This study aims at developing a low cost technique to be used in rural and coastal areas for converting saline water into potable water using solar energy. A triangular solar still (TrSS) was, therefore, designed and developed with cheap, lightweight, local and available materials. A number of...

In this paper we present a prototype for a new type of solar thermal collector designed for architectural integration. In this proposal, the conventional geometry of a flat solar thermal collector is changed to a curved geometry, to improve its visual impact when mounted on a building facade or...

This paper presents semi-empirical models for estimating global and direct normal solar irradiances under clear sky conditions in the tropics. The models are based on a one-year period of clear sky global and direct normal irradiances data collected at three solar radiation monitoring stations...

A 3D numerical model for flat-plate liquid solar collectors has been developed. This model is envisioned for predicting the efficiency curve of the collector, for which the different heat transfer mechanisms involved are simultaneously taken into account: solar radiation absorption, transmission...

In recent years, several intensive studies have been carried out in order to reduce the energy consumption of buildings. One solution lies on whole building energy simulation that permits to enable the heat (and moisture) transfer through the building envelope and, consequently, is a way to...

Photovoltaic (PV) is one of the promising solar energy applications. Measured data can give the realistic performance of PV systems under actual operating environments for product selection and system design. This paper studies a grid-connected PV system installed in an institutional building....

This paper proposes a simple behavioural model for photovoltaic modules. This model can be used to characterise current–voltage and power–voltage outputs of photovoltaic modules as a function of solar module temperature and solar radiation intensity. Such a model cannot only serve as a tool...

This paper studies the impact of weather variation on energy use by using 5-minutes interval weather–energy data obtained from two residential houses: house 1 is a conventional house with advanced efficiency features and house 2 is a net-zero solar house with relatively more advanced...

This paper aims at introducing a novel methodology to calculate the distribution of incoming solar energy on the internal surfaces of closed spaces with an opening at various orientations and placements. While the incoming diffuse solar radiation and the reflected solar radiation are as usually...