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Solar Energy and Resource Utilization

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 4948

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Fabio Montagnaro

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
Interests: chemical processes in fluidised bed reactors; thermochemical solar energy storage; reactivation aimed at the re-use of solid wastes of different nature; solids (e.g., traditional and biomass) thermoconversion processes aimed at the production of energy, with removal of pollutants (e.g., CO2, SO2); synthesis of non-traditional binders; liquid–solid and gas–solid adsorption processes; fractal dynamics in heterogeneous processes; design and modelling of chemical reactors and plants
Dr. Roberto Solimene

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Sciences and Technologies for Sustainable Energy and Mobility (STEMS), National Research Council (CNR), 80125 Napoli, Italy
Interests: combustion, gasification and pyrolysis of solid fuels with a high content of volatile materials; development of new configurations of multiple fluidized bed systems aimed at chemical looping with oxygen uncoupling process; development of new fluidized bed configurations aimed at converting concentrated solar energy into electrical energy and/or materials (chemical storage, solar fuels)

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Reducing the release of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere is challenging the energy world to decrease CO2 emissions and increase the share of renewable energies, particularly in light of recent geo-social events. Concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies may play a key role in the rich and diversified portfolio of renewable energy sources. These technologies, coupled with energy storage, can greatly enhance the dispatchability and the exploitation of solar energy in various applications. In this context, for instance, coupling CSP with calcium looping can help to accomplish the following: (a) carbon capture and sequestration or utilisation (CCSU) and (b) thermochemical energy storage (TCES). In the near future, solar TCES is bound to play a major role, as it enables a larger storage density and a virtually unlimited time scale for energy storage and dispatchability, as it is based on the storage of concentrated solar energy in the noble and stable form of chemical bonds.

This Special Issue is open to contributions from the wide and exciting spectrum of topics concerning solar TCES (possibly coupled with means for CO2 capture), from material properties to experimental/modelling investigations, from studies focusing on the design/operation of chemical reactors, to those more devoted to energy/environmental analyses. Please join us on this new journey by contributing your expertise and knowledge to studies in this emerging field.

Prof. Dr. Fabio Montagnaro
Dr. Roberto Solimene
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • solar energy
  • energy and environment
  • renewable energy
  • sustainability energy

