Renewable energy technologies and its adaptation in an urban environment

Abstract

Abstract. This general article is based on the inaugural talk delivered at the opening of OMTAT 2013 conference. It notes that the integration of renewable energy sources into living and transport sectors presents a daunting task, still. In spite of the fact that the earth and its atmosphere continually receive 1.7 × 10 17 watts of radiation from the sun, in the portfolio of sustainable and environment friendly energy options, which is about 16% of the world's energy consumption and mostly met by biomass, only a paltry 0.04% is accredited to solar. First and second generation solar cells offer mature technologies for applications. The most important difficulty with regards to integration with structures is not only the additional cost, but also the lack of sufficient knowledge in managing the available energy smartly and efficiently. The incorporation of PV as a part of building fabric greatly reduces the overall costs compared with retrofitting. BIPV (Building Integrated photovoltaic) is a critical technology for establishing aesthetically pleasing solar structures. Infusing PV and building elements is greatly simplified with some of the second generation thin film technologies now manufactured as flexible panels. The same holds true for 3 rd generation technologies under development such as, and dye-and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells. Additionally, these technologies offer transparent or translucent solar cells for incorporation into windows and skylights. This review deals with the present state of solar cell technologies suitable for BIPV and the status of BIPV applications and its future prospects.

Role of artificial neural networks in predicting design and efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells

“…According to the report published by British Petroleum (BP) 2 the world's primary energy consumption will reach 22.8 TW by the year 2035. To meet the rising energy demand, the Government, industries, and researchers are working towards increasing the capacity of power generating devices 3 . The power generation capacity of the world had been reported as 3498 GW in the year 2000.…”

“…To meet the rising energy demand, the Government, industries, and researchers are working towards increasing the capacity of power generating devices. 3 The power generation capacity of the world had been reported as 3498 GW in the year 2000. It is estimated to reach 7157 GW by the year 2030.…”