Engineering Commons^™

Structuring Financial Incentives For Residential Solar Electric Systems, Kevin C. Van Blommestein, Yonghee Cho, Tugrul U. Daim, Paul Sklar

Joseph Cho

Power Sharing Among Multiple Solar Photovoltaic (Pv) Systems In A Radial Distribution Feeder, Brian K. Perera, Philip Ciufo

Dr Philip Ciufo

With an increasing penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, power distribution grids are becoming more susceptible to network voltage rise. As per applicable standards for grid-integrated PV systems, a PV system must be automatically disconnected from the grid when the terminal voltage of the PV system exceeds a defined maximum voltage. With this directive, in certain situations, PV systems connected at nodes at which the voltage sensitivity is high, may be disconnected from the grid while PV systems connected at less sensitive nodes are continuing to operate. In such a situation, owners whose PV systems are connected at nodes at …

Solar Pv And Battery Storage Integration Using A New Configuration Of A Three-Level Npc Inverter With Advanced Control Strategy, Hamid Teymour Ghasemabadi, Danny Soetanto, Kashem M. Muttaqi, Philip Ciufo

Dr Philip Ciufo

In this paper, a novel configuration of a three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) inverter that can integrate solar photovoltaic (PV) with battery storage in a grid-connected system is proposed. The strength of the proposed topology lies in a novel, extended unbalance three-level vector modulation technique that can generate the correct ac voltage under unbalanced dc voltage conditions. This paper presents the design philosophy of the proposed configuration and the theoretical framework of the proposed modulation technique. A new control algorithm for the proposed system is also presented in order to control the power delivery between the solar PV, battery, and grid, which …

Point Of Common Coupling (Pcc) Voltage Control Of A Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic (Pv) System, Brian K. Perera, Philip Ciufo, Sarath Perera

Dr Philip Ciufo

In future low voltage grids, with multiple inverter interfaced sources connected, voltage regulation may become a necessary task. The potential exists for inverter interfaced sources to be deployed to regulate the voltage at the point of common coupling (PCC) of each inverter interfaced sources. The PCC voltage regulation is attainable with inverter interfaced sources by dynamically controlling the amount of reactive power injected to the power distribution grid by individual systems. In the current research, a closed-loop controller is proposed to regulate the PCC voltage of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system that is connected to a single-phase power distribution feeder …

Solar And Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis For Sacrificial Hydrogen Generation And Water Detoxification With Chemically Modified Ti02, Pankaj Chowdhury

PC

Photocatalysis is a recognized approach where light energy is employed to excite the semiconductor material producing electron/hole pair which eventually involves in the detoxification of pollutants and/or water splitting producing hydrogen. Existing photocatalysts suffer from poor activity or no activity in visible light irradiation which restricts them from solar light utilization. This work is focused on two key applications of photocatalysis (i) sacrificial hydrogen generation, and (ii) phenol degradation in visible and/or solar light. Platinum was loaded on TiO2 photocatalyst by solar photo-deposition method. Eosin Y dye was used as a sensitizer for sensitization of platinum loaded TiO2 photocatalyst. The …

A Nonconjugated Bridge In Dimer-Sensitized Solar Cells Retards Charge Recombination Without Decreasing Charge Injection Efficiency, Kenji Sunahara, Matthew J. Griffith, Takayuki Uchiyama, Pawel Wagner, David L. Officer, Gordon G. Wallace, Attila J. Mozer, Shogo Mori

Gordon Wallace

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) employing a dimer porphyrin, which was synthesised with two porphyrin units connected without conjugation, have shown that both porphyrin components can contribute to photocurrent generation, that is, more than 50 % internal quantum efficiency. In addition, the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of the DSSCs was higher than that of DSSCs using monomer porphyrins. In this paper, we first optimized cell structure and fabrication conditions. We obtained more than 80% incident photon to current conversion efficiency from the dimer porphyrin sensitized DSSCs and higher Voc and energy conversion efficiency than monomer porphyrin sensitized solar cells. To examine …

Novel Nanographene/Porphyrin Hybrids-Preparation, Characterization, And Application In Solar Energy Conversion Schemes, Daniel Kiessling, Ruben D. Costa, Georgios Katsukis, Jenny Malig, Fabian Lodermeyer, Sebastian Feihl, Alexandra Roth, Leonie Wibmer, Matthias Kehrer, Michel Volland, Pawel W. Wagner, Gordon G. Wallace, David L. Officer, Dirk M. Guldi

Gordon Wallace

Four novel nanographene/porphyrin hybrids were prepared, characterized, and probed in solar energy conversion schemes. Exfoliation of graphite by means of immobilizing four different porphyrins onto the basal plane of graphene is accompanied by distinct electronic interactions in both the ground and the excited states. In the ground state, a strong loss in oscillator strength goes hand-in-hand with a notable broadening of the porphyrin transitions and, as such, attests to the shift of electron density from the electron donating porphyrins to nanographene. In the excited state, a nearly quantitative quenching of the porphyrin fluorescence is indicative of full charge transfer. The …

Cation Exchange At Semiconducting Oxide Surfaces: Origin Of Light-Induced Performance Increases In Porphyrin Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Matthew J. Griffith, Kenji Sunahara, Akihiro Furube, Attila J. Mozer, David L. Officer, Pawel Wagner, Gordon G. Wallace, Shogo Mori

