Search Results (23)

Poly[bis(4-phenyl) (2,5,6-trimethylphenyl) amine (PTAA), as a hole transfer material, has been widely used in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the optimal solvent for preparing the PTAA solution and coating the PTAA layer is still uncertain. In this work, we investigated three types of organic solvents (toluene, chlorobenzene and dichlorobenzene) for processing PTAA layers as the hole transport layer in PSCs. Based on the experimental verification and molecular dynamics simulation results, all the evidence indicated that toluene performs best among the three candidates. This is attributed to the significant polarity difference between toluene and PTAA, which leads to the formation of a uniform surface morphology characterized by granular protuberances after spin coating. The contact area of the hole transfer layer with the surface aggregation is increased in reference to the rough surface, and the hydrophilicity of the PTAA layer is also increased. The improvement of these two aspects are conducive to the effective interfacial charge transfer. This leads to the generation of more photocurrent. The PSCs employing toluene-processed PTAA exhibit an average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.1%, which is higher than that of PSCs using chlorobenzene- and dichlorobenzene-processed PTAA (17.3–17.9%). This work provides a direct optimization strategy for researchers aiming to fabricate PSCs based on PTAA as a hole transport layer and lays a solid foundation for the development of high-efficiency inverted PSCs. Full article

Solution processing represents a widely adopted methodology for perovskite solar cell (PSC) fabrication. Nevertheless, the prevalent use of toxic solvents and anti-solvents in conventional approaches presents significant challenges for PSC commercialization. Water, as an environmentally benign solvent with exceptional Pb(NO₃)₂ solubility, offers a promising alternative for perovskite film preparation. However, the sluggish conversion kinetics of Pb(NO₃)₂ to perovskite often results in morphological imperfections and incomplete conversion, particularly detrimental to planar inverted PSCs derived from aqueous solutions, which currently exhibit limited power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of approximately 6%. To mitigate the Ostwald ripening effect induced by slow reaction kinetics and enhance the conversion efficiency of deep-layer Pb(NO₃)₂ and PbI₂, this study proposes a strategy of increasing the pore size in porous Pb(NO₃)₂ structures. Through the incorporation of sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) surfactant into the Pb(NO₃)₂ precursor solution, we successfully fabricated high-quality perovskite films. Comprehensive characterization revealed that SDS doping effectively modified the surface properties of Pb(NO₃)₂ films, accelerating their conversion to perovskite. The optimized PSCs based on SDS-modified perovskite films demonstrated improved energy level alignment, enhanced charge carrier extraction, and suppressed non-radiative recombination. Consequently, the PCE of planar inverted aqueous PSCs increased significantly from 12.27% (control devices) to 14.82% following surfactant modification. After being stored in a nitrogen glove box for 800 h, the performance of the device still remained above 90% of its original level. It can still maintain 60% of its original performance after a 100 h heating aging test at 80 degrees. Full article

Grid dynamics and control mechanisms have improved as smart grids have used more inverter-based renewable energy resources (IBRs). Modern converter technologies try to improve converters’ capacities to compensate for grid assistance, but their inertia still makes them heavily dependent on synchronous generators (SGs). Grid-following (GFL) converters ensure grid reliability. As RES penetration increases, the GFL converter efficiency falls, limiting integration and causing stability difficulties in low-inertia systems. A full review of grid converter technologies, grid codes, and controller mechanisms is needed to determine the current and future needs. A more advanced converter is needed for integration with more renewable energy sources (RESs) and to support weak grids without SGs and with low inertia. Grid-forming (GFM) inverters could change the electrical business by addressing these difficulties. GFM technology is used in hybrid, solar photovoltaic (PV), battery energy storage systems (BESSs), and wind energy systems to improve these energy systems and grid stability. GFM inverters based on BESSs are becoming important internationally. Research on GFM controllers is new, but the early results suggest they could boost the power grid’s efficiency. GFM inverters, sophisticated smart inverters, help maintain a reliable grid, energy storage, and renewable power generation. Although papers in the literature have compared GFM and GFL, none of them have examined them in terms of their performance in a low-SCR system. This paper shows how GFM outperforms GFL in low-inertia and weak grid systems in the form of a review. In addition, a suitable comparison of the results considering the performance of GFM and GFL in a system with varying SCRs has been depicted in the form of simulation using PSCAD/EMTDC for the first time. Full article

