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AbstractThis study presents the results obtained from simulated performance monitoring of seven different roof mounted PV systems in Abu Dhabi, the largest of UAE's emirate. Data were analyzed to evaluate the suitability of PV systems for installations in different types of buildings in the UAE. The PV systems consisted of amorphous silicon (a-Si) and polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) PV technologies. Different performance evaluation parameters are presented. The results give an indication of the system performance and provide a basis for economic and environmental assessment of the PV generated electricity.

AbstractThis study presents the results obtained from simulated performance monitoring of seven different roof mounted PV systems in Abu Dhabi, the largest of UAE's emirate. Data were analyzed to evaluate the suitability of PV systems for installations in different types of buildings in the UAE. The PV systems consisted of amorphous silicon (a-Si) and polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) PV technologies. Different performance evaluation parameters are presented. The results give an indication of the system performance and provide a basis for economic and environmental assessment of the PV generated electricity.

Abstract This study investigates the viability of novel green solvents for carbon capture. Three different types of amine based deep eutectic solvents were synthesized at three different molar ratio. The selected amines represent the primary (monoethanolamine), secondary (diethanolamine) and tertiary (methyldiethanolamine) amines, respectively. The CO 2 absorption was conducted with a solvent screening set-up (SSS) and the CO 2 loading was measured with an ‘Elementar’ total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer. Thereafter, FTIR of the samples was conducted in order to determine the qualitative analysis for tracking the appearance, disappearance and stability of different functional groups (400-1600 cm-1). The solubility experiments were performed based on the conditions of the absorber in the post-combustion capture process (P CO2 = 15kPa and T = 40 o C). Results revealed that amine-based DESs have absorption capacity that is much higher than both 30wt% aqueous amine solutions and conventional DESs. The FTIR broadening of the O–H and N–H stretching of MEA and ChCl individual components, indicates the formation of hydrogen bonds between the two of them in the ChCl-MEA 1:6 before CO2 absorption.

Abstract This study investigates the viability of novel green solvents for carbon capture. Three different types of amine based deep eutectic solvents were synthesized at three different molar ratio. The selected amines represent the primary (monoethanolamine), secondary (diethanolamine) and tertiary (methyldiethanolamine) amines, respectively. The CO 2 absorption was conducted with a solvent screening set-up (SSS) and the CO 2 loading was measured with an ‘Elementar’ total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer. Thereafter, FTIR of the samples was conducted in order to determine the qualitative analysis for tracking the appearance, disappearance and stability of different functional groups (400-1600 cm-1). The solubility experiments were performed based on the conditions of the absorber in the post-combustion capture process (P CO2 = 15kPa and T = 40 o C). Results revealed that amine-based DESs have absorption capacity that is much higher than both 30wt% aqueous amine solutions and conventional DESs. The FTIR broadening of the O–H and N–H stretching of MEA and ChCl individual components, indicates the formation of hydrogen bonds between the two of them in the ChCl-MEA 1:6 before CO2 absorption.

Abstract In the electricity production sector, geothermal energy is considered a reliable energy source because of its independence of seasonal, climatic and geographical conditions. Low-temperature geothermal wells present a huge potential of exploitation, as the development of binary cycles and the technological improvement in drilling make this heat source a competitive solution for electricity generated distribution and self-consumption. The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is currently the best solution to convert heat into electricity using low enthalpy heat sources. The ORC technology is already mature and widespread for medium and large-scale power plants, applying for geothermal, solar, biomass or waste heat recovery exploitation. Micro-scale ORC applications are still not diffused in the market: the system layout, the working fluid selection and the expander architecture can significantly vary depending on the specific realization requirements, thus a standard configuration has not established yet. In this paper, a particular case study of a micro-ORC power system using a geothermal well is presented. The application in analysis is a plug-and-play ORC facility, currently installed and operating in a pool centre. The system layout and the main components are described. The heat source is a geothermal well, which continuously supplies (by pressure difference) liquid water at a temperature lower than 60 °C to a binary Rankine cycle working with R134a. The ORC system is driven by a prototypal radial-piston expander and adopts an external-gear feed pump and a recuperative cycle. It is developed for working continuously, delivering the generated electricity directly into the grid. The facility is provided with temperature, pressure and electric power sensors for monitoring the operation and for a preliminary evaluation of the performance. The global efficiency of expander and feed pump and the ORC net efficiency have been evaluated at the regular working conditions of the geothermal well, showing values equal to, respectively, 53 %, 41 % and 4.4 %.

Abstract In the electricity production sector, geothermal energy is considered a reliable energy source because of its independence of seasonal, climatic and geographical conditions. Low-temperature geothermal wells present a huge potential of exploitation, as the development of binary cycles and the technological improvement in drilling make this heat source a competitive solution for electricity generated distribution and self-consumption. The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is currently the best solution to convert heat into electricity using low enthalpy heat sources. The ORC technology is already mature and widespread for medium and large-scale power plants, applying for geothermal, solar, biomass or waste heat recovery exploitation. Micro-scale ORC applications are still not diffused in the market: the system layout, the working fluid selection and the expander architecture can significantly vary depending on the specific realization requirements, thus a standard configuration has not established yet. In this paper, a particular case study of a micro-ORC power system using a geothermal well is presented. The application in analysis is a plug-and-play ORC facility, currently installed and operating in a pool centre. The system layout and the main components are described. The heat source is a geothermal well, which continuously supplies (by pressure difference) liquid water at a temperature lower than 60 °C to a binary Rankine cycle working with R134a. The ORC system is driven by a prototypal radial-piston expander and adopts an external-gear feed pump and a recuperative cycle. It is developed for working continuously, delivering the generated electricity directly into the grid. The facility is provided with temperature, pressure and electric power sensors for monitoring the operation and for a preliminary evaluation of the performance. The global efficiency of expander and feed pump and the ORC net efficiency have been evaluated at the regular working conditions of the geothermal well, showing values equal to, respectively, 53 %, 41 % and 4.4 %.

AbstractThe use of thermal insulating plasters represents an effective solution in energy retrofit of existing buildings. Thermal properties are usually improved through the addition on the plaster formulation of Light Weight Aggregates, as expanded polystyrene and perlite. The drawback of these thermal plasters is the higher environmental impact, especially when added to natural binders, as natural hydraulic lime.Within a research activity a process of optimization was followed in order to get the most effective blend, applying iteratively the LCA methodology, measuring the thermal conductivity and testing the environmental impact in terms of Volatile Organic Compounds and formaldehyde emission rates.