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 593 KiB  
Article
Reduction in Emissions by Massive Solar Plant Integration in the US Power Grid
by Esteban A. Soto, Ebisa Wollega, Alexander Vizcarrondo Ortega, Andrea Hernandez-Guzman and Lisa Bosman
Energies 2024, 17(7), 1611; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17071611 - 28 Mar 2024
Viewed by 746
Abstract
Fossil fuels, the predominant energy source in the United States, have been identified as major contributors to environmental pollution through the release of harmful emissions. As a countermeasure, there has been an increasing focus on the exploration and development of cleaner energy alternatives [...] Read more.
Fossil fuels, the predominant energy source in the United States, have been identified as major contributors to environmental pollution through the release of harmful emissions. As a countermeasure, there has been an increasing focus on the exploration and development of cleaner energy alternatives to alleviate the environmental degradation caused by fossil fuels and to satisfy the growing energy needs. This study conducted scenario analyses to evaluate the impact of integrating solar energy into specific US power grids on reducing carbon emissions. The analysis encompassed electrical systems within California, New England, New York, and the Southwest, utilizing datasets from the Energy Information Administration and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Energy Information Administration dataset includes information on net generation according to each source and carbon emissions according to fuel type, whereas the National Renewable Energy Laboratory dataset provides hourly projections for 6000 theoretical photovoltaic installations and detailed solar energy output data every five minutes over a year. Our findings indicated a notable decrease in carbon dioxide emissions following the introduction of solar power facilities. The most significant reductions were observed in the Southwest and California, attributed to solar plant integration. Conversely, New York and New England were identified as regions requiring additional policy measures and incentives to meet the emission reduction goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy and Resource Utilization)
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21 pages, 4726 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Ground-Based Solar Irradiance Measurements and Copernicus Satellite Observations
by Elena Esposito, Gianni Leanza and Girolamo Di Francia
Energies 2024, 17(7), 1579; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17071579 - 26 Mar 2024
Viewed by 575
Abstract
Solar irradiance data provided by the Copernicus program are crucial for several scientific, environmental, and energy management applications, but their validation by means of ground-based measurements may be necessary, especially if daily and hourly data resolutions are required. The validation process not only [...] Read more.
Solar irradiance data provided by the Copernicus program are crucial for several scientific, environmental, and energy management applications, but their validation by means of ground-based measurements may be necessary, especially if daily and hourly data resolutions are required. The validation process not only ensures that reliable information is available for solar energy resource planning, power plant performance assessment, and grid integration, but also contributes to the improvement of the Copernicus system itself. Ground-based stations offer site-specific data, allowing for comprehensive assessments of the system’s performance. This work presents a comparative statistical analysis of solar irradiance data provided by the Copernicus system and ground-based measurements on a seasonal basis at three specific Italian reference sites, showing a maximum average relative error of less than 7% for hourly horizontal global irradiance in the irradiance range defined by the IEC 61724-2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy and Resource Utilization)
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19 pages, 8603 KiB  
Article
Influence of Fluidised Bed Inventory on the Performance of Limestone Sorbent in Calcium Looping for Thermochemical Energy Storage
by Francesca Di Lauro, Claudio Tregambi, Fabio Montagnaro, Laura Molignano, Piero Salatino and Roberto Solimene
Energies 2023, 16(19), 6942; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16196942 - 4 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 822
Abstract
This research work deals with the application of the calcium looping concept for thermochemical energy storage. Experiments were carried out in a lab-scale fluidised bed reactor, which was electrically heated. An Italian limestone (98.5% CaCO3, 420–590 μm) was present in the [...] Read more.
This research work deals with the application of the calcium looping concept for thermochemical energy storage. Experiments were carried out in a lab-scale fluidised bed reactor, which was electrically heated. An Italian limestone (98.5% CaCO3, 420–590 μm) was present in the bed alone, or in combination with silica sand/silicon carbide (this last material was chosen as per its high absorption capacity in the solar spectrum). Calcium looping tests (20 calcination/carbonation cycles) were carried out under operating conditions resembling the “closed-loop” scheme (calcination at 950 °C, carbonation at 850 °C, fluidising atmosphere composed of pure CO2 in both cases). Carbonation degree, particle size distribution, and particle bulk density were measured as cycles progressed, together with the application of a model equation to relate carbonation degree to the number of cycles. Mutual relationships between the nature of the bed material and possible interactions, the degree of CaO carbonation, the generation of fragments, and changes in particle density and porosity are critically discussed. An investigation of the segregation behaviour of the bed material has been carried out through tests in a devoted fluidisation column, equipped with a needle-type capacitive probe (to measure solid concentration). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy and Resource Utilization)
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15 pages, 1118 KiB  
Article
Is the Polish Solar-to-Hydrogen Pathway Green? A Carbon Footprint of AEM Electrolysis Hydrogen Based on an LCA
by Artur Pawłowski, Agnieszka Żelazna and Jarosław Żak
Energies 2023, 16(9), 3702; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16093702 - 26 Apr 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2429
Abstract
Efforts to direct the economies of many countries towards low-carbon economies are being made in order to reduce their impact on global climate change. Within this process, replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen will play an important role in the sectors where electrification is [...] Read more.
Efforts to direct the economies of many countries towards low-carbon economies are being made in order to reduce their impact on global climate change. Within this process, replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen will play an important role in the sectors where electrification is difficult or technically and economically ineffective. Hydrogen may also play a critical role in renewable energy storage processes. Thus, the global hydrogen demand is expected to rise more than five times by 2050, while in the European Union, a seven-fold rise in this field is expected. Apart from many technical and legislative barriers, the environmental impact of hydrogen production is a key issue, especially in the case of new and developing technologies. Focusing on the various pathways of hydrogen production, the essential problem is to evaluate the related emissions through GHG accounting, considering the life cycle of a plant in order to compare the technologies effectively. Anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis is one of the newest technologies in this field, with no LCA studies covering its full operation. Thus, this study is focused on a calculation of the carbon footprint and economic indicators of a green hydrogen plant on the basis of a life cycle assessment, including the concept of a solar-to-hydrogen plant with AEM electrolyzers operating under Polish climate conditions. The authors set the range of the GWP indicators as 2.73–4.34 kgCO2eq for a plant using AEM electrolysis, which confirmed the relatively low emissivity of hydrogen from solar energy, also in relation to this innovative technology. The economic profitability of the investment depends on external subsidies, because, as developing technology, the AEM electrolysis of green hydrogen from photovoltaics is still uncompetitive in terms of its cost without this type of support. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Energy and Resource Utilization)
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