Inequality and the lack of basic services are problems that affect some regions of the Amazon. Among these services, electricity is considered essential for quality of life, but it is still scarce. In some cases, the absence of electricity brings with it concerns that impact human health, well-being, and development. In this context, this research proposes to develop the sizing of a modular and expandable system for generating electricity with off-grid energy storage to serve single-family homes of river dwellers (from 2 to 8 people) in isolated communities in the Amazon. The research presents and demonstrates the Proknow-C systematic methodology, which shows a systematic approach to rigorous and structured literature reviews. The Amazon Kit concept covers the systems and configurations that can be proposed for single-family homes in the Amazon. The sizing of the Amazon Kit is carried out, ranging from data mapping to estimating consumption per person in homes, followed by the analytical calculation of the solar photovoltaic system—off the grid, considering the basis of the CRESESB portal. SAM (version 2023.12.17) and HOMER PRO^® (Version 3.16.2) software is used to simulate and validate the systems. Thus validating the sizing and configuration according to the mapped data and per capita consumption and validating the operability and functionality according to the operating regime, respectively. In this manner, the system depicted in the design and specifications can be adapted to the requirements of single-family dwellings. Furthermore, it offers convenient system maintenance, with an inverter that operates in various configurations (on, off, and zero grid), as well as energy storage for days without sunlight or system maintenance. As a result, the system uses renewable technologies to provide electricity services, filling a significant gap in the literature found in the research. It also offers a sustainable and affordable solution to improve the quality of life and reduce dependence on non-renewable sources. Full article

Inverted perovskite solar cells with a p-i-n configuration have attracted considerable attention from the research community because of their simple design, insignificant hysteresis, improved operational stability, and low-temperature fabrication technology. However, this type of device is still lagging behind the classical n-i-p perovskite solar cells in terms of its power conversion efficiency. The performance of p-i-n perovskite solar cells can be increased using appropriate charge transport and buffer interlayers inserted between the main electron transport layer and top metal electrode. In this study, we addressed this challenge by designing a series of tin and germanium coordination complexes with redox-active ligands as promising interlayers for perovskite solar cells. The obtained compounds were characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction and/or NMR spectroscopy, and their optical and electrochemical properties were thoroughly studied. The efficiency of perovskite solar cells was improved from a reference value of 16.4% to 18.0–18.6%, using optimized interlayers of the tin complexes with salicylimine (1) or 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene (2) ligands, and the germanium complex with the 2,3-dihydroxyphenazine ligand (4). The IR s-SNOM mapping revealed that the best-performing interlayers form uniform and pinhole-free coatings atop the PC₆₁BM electron-transport layer, which improves the charge extraction to the top metal electrode. The obtained results feature the potential of using tin and germanium complexes as prospective materials for improving the performance of perovskite solar cells. Full article

Solar PV systems in Africa are installed in high-temperature environments ranging from 25 °C to 40 °C. Experience and the literature note that these systems frequently fail a few years after installation and require the replacement of essential components such as PV panels, inverters, or batteries. In Burundi, batteries operating in high-temperature environments with a designed shelf life of 15 years are being replaced every 4 years due to thermal runaway. The motivation of this paper was to redesign a 45 kWh/day multi-use solar PV kiosk in Ruhoro, Burundi, Africa, so as to improve its sustainability. Using original primary field data, the project calculated a mean energy demand at the Ruhoro PV kiosk of 14.50 kWh/day in 2022 and a forecasted demand of 16.50 kWh/day in 2025. The kiosk is designed to supply 20.25 kWh/day after losses, which is sufficient for the current and future demand. The paper reviewed the impact of high-temperature environments on both solar PV panels and batteries. Results indicated only a 13% reduction in power output in the solar PV panels and a 60% reduction in the shelf life of acid gel batteries from 15 years to 6 years when exposed to temperatures of between 25 °C to 40 °C. To improve the shelf life of the batteries, the paper researched different cooling technologies for batteries. These included water cooling, fan cooling, and refrigeration cooling. Using engineering modelling formulae, the paper observed that the application of a fan cooling system resulted in an improvement in the product life of the batteries by 4 years and a refrigeration cooling system by 9 years. The paper concluded that using a refrigeration cooling system in the Ruhoro solar PV kiosk was appropriate and requires an additional 5.28 kWh/day. Factoring in this additional demand, the refrigeration cooling still reduced the lifecycle CAPEX cost from USD 94,625 to USD 72,875 over a 15-year period. The inclusion of a refrigeration cooling system also improved the net present value (NPV) cost effectiveness over a 15-year period from USD—62,481 to USD 4893. This is a net profit of almost USD 5000 if a refrigeration unit is installed. The paper therefore recommends the use of refrigeration cooling systems as appropriate for high-temperature environments such as the Ruhoro solar kiosk. It concludes that the refrigeration system is a cost-effective option for long-term sustainable use for communities in Africa living in high-temperature environments. Full article

