• Energy Research
• 7. Clean energy close
• 1. No poverty close
• 4. Education close
• CH close
• IN close
• English close

The SmartBay NIAP fund was made available in 2012 through Dublin City University over a two year period to enable researchers to access the SmartBay Ireland National Test and Demonstration Facility in Galway Bay. Research proposals were invited for funding under a number of activity types that are in line with the objectives of the SmartBay PRTLI Cycle 5 programme. This fund provided small awards (typically €2-25K) to research teams through a national competitive process, which was open to all higher education institutions on the island of Ireland. There were both open and biannual calls. The SmartBay NIAP fund was established to enable researchers in academia and industry to access the SmartBay Ireland national test and demonstration infrastructure. Proposals to access the infrastructure were brief and required information on the researcher(s), a description of the proposed research and its potential impact to the research team arising from the access to SmartBay Ireland. Marine Institute

The SmartBay NIAP fund was made available in 2012 through Dublin City University over a two year period to enable researchers to access the SmartBay Ireland National Test and Demonstration Facility in Galway Bay. Research proposals were invited for funding under a number of activity types that are in line with the objectives of the SmartBay PRTLI Cycle 5 programme. This fund provided small awards (typically €2-25K) to research teams through a national competitive process, which was open to all higher education institutions on the island of Ireland. There were both open and biannual calls. The SmartBay NIAP fund was established to enable researchers in academia and industry to access the SmartBay Ireland national test and demonstration infrastructure. Proposals to access the infrastructure were brief and required information on the researcher(s), a description of the proposed research and its potential impact to the research team arising from the access to SmartBay Ireland. Marine Institute

Solar tracking systems increase the electricity production by about 30% relative to fixed installations. A robust design of the mechanical system requiring less material than 100kg steel per kW nominal PV module power is essential to further improve the economics of PV tracker plants. The Solar Wings approach reaches this goal by using steel cables as a mounting system for the PV modules and benefits by the long-time experience of project partner BMF using steel cables in transportation systems such as ski-lift, funicular, aerial passenger lines. Tests with the first Solar Wings prototype in Switzerland passed successfully. The first 600 kW PV plant powered by the one axis Solar Wings tracking system will put into operation in December 2008 in Southern Germany. To maximize reliability and reduce maintenance costs only one electrical three-phase asynchronous motor is used to track 100kW PV modules. A two-axis tracking Solar Wings system will be available next year. Further development targets are low optical concentration by the use of planar mirrors mounted on a parallel axis to the PV module axis. PV modules and mirrors track individually and thus an increase of the electricity production of higher than 60% relative to fixed mounted installation is expected. First results of the measured increase of performance by individual tracking of the planar mirrors and the PV modules, performed on a small scale dish model, are reported. 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, 1-5 September 2008, Valencia, Spain; 2790-2794

Solar tracking systems increase the electricity production by about 30% relative to fixed installations. A robust design of the mechanical system requiring less material than 100kg steel per kW nominal PV module power is essential to further improve the economics of PV tracker plants. The Solar Wings approach reaches this goal by using steel cables as a mounting system for the PV modules and benefits by the long-time experience of project partner BMF using steel cables in transportation systems such as ski-lift, funicular, aerial passenger lines. Tests with the first Solar Wings prototype in Switzerland passed successfully. The first 600 kW PV plant powered by the one axis Solar Wings tracking system will put into operation in December 2008 in Southern Germany. To maximize reliability and reduce maintenance costs only one electrical three-phase asynchronous motor is used to track 100kW PV modules. A two-axis tracking Solar Wings system will be available next year. Further development targets are low optical concentration by the use of planar mirrors mounted on a parallel axis to the PV module axis. PV modules and mirrors track individually and thus an increase of the electricity production of higher than 60% relative to fixed mounted installation is expected. First results of the measured increase of performance by individual tracking of the planar mirrors and the PV modules, performed on a small scale dish model, are reported. 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, 1-5 September 2008, Valencia, Spain; 2790-2794