Gordon Wallace

The origin of simultaneous improvements in the short-circuit current density (Jsc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc) of porphyrin dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells following white light illumination was studied by systematic variation of several different device parameters. Reduction of the dye surface loading resulted in greater relative performance enhancements, suggesting open space at the TiO2 surface expedites the process. Variation of the electrolyte composition and subsequent analysis of the conduction band potential shifts suggested that a light-induced replacement of surface-adsorbed lithium (Li+) ions with dimethylpropylimidazolium (DMPIm+) ions was responsible for an increased electron lifetime by decreasing the recombination with the redox mediator. …

The Sun Also Rises: Prospects For Solar District Heating In The United States, Adam L. Reed, John S. Mccartney

Kevin L Doran

Renewable thermal energy remains a largely untapped resource in the United States, despite its low costs and growing popularity in many other countries and the pressing need to rapidly deploy and scale carbon-free energy sources in order to mitigate anthropogenic climate change. In this article, an energy attorney and a civil engineer collaborate to examine the prospects in the United States for solar district heating (SDH), a thermal technology that leverages economies of scale to provide zero-carbon, round-the-clock space and water heating (on average, the two largest components of building energy demand) to neighborhoods and commercial zones at costs competitive …

Continually Adjustable Oriented 1d Tio2 Nanostructure Arrays With Controlled Growth Of Morphology And Their Application In Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Ziqi Sun, Jung Ho Kim, Ting Liao, Yue Zhao, Fargol Bijarbooneh, Victor Malgras, S. X. Dou

Shi Xue Dou

Oriented, single-crystalline, one-dimensional (1D) TiO2 nanostructures would be most desirable for providing fascinating properties and features, such as high electron mobility or quantum confinement effects, high specific surface area, and even high mechanical strength, but achieving these structures has been limited by the availability of synthetic techniques. In this study, a concept for precisely controlling the morphology of 1D TiO2 nanostructures by tuning the hydrolysis rate of titanium precursors is proposed. Based on this innovation, oriented 1D rutile TiO2 nanostructure arrays with continually adjustable morphologies, from nanorods (NRODs) to nanoribbons (NRIBs), and then nanowires (NWs), as well as the transient …

Morphology-Controllable 1d-3d Nanostructured Tio2 Bilayer Photoanodes For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Ziqi Sun, Jung Ho Kim, Yue Zhao, Darren Attard, S X. Dou

Shi Xue Dou

Morphology-controlled bilayer TiO2 nanostructures consisting of one-dimensional (1D) nanowire bottom arrays and a three-dimensional (3D) dendritic microsphere top layer were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method. These novel 1D-3D bilayer photoanodes demonstrated the highest energy conversion efficiency of 7.2% for rutile TiO2 dye-sensitized solar cells to date, with TiCl4 post-treatment.

Carbon Nanotube/Graphene Nanocomposite As Efficient Counter Electrodes In Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Josef Velten, Attila J. Mozer, Dan Li, David Officer, G G. Wallace, Ray Baughman, A Zakhidov

Gordon Wallace

We demonstrated the replacement of the Pt catalyst normally used in the counter electrode of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) by a nanocomposite of dry spun carbon multi-walled nanotube (MWNT) sheets with graphene flakes (Gr-F). The effectiveness of this counter electrode on the reduction of the triiodide in the iodide/triiodide redox (I−/I− 3 ) redox reaction was studied in parallel with the use of the dry spun carbon MWNT sheets alone and graphene flakes used independent of each other. This nanocomposite deposited onto fluorinated tin-oxide-coated glass showed improved catalytic behavior and power conversion efficiency (7.55%) beyond the use of the …

Solar And Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis For Sacrificial Hydrogen Generation And Water Detoxification With Chemically Modified Ti02, Pankaj Chowdhury

P

Photocatalysis is a recognized approach where light energy is employed to excite the semiconductor material producing electron/hole pair which eventually involves in the detoxification of pollutants and/or water splitting producing hydrogen. Existing photocatalysts suffer from poor activity or no activity in visible light irradiation which restricts them from solar light utilization. This work is focused on two key applications of photocatalysis (i) sacrificial hydrogen generation, and (ii) phenol degradation in visible and/or solar light. Platinum was loaded on TiO2 photocatalyst by solar photo-deposition method. Eosin Y dye was used as a sensitizer for sensitization of platinum loaded TiO2 photocatalyst. The …

Solar-Powered Compaction Garbage Bins In Public Areas: A Preliminary Economic And Environmental Evaluation, Poppy Coleman, Long Nghiem

Long D Nghiem

An excel-based model was developed to evaluate economic and environmental benefits of the solar-powered compaction garbage bins in public areas in Australia. Input data were collected from Brisbane and Wollongong City councils, and Sydney Olympic Park. The results demonstrate that solar-powered compaction garbage bins would provide environmental benefits in all scenarios. However, results of the economic analysis of the three studied areas varied significantly. The unique situation of Sydney Olympic Park made implementation in that facility particularly appealing. A lower monthly rental cost is needed for the implementation of this novel waste management practice.

Call For Papers Of Iceea10, Toufik Rekioua Pr

REKIOUA Djamila Dr

We are pleased to announce that we are organizing an international conference on electrical engineering, electronics and Automatic (ICEEA'10) which will take place in Bejaia (Algeria) on 2-3 November 2010 (see call for papers)

Solar References, Djamila Rekioua

REKIOUA Djamila Dr

No abstract provided.

Solar Photovoltaic Energy For Mitigation Of Climate Change: A Catalytic Application Of Catholic Social Thought, Joshua M. Pearce, Anna L. Santini, Jennifer M. Desilva

Joshua M. Pearce