Aerogel is a kind of synthetic porous material, in which the liquid component of the gel is replaced with a gas. Aerogel has specific acoustic properties and remarkably lower thermal conductivity (≈0.013W/mK) than the other commercial insulating materials. It also has superior physical and...

Buildings play an important role in greenhouse gas emissions since they constitute a large proportion of the global energy demand. This dramatic scenario is usually a consequence of poor thermal insulation characteristics of building fabric. Among the elements of a typical building envelope,...

In this paper, a thorough review of the available literature on solar cookers is presented. The review is performed in a thematic way in order to allow an easier comparison, discussion and evaluation of the findings obtained by researchers, especially on parameters affecting the performance of...

It is well known that accurate knowledge of photovoltaic cell parameters from the measured current–voltage characteristics is of vital importance for the quality control and the performance assessment of photovoltaic cells/modules. Although many attempts have been made so far for a thorough...

In this study, an experimental research concerning the effects of passive cooling on performance parameters of silicon solar cells was presented. An aluminum heat sink was used in order to dissipate waste heat from a photovoltaic (PV) cell. Dimensions of the heat sink were determined considering...

This paper presents a novel model to evaluate the electrical performance of a silicon photovoltaic (PV) module with respect to changes in main environmental parameters such as temperature and illumination intensity. A simple one-diode model is proposed to estimate the electrical parameters of PV...

The continual increases in global energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions call for more and more utilization of sustainable energy sources such as biomass. Among the existing biomass conversion technologies such as combustion, gasification and biochemical approaches, combustion is the most...

Biomass plays an important role in the world primary energy supplies, currently providing ∼14% of the world's primary energy needs and being the fourth largest contributor following coal, oil and natural gas. Over the past decade, domestic biomass heating has received more governmental and...

This paper presents the preliminary experimental results of a liquid desiccant cooling system driven by the flue gas waste heat of a biomass boiler. The desiccant cooling system is mainly composed of a regenerator, a dehumidifier and an evaporative cooler. The flue gas waste heat is applied to...

A turbine ventilator is a device having a combined function of wind turbine and extract fan. Turbine ventilators are attractive replacements for electrical ventilation fans in terms of using wind energy. They are commonly used in attic, loft and rooftop spaces to facilitate ventilation in...