Photovoltaic in the Czech Republic has gone through significant development during last few years. The thesis describes physical principle of converting solar energy into electrical energy using photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic power plant is a set of technologic components connected together to utilize solar energy and convert it into electric energy that could be distributed to electric power network. Review of the photovoltaic development in the Czech Republic and the list of the biggest operational photovoltaic power plants present important data for assessment of the current status of photovoltaic technology in the Czech Republic. Chapter operations and maintenance of photovoltaic power plants summarizes the most common causes of failures and presents diagnostic tools for service requests. Due to legislative changes, hybrid photovoltaic power plants construction has been prioritized as it is economically more efficient now. Construction of new hybrid photovoltaic power plant was assessed analytically using SWOT analysis that evaluates strong and weak sides of the projects in comparison with opportunities and threats of construction. After evaluation of obtained data the next steps of the hybrid photovoltaic power plant’s construction plan are proposed. The first part of hybrid photovoltaic power plant design contains PVGIS program's data evaluation, which provides sunlight intensity information for specified area. Obtained data were used in the second part of the design to determine proper components selection for family house hybrid photovoltaic power plant. Finally the economic view of the design and return of investments were assessed.

Main purpose of the thesis is the creation of a concept a fast-charging station associated with accumulation that uses renewable source. The introduction of the thesis describes a standard that specifies the charge of electric vehicles using direct and alternating current as well. It depicts an overview of using charging connectors. The first part also deals with overview of the technology of renewable sources and exploitation energy storage system for charging station. The second part introduces the theoretical basement for mathematical model of the charging station in Matlab/Simulink. The function of model station is verified by a physical laboratory model. For options verification of the connection station to the distribution net is created simulation of voltage losses in Matlab/Simulink. The thesis shows four 24 hours’ scenarios that have been simulated. According to the assumptions of simulation, the technology of station and connecting component is suggested. Next is the designed energy and financial analysis of the project charging station until 2030.

MESMEG / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / Solar energy development is experiencing significant growth due to national interest in increasing energy efficiency, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, increasing domestic energy production, and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Northern Cape is generally known to be one of the preferred areas for the generation of solar energy in South Africa, and even in the world, due to its abundant solar radiation. Although this area has abundant potential for solar power generation, not all the areas are suitable for construction of solar plant facilities especially those that are prone to sand storm and dust accumulation. Consequently, site evaluation is very crucial for planning, design and construction of the solar facility. The main objective of this study was to determine the suitability of a proposed site at Kakamas in the Northern Cape for construction of a photovoltaic solar facility. The specific objectives of this research were to assess and establish all the geotechnical aspects that may have an impact on the development of the site, to explore the surface conditions at the proposed site and to establish the soil properties and comment on the use of the on-site soils in the construction of the solar facility. Other specific objectives included to determine the variability of ground conditions and effects of such variability on the proposed development and to provide foundation recommendations for the design and construction of the solar facility. In order to obtain this information, methods such as desktop studies, geological survey, soil survey, magnetic survey and soil profiling were employed to obtain information about the geotechnical aspects of the study area and properties of the on-site soil. Field tests such as cone penetration and resistivity survey and laboratory tests such as foundation indicator test, California Bearing Ratio, pH and permeability test were also performed in order to determine the engineering, behavioral and hydraulic properties of the soil. The results of the geologic and magnetic survey indicated that the study area is underlain by mainly igneous and metamorphic rocks such as gneiss, quartzite, pegmatite, gneiss and calcrete. The results of the soil profiling and the resistivity survey showed that the study area is comprised of sandy soil with either two or three horizons while the cone penetration results revealed high variable soil consistency and stiffness which ranged from very loose to very stiff soils. The particle size distribution, atterberg limits and grading modulus indicated that the study area is characterized mainly by dry, cohesionless and non-plastic to slightly plastic coarse-grained sandy soil with sand content ranging from 71- 96%. From the CBR results, it was found that the soils in the study area generally classifies as G6 material and can be used as base, sub base and backfilling material in accordance with the TRH 14 specifications. The permeability test results indicated moderately permeable sandy silt soils with coefficient of permeability ranging between 1x10-3 to 8x10-3 cm/sec and ground water was encountered at 1.3 m depth. The material excavatability indicated variable material on site ranging from soft calcretes with soft excavation to highly competent material such as quartz and dorbank which require hard excavation while the side wall stability of trial pits indicated stable pit walls during the investigation giving an indication of stability of long pit excavations. The foundation analysis showed that driven piles and earth screws are the ideal foundation types for this site and that the site is generally suitable for construction of the solar facility provided all the recommendations are implemented. / NRF

