• Energy Research

This research developed a system that can make factories more independent from the grid. The system enhances efficiency since factory operation is powered by the renewable energy generated during the production process. Winemaking is a key sector that can profit from such a system because wineries can recycle much of the waste from the raw materials employed in wine production. Moreover, the solar energy collected at winemaking facilities can also be used to reduce electricity consumption and thus increase energy efficiency. This study investigated the feasibility of using renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, in wineries in Spain, given the quantity of renewable energy produced in the country. For this purpose, cost-effectiveness, power generation, CO2 emissions and the renewable energy fraction were taken into account. The assumption was that the photovoltaic system was grid-connected. Research results showed a reduction in electrical power costs ranging from 4% to 36%. This reduction was accompanied by an increase in the use of renewable energy of up to 57%. The results obtained are based on self-consumption or net metering policy as well as the production capacity of the winery.

This article presents a differential evolution (DE) algorithm that can be used to plan public lighting for streets, roadways, and freeways and maximize the energy efficiency of the installation. The algorithm was applied to a model based on new relationships between the energy efficiency of street lighting systems and geometric parameters such as street width, luminaire height, and distance between poles. These relationships were derived from the regression analysis of a large sample of outputs. The results of this algorithm consisted of the luminaire arrangement (one-sided, two-sided staggered, and two-sided coupled), luminaire height, luminaire type, and pole spacing for the most energy-efficient installation. The input of the algorithm was the lighting class or illuminance level, street width, as well as various other luminaire parameters. When these results were compared with those of DIALux, the performance of this new method was found to be extremely satisfactory. Furthermore, the constraints applied guaranteed compliance with the recommendations of the International Commission on Illumination.

This article describes an innovative method for measuring lighting levels and other lighting parameters through the use of aerial imagery of towns and cities. Combined with electricity consumption data from smart electricity meters, it was possible to measure the energy efficiency of public lighting installations. The results of this study also confirmed that lighting measurements, installation material, luminaire position, and electricity consumption data can be easily integrated into geographic information systems (GIS). The main advantage of this new methodology is that it provides information about lighting installations in large areas in less time than more conventional procedures. It is thus a more effective way of obtaining the data required to calculate the energy efficiency of lighting levels and electricity consumption. There is even the possibility of generating street lighting maps that provide local administrations with up-to-date information regarding the status of public lighting installations in their city. In this way, modifications or improvements can be made to achieve greater energy savings and, if necessary, to correct the distribution or configuration of public lighting systems to make them more efficient and sustainable. This research studied levels of street lighting and calculated the energy efficiency in various streets of Deifontes (Granada), through the use of aerial imagery.

In recent years, due to the rise in petroleum prices and greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy has been recommended as a power source for different types of facilities. For the period 2010 to 2020 the European Commission has established three key objectives related to climatic change and energy sustainability, such as reductions of CO2 emissions, increases in the use of renewable energy, and improvements in energy efficiency. A key industry is olive oil production in olive mills, where there is a great opportunity to reduce electricity consumption, increase additional profits related to the reduction of technologies that are harmful to the environment, and to cut back maintenance costs. For this reason, a feasibility study of grid-connected photovoltaics (PV) systems has been carried out for different types of olive mills in Andalusia (southern Spain). This region is highly energy dependent, but has an abundance of “green” resources to be exploited. The results of this study contemplate a reduction in spending on electrical power of between 2% and 37%, and an increase in the use of renewable energy of between 2% and 26%. These results are according to the self-consumption or net metering policy and the production capacity of olive oil.