Solar energy has an increasing role in the global energy mix. The need for flexible storage photovoltaic systems and energy storage in electricity networks is becoming increasingly important as more generating capacity uses solar and wind energy. This paper is a study on the economic questions related to flexible storage photovoltaic systems of household size in 2018. The aim is to clarify whether it is possible in the European Union to achieve a payback of the costs of flexible storage photovoltaic system investments for residential customers considering the technology-specific storage aspects prevalent in 2018. We studied seven different flexible storage photovoltaic investments with different battery technologies in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain because, in Europe, these countries have a prominent role with regard to the spread of photovoltaic technology. These investment alternatives are studied with the help of economic indicators for the different cases of the selected countries. At the end of our paper we come to the conclusion that an investment of a flexible storage photovoltaic (PV) system with Olivine-type-LiFePO 4 , Lithium-Ion, Vented lead-acid battery (OPzS), Sealed lead-acid battery (OPzV), and Aqueous Hybrid Ion (AHI) batteries can have a positive net present value due to the high electricity prices in Germany and in Spain. The most cost-effective technology was the Olivine-type-LiFePO 4 and the Lithium-Ion at the time of the study. We suggest the provision of governmental support and uniform European modifications to the regulatory framework, especially concerning grid fees and tariffs, which would be necessary in the beginning to help to introduce these flexible storage PV systems to the market.
This article examines the positioning features of polycrystalline, monocrystalline, and amorphous silicon modules relative to the focus points of concentrator photovoltaic modules under real meteorological conditions using a dual tracking system. The performance of the photovoltaic modules mounted on a dual-axis tracking system was regarded as a function of module orientation where the modules were moved step by step up to a point where their inclination differed by 30° compared to the ideal focus point position of the reference concentrator photovoltaic module. The inclination difference relative to the ideal focus point position was determined by the perfect perpendicularity to the rays of the sun. Technology-specific results show the accuracy of a sun tracking photovoltaic system that is required to keep the loss in power yield below a defined level. The loss in power yield, determined as a function of the measurement results, also showed that the performance insensitivity thresholds of the monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous silicon modules depended on the direction of the alignment changes. The performance deviations showed clear azimuth dependence. Changing the tilt of the modules towards north and south showed little changes in results, but inclination changes towards northwest, southwest, southeast, and northeast produced results diverging more markedly from each other. These results may make the planning of solar tracking sensor investments easier and help with the estimate calculations of the total investment and operational costs and their return concerning monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous silicon photovoltaic systems. The results also provide guidance for the tracking error values of the solar tracking sensor.
Natural driven ventilation is a widely used technique in hot and arid climate, but it is rarely known that it can lead to significant energy saving in a moderate climate too. In this paper, an existing building is presented that was designed with a passive air conduction system (PACS), where wind and buoyancy effects induce air to be exchanged without external energy needs. The aim is to show that the design methodology, using numerical simulation to give accurate results, is able to use them in further developments. Due to this design process, the specific building possesses numerous special properties, including airflow accelerating elements, solar-heated “chimneys”, and the indoor heat sources coming from the industrial technology. As the building has been constructed and was equipped with around 750 sensors (integrated and manual), it is possible to analyze the ongoing physical phenomenon in a highly detailed way and to collect the experienced dataset for further investigations. The current study carries out a complex validation of the design and the used numerical methods to give general design rules for further PACS design and support following investigations, e.g., occupant comfort prediction or latent heat storage calculation. The experiences showed that the developed computational fluid dynamics technique gives a below 99% accuracy in the velocity and the temperature field, and approximately 85% accuracy in the volume flow values, resulting in a good prediction for aerodynamic characterization of buildings, i.e., passive ventilation air exchange rate.
The optimization of high-rise office buildings' envelope and the application of energy-efficient measures have become a priority nowadays. Therefore, this investigation aims to assess the role of the façade's geometry design factors, e.g., folded façade perforation, window orientation, and window-to-wall ratio on building comfort and energy performance. The energy simulations were performed using IDA ICE 4.8 thermal simulation program to evaluate the thermal and visual comfort and the energy consumption of various façade test models. The optimization resulted in a façade model with a great level of thermal and visual comfort as well as a total energy reduction of 14%, representing a good compromise solution in the trade-off between thermal and visual comfort as well as energy efficiency.
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