<p>  </p> <p>Organic-inorganic halide perovskites are at the brink of commercialization as the next generation of light-absorbing materials for solar energy harvesting devices. Perovskites have large absorption coefficients, long charge-carrier lifetimes and diffusion lengths, and a tunable absorption spectrum. Furthermore, these materials can be low-temperature solution-processed, which transfers to low-cost manufacturing and cost-competitive products. The remarkable material properties of perovskites enable a broad product-market fit, encompassing traditional and new applications for solar technology. Perovskites can be deposited on flexible substrates for flexible solar cells, applied in thermochromic windows for power generation and building cooling, or tuned for tandem solar cell application to include in high-performance solar panels. However, perovskites are intrinsically unstable, which has so far prevented their commercialization. Despite large research efforts, including over two thousand publications per year, perovskite solar cells degrade in under one year of operation. In a saturated research field, new ideas are needed to inspire alternative approaches to solve the perovskite stability problem. In this dissertation, we detail research efforts surrounding the concept of a self-healing perovskite solar cell.</p> <p>     A self-healing perovskite solar cell can be classified with two distinctions: mechanically healing and molecularly healing. First, mechanically self-healing involves the material’s ability to recover its intrinsic properties after mechanical damage such as tares, lacerations, or cracking. This type of healing was unique to the organic polymer community and ultra-rare in semiconducting materials. By combining a self-healing polymer with perovskite material, we developed a self-healing semiconducting perovskite composite material which can heal using synergistic grain growth and solid-state diffusion processes at slightly elevated temperatures. The material is demonstrated in flexible solar cells with improved bending durability and a power conversion efficiency reaching 10%. The addition of fluidic polymer enables macroscopic perovskite material movement, which is otherwise brittle and rigid. The results inspire the use of polymer scaffolds for mechanically self-healing solar cells.</p> <p>     The second type of healing, molecular healing, involves healing defects within the rigid crystal domains resulting from ion migration. The same phenomenon which leads to device degradation, also assists the recovery of the device performance after resting the device in the dark. During device operation, perovskite ions diffuse in the perovskite lattice and accumulate at the device interfaces where they undergo chemical reactions or leave the perovskite layer, ultimately consuming the perovskite precursors. The photovoltaic performance can be recovered if irreversible degradation is limited. Ideally, degradation and recovery can match day and night cycling to dramatically extend the lifetime of perovskite solar cells. In this dissertation, we introduce the application of chalcogenide chemistry in the fabrication of perovskite solar cells to control the thin film crystallization process, ultimately to reduce defects in the perovskite bulk and introduce surface functionality which extends the device stability. This new strategy will help improve molecularly self-healing perovskite solar cell by reducing irreversible degradation. Lastly, we present a few other new ideas to inspire future research in perovskite solar cells and assist in the commercialization of the next generation of photovoltaics.</p>

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The existing topologies of solar micro inverter use a number of stages before the DC input voltage can be converted to AC output voltage. These stages may contain one or more power converters. It may also contain a diode rectifier, transformer and filter. The number of active and passive components is very high. In this thesis, the design of a new solar micro inverter is proposed. This new micro inverter consists of a new single switch inverter which is obtained by modifying the already existing single ended primary inductor (SEPIC) DC-DC converter. This new inverter is capable of generating pure sinusoidal waveform from DC input voltage. The design and operation of the new inverter are studied in detail. This new inverter works with a controller to produce any kind of output waveform. The inverter is found to have four different modes of operation. The new inverter is modeled using state space averaging. The system is a fourth order system which is non-linear due to the inherent switching involved in the circuit. The system is linearized around an operating point to study the system as a linear system. The control to output transfer function of the inverter is found to be non-minimum phase. The transfer functions are studied using root locus. From the control perspective, the presence of right half zero makes the design of the controller structure complicated. The PV cell is modeled using the cell equations in MATLAB. A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique is implemented to make sure the output power of the PV cell is always maximum which allows full utilization of the power from the PV cell. The perturb and observe (P&O) algorithm is the simplest and is used here. The use of this new inverter eliminates the various stages involved in the conventional solar micro inverter. Simulation and experimental results carried out on the setup validate the proposed structure of inverter.

The diploma thesis solves the new utilization and renovation of an industrial building near the Baťa canal in the village of Huštěnovice which was used as former pumping station for agricultural purposes. The aim was to find such uses that will support the development of the adjacent area and at the same time will also refer to the original usage of the building. New community centre „PŘÍLIV“ with aquaponics connects both of them and what is more, it offers modern connection of people with nature. The construction plan is solved as a complex project form architectural study, through the project for the building permit to the design of the aquaponics technology itself. Project of the community centre and aquaponics is designed as off-grid building with minimal environmental impact.

The master thesis designs a mixed-use building in Ledeč nad Sázavou. The thesis consists of three parts. First part presents the project documentation of architectural-construction. Second part proposes the technical equipment of the building. Third part is assessment of the designed building by methodology for multicriteria evaluation of buildings SBToolCZ. The building is located in undeveloped and slightly sloping land. The building has three above-ground floors. There are three different operations in the building, which are a café and an electrical shop and an office part. There is a café, an electrical shop, technical and storage facilities on the first floor. The second and third floor is an office part and company apartment. Structurally, the building is solved by a two-wax load bearing system. The building is founded on footing and foundation slab. Load bearing vertical elements are walls, columns and posts. Externall wall is designed from ceramics block with and mineral insulation. Horizontal load-bearing structures are designed as cast-in-place reinforced slabs. The building has a flat roof. In the building is air condition and cooling system and heating. Part of electricity demand is covered by photovoltaics on the roof. All drawings and visualization are designes in software ArchiCAD.