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have substantially increased their power conversion efficiency (PCE) to more than 25% in recent years. However, the instability of these devices is still a strong obstacle for their commercial applications. Recently, all-inorganic PSCs based on CsPbI₃ and CsPbI₂Br as the perovskite layer have shown enhanced long-term stability, which makes them potential candidates for commercialization. Currently, all-inorganic PSCs with inverted p-i-n configuration have not yet reached the high efficiency achieved in the normal n-i-p structure. However, the inverted p-i-n architecture has recently drawn attention of researchers because it is more suitable to prepare tandem solar cells. In this work, a theoretical study of inverted p-i-n all-inorganic PSCs based on CsPbI₃ and CsPbI₂Br as the perovskite layer was carried out using SCAPS-1D software (ver. 3.3.09). The performance of different architectures of PSC was examined and compared by means of numerical simulations using various inorganic materials as the hole transport layer (HTL) and the electron transport layer (ETL). The results reveal that CuI and ZnO are the most suitable as HTL and ETL, respectively. In addition, the performance of the devices was significantly improved by optimizing the hole mobility in CuI as well as the thickness, doping density, and defect density in the absorber layer. Maximum efficiencies of 26.5% and 20.6% were obtained under optimized conditions for the inverted all-inorganic CsPbI₃- and CsPbI₂Br-based PSCs, respectively. These results indicate that further improvements in the performance of such devices are still possible. Full article

Fresh water is scarce, making it a worldwide issue. In order to address global freshwater demand, a filtration technique is needed. Solar distillation (SD) that purifies brackish and subterranean water has been proven to be a promising green technology. It produces distilled water which can be used as potable water for drinking and other purposes. The designs, operations, and configurations of several inverted solar stills are thoroughly examined in this article. All techniques for solar water distillation to separate saltwater from freshwater have the same fundamental idea. It has been demonstrated that for a specified mass of water in the top basin, the daily output of an inverted absorber double-basin solar still (IASS) grows with increasing water depth in the bottom basin. Nevertheless, as the water depth in the bottom basin rises from 1 cm to 5 cm, the output of an inverted absorber double-basin solar system falls by about 27%. At water depths of 4, 6, and 8 cm, the daily yields from inverted absorber solar stills paired with a refrigeration cycle (RIASS) were 6.4, 10.08, and 9.5 L/day, respectively. The results also showed a substantial rise in water temperature in the inverted absorber solar still as a result of lower bottom heat loss and larger absorptivity. In this study, the emphasis on energy, efficiency, and environmental concerns remains with the modified multi-wick basin-type inverted absorber solar panel. The performance of the inverted trickling solar still was assessed with a 60 ppm average salinity under various sun radiation, feed water flow rate, and existence conditions for natural convection. It was found that the still could produce 2.55 L/day m² of fresh water, a 15% increase. Brackish water with a salinity of 6000 ppm was used to test the still in November at tilt angles of 47° and 32°. Condensate production at the specified angles was 2.8 and 2 L/d, respectively. A total output of 6.907, 5.681, and 4.650 kg/m²/day was also generated using the modified multi-wick basin-type inverted absorber solar still (MMWBIASS) at water depths of 1, 2, and 3 cm, respectively. With black cotton wicks, the MMWBIASS had a total thermal efficiency of 34.04%, 28.17%, and 23.61%. Full article

