Weidinger

Energies 2024, 17(12), 3020; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17123020 - 19 Jun 2024

Viewed by 350

Abstract

Among the existing solar technologies, Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) stands out as the most efficient and adaptable option for base load applications, primarily due to its thermal storage capabilities. However, despite its potential, the implementation of this technology still lacks competitiveness compared to Photovoltaic (PV) systems. Therefore, optimizing the plant components and operational factors becomes crucial for its cost-effective utilization, particularly in the desert regions of Morocco. Hence, the objective of this study comprised two main aspects: first, to conduct a parametric analysis aimed at selecting the optimal configuration for a parabolic trough collector (PTC)-based power plant suitable for the Moroccan context. Subsequently, an environmental analysis was performed to assess the impact of soiling on the plant operation. This step aimed to refine the precision of the techno-economic analysis and enhance the project’s bankability. High-quality in situ meteorological data and soiling measurements were utilized for these analyses. Furthermore, to ensure the reliability of the results, the results from the employed simulation tool were validated against real data obtained from an operational power plant. The results indicate that Morocco holds significant potential for the integration of large-scale CSP plants. A capacity of 1 MW utilizing PTC technology could yield an annual electricity production of up to 33 GWhe, with a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) estimated at 0.1465 EUR/kWh. However, accounting for soiling effects in the yield analysis, which is recommended for precise yield calculations, revealed a decrease in the annual production to 28 GWhe for the same 1 MW capacity. This reduction represented a 20% loss from the nominal conditions, resulting in a corresponding increase in electricity cost by 30.6 €/MWh. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solar Technologies and Thermal Energy Storage)

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13 pages, 3753 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance Evaluation of Air-Based Photovoltaic Thermal Collector Integrated with Dual Duct and Semicircular Turbulator in Actual Climate Conditions

by Byeong-Hwa An, Seong-Bhin Kim, Hwi-Ung Choi and Kwang-Hwan Choi

Energies 2024, 17(11), 2752; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17112752 - 4 Jun 2024

Viewed by 340

Abstract

An air-based photovoltaic thermal collector (PVTC) is a system that generates both electricity and heat using air flowing over a photovoltaic (PV) module. This system offers the advantage of easy maintenance; however, it suffers from lower thermal efficiency compared to other PVTCs, mostly owing to the low heat capacity of air. Thus, this study introduces a novel PVTC incorporating dual ducts and semicircular turbulators, which were experimentally evaluated under actual weather conditions in the Republic of Korea. The proposed PVTC was compared with two other types of PVTC: one is a single-duct PVTC with semicircular turbulators, and the other is a dual-duct PVTC without turbulators. The results showed that the thermal efficiency of the proposed PVTC increased by approximately 88.7% compared to the single-duct PVTC with a turbulator and by 9.3% compared to the dual-duct PVTC without a turbulator. The electrical efficiency showed a slight decrease of about 7.2% compared to the single-duct PVTC but an increase of 1.4% compared to the dual-duct PVTC without a turbulator. Overall, the total efficiency of the proposed PVTC increased by 54.2% and 7.7% compared to the single-duct PVTC and the dual-duct PVTC without a turbulator, respectively. These experimental results demonstrate that attaching dual ducts and semicircular turbulators to an existing PVTC increases the daily thermal energy output, which ultimately enhances the total daily energy output. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solar Technologies and Thermal Energy Storage)

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25 pages, 8756 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Optimizing Nanofluid Hybrid Solar Collectors through Artificial Intelligence Models

by Safae Margoum, Bekkay Hajji, Stefano Aneli, Giuseppe Marco Tina and Antonio Gagliano

Energies 2024, 17(10), 2307; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17102307 - 10 May 2024

Viewed by 556

Abstract

This study systematically explores and compares the performance of various artificial-intelligence (AI)-based models to predict the electrical and thermal efficiency of photovoltaic–thermal systems (PVTs) cooled by nanofluids. Employing extreme gradient boosting (XGB), extra tree regression (ETR), and k-nearest-neighbor (KNN) regression models, their accuracy is quantitatively evaluated, and their effectiveness measured. The results demonstrate that both XGB and ETR models consistently outperform KNN in accurately predicting both electrical and thermal efficiency. Specifically, the XGB model achieves remarkable correlation coefficient (R²) values of approximately 0.99999, signifying its superior predictive capabilities. Notably, the XGB model exhibits a slightly superior performance compared to ETR in estimating electrical efficiency. Furthermore, when predicting thermal efficiency, both XGB and ETR models demonstrate excellence, with the XGB model showing a slight edge based on R² values. Validation against new data points reveals outstanding predictive performance, with the XGB model attaining R² values of 0.99997 for electrical efficiency and 0.99995 for thermal efficiency. These quantitative findings underscore the accuracy and reliability of the XGB and ETR models in predicting the electrical and thermal efficiency of PVT systems when cooled by nanofluids. The study’s implications are significant for PVT system designers and industry professionals, as the incorporation of AI-based models offers improved accuracy, faster prediction times, and the ability to handle large datasets. The models presented in this study contribute to system optimization, performance evaluation, and decision-making in the field. Additionally, robust validation against new data enhances the credibility of these models, advancing the overall understanding and applicability of AI in PVT systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solar Technologies and Thermal Energy Storage)

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13 pages, 2776 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Characterization of Commercial Scroll Expander for Micro-Scale Solar ORC Application: Part 1

by Maurizio De Lucia, Giacomo Pierucci, Maria Manieri, Gianmarco Agostini, Emanuele Giusti, Michele Salvestroni, Francesco Taddei, Filippo Cottone and Federico Fagioli

Energies 2024, 17(9), 2205; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17092205 - 3 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 561

Abstract

In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve global decarbonisation, it is essential to find sustainable and renewable alternatives for electricity production. In this context, the development of distributed generation systems, with the use of thermodynamic and photovoltaic solar energy, wind energy and smart grids, is fundamental. ORC power plants are the most appropriate systems for low-grade thermal energy recovery and power conversion, combining solar energy with electricity production. The application of a micro-scale ORC plant, coupled with Parabolic Trough Collectors as a thermal source, can satisfy domestic user demand in terms of electrical and thermal power. In order to develop a micro-scale ORC plant, a commercial hermetic scroll compressor was tested as an expander with HFC-245fa working fluid. The tests required the construction of an experimental bench with monitoring and control sensors. The aim of this study is the description of the scroll performances to evaluate the application and develop optimization strategies. The maximum isentropic effectiveness is reached for an expansion ratio close to the volumetric expansion ratio of the scroll, and machine isentropic effectiveness presents small variations in a wide range of working conditions. The filling factor is always higher than one, due to leakage in the mechanical seals of the scroll or other inefficiencies. This study demonstrates that using a commercial scroll compressor as an expander within an ORC system represents a valid option for such applications, but it is necessary to improve the mechanical seals of the machine and utilize a dedicated control strategy to obtain the maximum isentropic effectiveness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solar Technologies and Thermal Energy Storage)

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