Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data for Solar Energy Applications: Second Edition

Abstract. Solar energy applications need global aerosol optical depth (AOD) information to derive historic surface solar irradiance databases from geostationary meteorological satellites reaching back to the 1980's. This paper validates the MATCH/DLR model originating in the climate community against AERONET ground measurements. Hourly or daily mean AOD model output is evaluated individually for all stations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East – an area highly interesting for solar energy applications being partly dominated by high aerosol loads. Overall, a bias of 0.02 and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.23 are found for daily mean AOD values, while the RMSE increases to 0.28 for hourly mean AOD values. Large differences between various regions and stations are found providing a feedback loop for the aerosol modelling community. The difference in using daily means versus hourly resolved modelling with respect to hourly resolved observations is evaluated. Nowadays state-of-the-art in solar resource assessment relies on monthly turbidity or AOD climatologies while at least hourly resolved irradiance time series are needed by the solar sector. Therefore, the contribution of higher temporally modelled AOD is evaluated.

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Validation of an hourly resolved global aerosol model in answer to solar electricity generation information needs

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-12-31917-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 31917-31953

Author(s):

M. Schroedter-Homscheidt ◽

A. Oumbe

Keyword(s):

Solar Energy ◽

Information Needs ◽

Feedback Loop ◽

Resource Assessment ◽

Aerosol Model ◽

Energy Applications ◽

The Difference ◽

Solar Electricity ◽

Solar Resource ◽

Generation Information

Abstract. Solar energy applications need global aerosol optical depth (AOD) information to derive historic surface solar irradiance databases from geostationary meteorological satellites reaching back to the 1980's. This paper validates the MATCH/DLR model originating in the climate community against AERONET ground measurements. Hourly or daily mean AOD model output is evaluated individually for all stations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East – an area highly interesting for solar energy applications being partly dominated by high aerosol loads. Overall, a bias of 0.02 and a root mean square error of 0.23 are found for daily mean AOD values, while the RMSE increases to 0.28 for hourly mean AOD values. Large differences between various regions and stations are found providing a feedback loop for the aerosol modelling community. The difference in using daily means versus hourly resolved modelling with respect to hourly resolved observations is evaluated. Nowadays state of the art in solar resource assessment relies on monthly turbidity or AOD climatologies while at least hourly resolved irradiance time series are needed by the solar sector. Therefore, the contribution of higher temporally modelled AOD is evaluated.

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Concentrating Solar Power: Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data (CSP)

10.2172/989017 ◽

2010 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

T. Stoffel ◽

D. Renne ◽

D. Myers ◽

S. Wilcox ◽

M. Sengupta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Solar Power ◽

Concentrating Solar Power ◽

Resource Data ◽

Solar Resource

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Cost Effective Synthesis and Fabrication of Phase-Pure Kesterite Cu2-xZn1.3SnS4 P-type Absorber Layer Thin Films by Solvent Based Process Technique for Photovoltaic Solar Energy Applications

International Journal of Emerging Research in Management and Technology ◽

10.23956/ijermt.v7i4.5 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 36

Author(s):

B. Khadambari ◽

S. S. Bhattacharya

Keyword(s):

Solar Energy ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Absorber Layer ◽

Window Layer ◽

Energy Applications ◽

Process Technique ◽

Absorber Material ◽

Effective Synthesis ◽

P Type

Solar has become one of the fastest growing renewable energy sources. With the push towards sustainability it is an excellent solution to resolve the issue of our diminishing finite resources. Alternative photovoltaic systems are of much importance to utilize solar energy efficiently. The Cu-chalcopyrite compounds CuInS2 and CuInSe2 and their alloys provide absorber material of high absorption coefficients of the order of 105 cm-1. Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is more promising material for photovoltaic applications as Zn and Sn are abundant materials of earth’s crust. Further, the preparation of CZTS-ink facilitates the production of flexible solar cells. The device can be designed with Al doped ZnO as the front contact, n-type window layer (e.g. intrinsic ZnO); an n-type thin film buffer layer (e.g. CdS) and a p-type CZTS absorber layer with Molybdenum (Mo) substrate as back contact. In this study, CZTS films were synthesized by a non-vaccum solvent based process technique from a molecular-ink using a non toxic eco-friendly solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The deposited CZTS films were optimized and characterized by XRD, UV-visible spectroscopy and SEM.

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