Soil salinization is prominent environmental issue in arid and semi-arid regions, such as Xinjiang in Northwest China. Salinization severely restricts economic and agricultural development and would lead to ecosystem degradation. Finding a method of rapidly and accurately determining soil salinity (SS) is one of the main challenges in salinity evaluation, saline soil development, and utilization. In situ visible and near infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy has proven to be a promising technique for detecting soil properties since it can realize real-time, rapid detection of SS. However, it still remains challenging whether Vis-NIR in situ spectroscopy can invert SS with high accuracy due to the interference of environmental factors (e.g., light, water vapor, solar altitude angle, etc.) on the spectral in the field. To fill this knowledge gap, we collected Vis-NIR in situ spectral and lab-measured SS data from 135 surface soil samples in the Kongterik Pasture Nature Reserve (KPNR) in the desert oasis ecotone of southern Xinjiang, China. We used genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and simulated annealing (SA) algorithms to select the feature bands of SS. Subsequently, we combined extreme learning machines (ELM), back-propagation neural networks (BPNN), and convolutional neural networks (CNN) to build inversion models of SS. The results showed that different feature bands selection methods could improve the Vis-NIR in situ spectral prediction model accuracy. Either SS inversion models were built using full-band spectral data or feature-band spectral data. Compared with the full-band (401–2400 nm) spectral modeling, the validation set R² of ELM, BPNN, and CNN models built selected feature bands selected by PSO, GA, and SA, respectively, were improved by more than 0.06. The accuracy of predicting SS varied widely among modeling methods. The accuracy of CNN model was obviously higher than that of BPNN and ELM models. The optimal hybrid model for predicting SS constructed in this study is SA-CNN model (R² = 0.79, RMSE = 9.41 g kg⁻¹, RPD = 1.81, RPIQ = 2.37). This study showed that the spectral feature bands selection methods can reduce the influence of environmental factors on in situ spectroscopy and significantly enhance the inversion accuracy of SS. The present study provided that estimating SS using in situ Vis-NIR spectral is feasible. Full article

Nowadays, water pumping systems based on photovoltaics as a source of electricity have widely increased. System cost and efficiency still require enhancement in order to spread their application. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are the most hopeful third-generation photovoltaic for replacing the silicon-based photovoltaic thanks to their high power conversion efficiency, reaching 25.8%; tunable band-gap; long diffusion length; low fabrication temperature; and low cost. In this work, for the first time, we proposed a high-power-density hybrid perovskite solar cell thermoelectric generator (TEG) array for feeding a synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) driving a water pump for use in an irrigation system. A control technique was used to achieve two functions. The first function was driving the motor to obtain the maximum torque/ampere. The second was harvesting the maximum perovskite solar cell array output power on the basis of the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm using the perturbation and observation approach. Thus, the proposed hybrid perovskite solar cell–thermoelectric generator feeds the motor via an inverter without DC–DC converters or batteries. Accordingly, the short life problems and the high replacement cost are avoided. The proposed complete system was simulated via the MATLAB package. Moreover, a complete laboratory infrastructure was constructed for testing the proposed high-power-density hybrid perovskite solar cell–TEG array for the water pumping system. The results revealed that using the high-power-density hybrid perovskite solar cell–TEG array, both the motor’s output power and the pump’s flow rate were improved by 11% and 14%, respectively, compared to only using the perovskite solar cell array. Finally, both the simulation and experimental results proved the high-performance efficiency of the system in addition to showing its system complexity and cost reduction. Full article

With Indonesia’s marine resources abundance, it is appropriate for Indonesia’s economic growth to gear towards the fisheries sector. Fishery management in Indonesia is still not operating optimally due to a lack of fisheries management infrastructure. This study took place at the Fish Auction Place in Dadap Village, West Java, Indonesia. The actual problem is a fluctuation in fish catch due to seasonal factors that cause instability in fish prices and fishermen’s incomes. Furthermore, there is no cold storage for storing fish when the fish are abundant so that the quality of the fish will decrease. However, fishery cold storage is energy-intensive equipment, and there is a lack of electricity infrastructure in that coastal area. Renewable Energy Sources (RES) are the key for rural electricity because RES prices are lower, especially on-grid solar photovoltaic (PV), than fossil fuel-based. Consequently, the application of solar PV in Indonesia is still not optimal due to limited regulations. Regulations that hinder the economic value of On-grid PV system are the excess energy compensation percentage and the inverter capacity limitation. Therefore, in this study, we have modelled six regulatory scenarios related to On-grid PV system. The scenarios are how the current 65% excess energy compensation is changed to 85% and 100% (1:1 ratio) and remove the regulation regarding inverter capacity limitation. Furthermore, the ownership model of cold storage is also considered by dividing it into two models, which are commercial-based and community-based. These ownership models have different financial instruments. The simulation gives a new result by changing regulation assumptions that On-grid PV system has a lower Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) than existing regulation because it can produce threefold more electricity to the utility grid with higher inverter capacity. Furthermore, the community-based cold storage rental price can be 16 % cheaper on average with all energy system topologies than the commercial-based ownership model. Then, by reducing the capital costs of solar modules and batteries in 2030, solar PV system’s LCOE will be lower by an average of 20%. It will result in an average reduction of 10% on cold storage rental prices. Finally, sensitivity analysis of the energy system is also conducted in this study. The result is that On-grid PV system is the most secure energy source against price fluctuations. Full article