Power generation from photovoltaic systems is highly variable due to its dependence on meteorological conditions. An efficient use of this fluctuating energy source requires reliable forecast information for management and operation strategies. Due to the strong increase of solar power generation the prediction of solar yields becomes more and more important. As a consequence, in the last years various research organisations and companies have developed different methods to forecast irradiance as a basis for respective power forecasts. For the end-users of these forecasts it is important that standardized methodology is used when presenting results on the accuracy of a prediction model in order to get a clear idea on the advantages of a specific approach. In this paper we introduce a benchmarking procedure to asses the accuracy of irradiance forecasts and compare different approaches of forecasting. The evaluation shows a strong dependence of the forecast accuracy on the climatic conditions. For Central European stations the relative rmse ranges from 40 % to 60 %, for Spanish stations relative rmse values are in the range of 20 % to 35 %. 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, 21-25 September 2009, Hamburg, Germany; 4199-4208

Power generation from photovoltaic systems is highly variable due to its dependence on meteorological conditions. An efficient use of this fluctuating energy source requires reliable forecast information for management and operation strategies. Due to the strong increase of solar power generation the prediction of solar yields becomes more and more important. As a consequence, in the last years various research organisations and companies have developed different methods to forecast irradiance as a basis for respective power forecasts. For the end-users of these forecasts it is important that standardized methodology is used when presenting results on the accuracy of a prediction model in order to get a clear idea on the advantages of a specific approach. In this paper we introduce a benchmarking procedure to asses the accuracy of irradiance forecasts and compare different approaches of forecasting. The evaluation shows a strong dependence of the forecast accuracy on the climatic conditions. For Central European stations the relative rmse ranges from 40 % to 60 %, for Spanish stations relative rmse values are in the range of 20 % to 35 %. 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, 21-25 September 2009, Hamburg, Germany; 4199-4208

The current context leads energy system design to very demanding objectives, due to their variety. Indeed, despite an increasing energy demand, environment indicators are becoming always more important. So that for a given service, emission (and then associated consumption as well) is desired to decrease. Improving systems efficiencies is then a important step. Such a problem is formulated as an optimization. It is based on numerical models. Every models differs by definition from reality. This difference can be translated into uncertainties. Usually, they are considered at their most probable value. However, their variation can lead to consequences between a performance decrease and plant inoperability. It is then critical to take into account the deviation due to uncertainties when optimizing an energy system. The optimization problem will be described. It will introduce the description of functions and variables involved in energy system design. The formulation of the optimization under uncertainty will be developed, as well as mathematical methods for uncertainty propagation. Finally, an innovative method taking advantage of the high number of iterations due to the chosen solver will be described. In this study, pinch analysis has been applied. Its limits related to uncertainties treatment will be presented. Methods described here will be applied to an hybrid system of a fuel cell coupled with gas turbines. Results will be compared to a conventional optimization solutions. It will demonstrate that, despite sub-optimal objectives, the sensitivity of the system to uncertainties has been improved.

The current context leads energy system design to very demanding objectives, due to their variety. Indeed, despite an increasing energy demand, environment indicators are becoming always more important. So that for a given service, emission (and then associated consumption as well) is desired to decrease. Improving systems efficiencies is then a important step. Such a problem is formulated as an optimization. It is based on numerical models. Every models differs by definition from reality. This difference can be translated into uncertainties. Usually, they are considered at their most probable value. However, their variation can lead to consequences between a performance decrease and plant inoperability. It is then critical to take into account the deviation due to uncertainties when optimizing an energy system. The optimization problem will be described. It will introduce the description of functions and variables involved in energy system design. The formulation of the optimization under uncertainty will be developed, as well as mathematical methods for uncertainty propagation. Finally, an innovative method taking advantage of the high number of iterations due to the chosen solver will be described. In this study, pinch analysis has been applied. Its limits related to uncertainties treatment will be presented. Methods described here will be applied to an hybrid system of a fuel cell coupled with gas turbines. Results will be compared to a conventional optimization solutions. It will demonstrate that, despite sub-optimal objectives, the sensitivity of the system to uncertainties has been improved.

In this paper, we have studied the solar radiation data available at two meteorological stations located in the south of Tunisia. Measurements of global solar radiation on horizontal surface are compared to predictions made by different methods. The first method is based on Angström-Prescott formula which correlates relative global solar radiation H/H0 to corresponding relative duration of bright sunshine SS/SS0. The second method, a model due to Mechlouch et al., uses cloud cover N, the hours of the day t and the quantum of the year q. The third method, an empirical relation due to Sivkov, uses the monthly sunshine duration nm and the noon altitude of the sun h. The models are compared and tested on the basis of statistical error tests (MBE, RMSE, MPE and R2) and the results are presented.