Innovative Solar Concentration Systems and Its Potential Application in Angola

Abstract

Energy demands have been increasing worldwide, endangering the future supply–demand energy balance. To provide a sustainable solution for future generations and to comply with the international goal to achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2050, renewable energies have been at the top of the international discussions, actively contributing to the energy transition and climatic policies. To achieve the international goal, Angola proposed a long-term strategy that promotes a fair and sustainable development of the national territory by means of improving the electric sector. Among all the renewable resources, solar energy is found to be the most promising solution since it has the second major renewable energy potential in Angola. However, the main problem related to solar energy is the efficiency of the solar systems and the electrical and thermal energy storage. As part of the solution, Concentration Solar Power (CSP) can make a sounder contribution to the transformation of the Angolan energy sector since it enables a significant increase in energy intensity through the concentration of solar energy. Moreover, the large applicability of this technology can contribute to the development of the rural regions which still struggle for energy equity. By considering the potential of CSP, this work presents the status of the Angolan energy sector, and focus is provided on the solar potential of the country. The advantages of the CSP technologies with emphasis on the parabolic dish systems are presented, and the contribution and innovative solutions for the enhancement of thermal efficiency are presented.

An analysis of the economic and technological potential of solar-driven generation in renewable energy development

“…Innovative solutions for solar power plants require both automation and digitalization (Kangas et al 2021;Borowski 2021;Constantino et al 2022;. The authors pointed out that the use of digital technologies such as sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics can provide accurate measurement and real-time analysis of the efficiency of solar power plants, allowing plant operators to quickly respond to changes in energy production, to maximize its use and to ensure optimal functioning.…”