The use of photovoltaic (PV) systems as the energy source of electrical distributed generators (DG) is gaining popularity, due to the progress of power electronics devices and technologies. Large-scale solar PV power plants are becoming the preferable solution to meet the fast growth of electrical energy demand, as they can be installed in less than one year, as compared to around four years in the case of conventional power plants. Modular multilevel inverters (MMIs) are the best solution to connect these large-scale PV plants to the medium-voltage (MV) grid, due to their numerous merits, such as providing better power quality, having higher efficiency, providing better reliability, and their scalability. However, MMIs are still progressing and need some improvement before they can be implemented safely in the industrial, medium, and high voltage networks. The main purpose of this paper is to review the present MMIs topologies when used in PV applications. The review aims to present a comprehensive study of the various recent submodule circuits associated with MMI topologies. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control schemes for PV inverters will be explored extensively. Then, the different control strategies of PV MMIs will be presented and compared to give a holistic overview of the submodules balancing techniques, ranges, and capabilities under balanced and unbalanced grid conditions. In addition, the paper will discuss the future of PV MMIs systems in electricity networks. Full article

Conjugated polymers with ionic pendant groups (CPEs) are receiving increasing attention as solution-processed interfacial materials for organic solar cells (OSCs). Various anionic CPEs have been successfully used, on top of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) electrodes, as solution-processed anode interlayers (AILs) for conventional devices with direct geometry. However, the development of CPE AILs for OSC devices with inverted geometry is an important topic that still needs to be addressed. Here, we have designed three anionic CPEs bearing alkyl-potassium-sulfonate side chains. Their functional behavior as anode interlayers has been investigated in P3HT:PC₆₁BM (poly(3-hexylthiophene): [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester) devices with an inverted geometry, using a hole collecting silver electrode evaporated on top. Our results reveal that to obtain effective anode modification, the CPEs’ conjugated backbone has to be tailored to grant self-doping and to have a good energy-level match with the photoactive layer. Furthermore, the sulfonate moieties not only ensure the solubility in polar orthogonal solvents, induce self-doping via a right choice of the conjugated backbone, but also play a role in the gaining of hole selectivity of the top silver electrode. Full article

This paper presents an economic assessment of introducing solar-powered residential battery energy storage in the Madeira Island electric grid, where only micro-production for self-consumption is currently allowed. The evaluation was conducted against six local micro-producers using one year of energy consumption and solar photovoltaic production measurements and two distinct storage control strategies. Several inverter sizes and storage capacities were considered based on the six micro-producers’ consumption and production profiles. The results were then analyzed concerning year-long simulations and a projection for the next ten years. To this end, several indicators were assessed, including self-consumption, profit per Euro invested, number of cycles and storage degradation. The results obtained show that, despite the benefits of storage to increase the self-consumption rates, considerable drops in the storage prices are still necessary to achieve profitability during these devices’ lifetime. Furthermore, our results also highlight a very interesting trade-off between self-consumption, pre-charge and profitability, in a sense that higher levels of pre-charge increase the chances of reaching profitability even though this will imply considerable drops in the levels of self-consumption. Full article

HS Solar Energy Company Inc. in Sejong city, Korea, has a big problem on how to monitor heterogeneous inverters with different protocols. Still a current photovoltaic power plant with different inverters, it has attracted significant attention to its experience of difficulties in monitoring integrated power generation. To solve this problem for the company, we adapt a metamodel mechanism to easily manage and integrate heterogeneous data into a metamodel-based data format. The existing metamodel-based photovoltaic monitoring system (M-PVMS) of the HS solar energy company also needs to simply predict the photovoltaic power generation in a day for small farm owners in the countryside. Therefore, we propose a method for predicting the power generation of M-PVMS panels using the gated recurrent unit (GRU) algorithm, which supports real-time learning to predict the photovoltaic system behavior that rapidly accumulates data in real time. As a result, we can predict the power generation for small farm owners with a probability of 96.353%. Full article