This work presents a new analytical method to evaluate the efficiency of PV systems working in partial shading conditions by taking into account the effect of surrounding obstacles. A mathematical procedure to determine the shadowed area on PV modules, depending on the location of the PV system...

As the energy demand used for space heating accounts for 78% of EU15 household delivered energy consumption significant reductions in energy demand can be achieved by promoting low energy buildings. Our study investigates three building types: the standard house, the low-energy house and the...

This study clarifies the law of diminishing returns when improving the conservation level of residential buildings by using case studies simulation. It explores the effect of different climates on the decision of selecting the insulation type and thickness. It shows the importance of using the...

This paper outlines a feasibility analysis of renewable energy supply (RES) for small to medium-scale tourist operations (less than 100 beds) dependent on stand-alone supplies. The analysis utilised the power load data from three accommodation case studies that had RES/hybrids already installed....

This paper provides a feasibility analysis of renewable energy supply (RES) for a stand-alone supply large-scale tourist operation (with over 100 beds). The analysis utilises the power load data from a hotel located in a subtropical coastal area of Queensland, Australia. The assessment criteria...

A conceptual system, mobilized thermal energy storage system (M-TES), was proposed for distributed heat supply. The economic evaluation that is essential to identify the key issues and provide guidelines regarding system improvement was conducted in this paper. Results show that the cost using...

With the possible depletion of fossil fuels in just one generation and the risk of eventual nuclear incidents, the question is whether renewable energy sources have the capacity to replace traditional ones. The availability of solar energy is significantly higher than any other renewable source...

The use of two axes tracking systems has been widely implemented because of the higher rates in energy production that these systems can achieve. However, the reduction of the PV modules cost makes the economic advantage of these tracking systems not so evident and this has aroused the interest...

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of production-based support schemes on the economic feasibility of residential-scale PV systems (1–10kW) in Finland. This was done by calculating the payback time for various sizes of newly installed PV systems for a Finnish detached house...

This article presents a novel MPPT (maximum power point tracking) algorithm, based on a modified GA (genetic algorithm). When photovoltaic systems are affected by partial shading, a GMPPT (global maximum power point tracking) algorithm is required to increase the energy harvesting capability of...