Na busca por novas opções para a constituição da matriz energética brasileira, os Sistemas Fotovoltaicos Conectados à Rede Elétrica (SFVCR) configuram-se como uma alternativa para os centros urbanos, pois permitem a geração de energia de modo distribuído, ou seja, no próprio local onde esta será consumida e, permitem também, com que o excedente de energia produzido seja injetado na rede elétrica. Diante da perspectiva de instalar o SFVCR, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi o de elaborar um estudo específico, detalhado e atualizado sobre o potencial de geração de energia na cidade de Curitiba. Neste trabalho apresenta-se o estudo de caso de seis sistemas fotovoltaicos instalados em Curitiba, os quais tiveram seus Índices de Mérito – Produtividade, Taxa de Desempenho e Fator de Capacidade - avaliados, a partir dos dados de geração de energia elétrica destes sistemas, e dos dados de irradiação obtidos do Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET). O estudo revelou que, até abril de 2017, o estado do Paraná possuía 810 SFVCR em operação, correspondendo a um total de 5MW e, a cidade de Curitiba 170 SFVCR – 865 kW em operação, sendo que 80% dos sistemas estão instalados em residências. Outro fato interessante é que 98% desses sistemas usam módulos com tecnologia de silício policristalino, 75% aplicam inversores monofásicos e, 95% desses inversores não possuem transformadores, pois dessa forma as perdas no processo de conversão são menores, além desses equipamentos serem mais compactos e possuírem tecnologia mais avançada do que os inversores com transformador. Constatou-se que a principal tendência do mercado de energia fotovoltaica é empregar inversores sem transformador. Além disso, os estudos realizados revelaram que a escolha do inversor e o modo de instalação dos painéis fotovoltaicos são fatores determinantes para maximizar o desempenho do sistema fotovoltaico. Os resultados desta pesquisa mostram a importante contribuição que os SFVCR podem trazer na geração de energia de modo distribuído e dessa forma, podem colaborar para a elaboração de políticas públicas com o intuito de incentivar projetos e pesquisas na área de energia fotovoltaica, visando à disseminação do uso dessa fonte renovável no país. / In the search for new options for the establishment of the energy matrix of Brazil, the Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems (SFVCR) are configured as an alternative to urban centers, because they allow the power generation at distributed mode, that is, generate energy at the place where it will be consumed and inject the surplus energy into the network. Faced with the prospect of installing Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System, the objective of this research is to characterize this type of photovoltaic system and also, analyze the results in terms of productivity parameters, such as Yield, Performance Ratio and Capacity Factor of six grid-connected systems that are installed in Curitiba. The radiation data used to calcute those parameters has been acquired from Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET). This paper highlight that the Parana state has 810 SFVCR (until April 2017) in operation, which stands for 5MW and Curitiba has 170 SFVCR, 865 kW in operation, and 80% of them are installed in residences. In addition, 98% of those systems use multicrystalline modules, 75% use single phase inverters and 95% of these use inverters transformerless, because the losses in the conversion process are reduced and the equipments are more compact and have more technology than the inverters with transformer. So, the main trend of photovoltaic energy market is to use transformerless inverters. The results obtained shows that the inverters’choice and the installation mode of the photovoltaic modules are important factors to maximize the photovoltaic system’s performance. In the end, the results demonstrates that the SFVCR contribute to distributed power generation and should be use in the elaboration of public policies with the purpose of encouraging projects and research in the photovoltaic energy’s area, aiming the dissemination of this renewable source of energy in Brazil.

This diploma thesis deals with photovoltaic rechargable regulators used in isolated, or off-grid photovoltaic systems. First, basic types of off-grid installations, including their functions and applications in practice are described. Then, possibilities of electric energy accumulation in photovoltaic systems are mentioned, considering actual, accesible technologies. Matters of electric energy accumulation in leaden accumulators are examined in detail. Main part of the diploma thesis is about electronic designs of photovoltaic, also called solar, rechargable regulators. These are the main connecting part between photovoltaic panels, accumulator, but also often connected charge, which is appliance. Individual electronic regulators concepts are described narrowly, then compared and evaluated in thesis´ conclusion.

This thesis deals with charging stations for electric bicycles powered by renewable energy. The aim of this work is to make a proposal for the hybrid charging stations for electric bicycles, which will work independently and, if necessary, will be backed up by a network. In this thesis is entered theoretical information on the issue of electric bicycles, the batteries, charging stations, the connectors of chargers, and photovoltaic systems. The practical part of this thesis is the basic design of the charging station and its design of the mathematical model of the individual parts in Simulink program, which are linked to the actual design of the charging station. In conclusion, this thesis deals with energy and economic analysis of the proposed system, therein included various methods of assessing investment recommendations of appropriate processing methods and overall assessment of the subject.