>Magister Scientiae - MSc / As the demand for energy is constantly increasing, researchers are looking at various methods of energy production. Following the rise of solar energy becoming a major player, researchers are looking at kesterite materials, Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTS) for photovoltaic applications as they demonstrate many excellent characteristics making them highly suitable for use in thin-film solar cells. Consequently, there are major drawbacks of using kesterite materials for photovoltaic applications such as their point defects and secondary phases. Cerium and iron oxyselenides (Ce2O2Fe2OSe2) are a member of the chalcogenide family and by introducing this chalcogenide into the kesterite structure there would be an improvement in the semiconducting property of the kesterite material. The focus of this research is to dope the kesterite material with nanoscopic cerium and iron oxyselenides in order to reduce the band gap of the kesterite material, thereby improving its light absorption, thus, resulting in a more efficient photovoltaic effect.

Uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) is accelerating as governments around the world aim to decarbonize transportation. While EV adoption is widely promoted in Canada, swift and widespread EV adoption will require some degree of controlled charging to mitigate the challenges that EV charging imposes onto the power system, such as increased cost and emissions from electricity generation. In this analysis, the potential benefits of utility controlled charging (UCC) are evaluated for the city of Regina, Saskatchewan, which aims to be 100% renewable by 2050. The flexibility that UCC can contribute, and its effectiveness for integrating variable renewables is tested in configurations with solar resources, wind resources, and a mix of both. A novel modelling methodology is developed to do so, which links a travel demand model (TASHA) and an electricity system production cost model (SILVER), using a novel intermediate charging model to simulate electric vehicle travel behaviour and utility controlled charging. The use of operational models allows for an accurate representation of both travel demand and electricity system operating costs and emissions at a high spatial and temporal resolution. By linking sectoral models in this way, the interactions between the two sectors - transportation and power – can be investigated simultaneously with detailed insight into the two individual sectors. Results show that uncontrolled charging will increase average emissions from the electricity grid, but controlled charging decreases both greenhouse gas emissions as well as operating costs. By shifting vehicle charging to times when renewable energy production is high, UCC reduces operating costs and emissions by 7% compared to uncontrolled charging, without requiring changes to travel scheduling and behaviour. The temporal characteristics of wind generation is found to be more compatible with controlled charging than solar PV, due to its longer generation periods and higher capacity factor in the winter, when demand is also high. / Graduate / 2022-11-19

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Law, 2016. / Africa is challenged by the lack of stable modern electricity which is essential for economic and social development. Many African communities, especially in rural and sub-urban areas, are not connected to the national grid and thus constrained from developing and their continued use of traditional sources of exhaustible energy cause environmental pollution. Distributed renewable energy technologies can help to address the problem of modern energy provision in many of Africa‘s communities. Finance plays a critical role in the development of renewable energy within countries. It bridges the gap in the development of renewable energy projects (REPs). Governments‘ efforts towards developing REPs for scaled-up renewable energy to impact the energy access challenge measurably have been inadequate. Thus, this dissertation focuses on increasing the financial contribution of the private sector in developing REPs, especially within rural communities. Models of financing REPs within selected African countries are analysed, with focus on financiers‘ perspectives and governments‘ ultimate goal in financing REP development. A key objective is to bridge the gap between private sector financiers and policymakers in government in this REP financing effort. The study uses the mixed methodology approach to develop a framework through which REP development is related to the perspectives of financiers and policymakers as to enable reliable and useful research findings. Broadly, the results show that while REP financiers are mainly focused on the profitability of their investments, policymakers are mainly focused on the prospects for sustainable economic development. This divergence presents a key obstacle to the development of renewable energy within African countries. Further, results show that traditional financing methods have been largely ineffective in promoting development of REPs in African countries, hence the need for innovative financing channels to increase REP development in Africa. Also, financiers of REPs in Africa consider renewable energy to be highly risky even when supported by government policies. The fledgling capital markets in many African countries need to be further developed to provide appropriate hedging mechanisms while financing small and medium scale REPs. This study also proposes financing models that amalgamate financiers into a small ―financing consortiums‖ using project finance to fund localised renewable energy service companies (ESCOs) with expertise in finance and REP development; kind of models that spread risk among a number of investors, thereby reducing the potential risks of investments while delivering on the objective of sustainable economic development.

Renewable energy applications (i.e. fuel cells, flow batteries, electrolyzers) have been at the forefront of green energy and environmental research over the past couple of decades and the research associated with them has skyrocketed due to changes in funding and incentives. The extensive research over the years have resulted in higher efficiency and longer lasting devices for renewable energy applications, but there is still a major bottleneck that all these devices share; the ion-exchange membrane (IEM). The development of polymer ion-exchange membranes has been very beneficial for these devices as they allow for higher working temperatures and increase the longevity and efficiency of said devices. IEM research can be summed up into two major types of membranes; proton- and anion-exchanging. Of these materials, proton-exchanging membrane (PEM) are well established and studied due to how long they have been manufactured and the ease of manufacturing. There has been a variety of different PEMs developed and tested, but none have been commercialized as heavily or used as universally as Nafion® (developed by DuPont in the 1960s) although it still suffers from setbacks like its high cost, low working temperatures and its low tolerance for fuel impurities. On the other hand, anion-exchange membranes (AEM) have become popular in this field of study as they boast a non-acidic substitute as well as more efficient oxygen reduction reactions allowing for operation without the use of expensive catalysts. AEMs are first in line to replace commercial PEMs like Nafion®, the major bottleneck being their ionic conductivities. Pairing the structural characteristics of PEMs with the efficient and more cost effective AEMs we sought out to design and synthesize new IEMs to compete with current commercial membranes. By using ring opening metatheses polymerization (ROMP) we have designed and developed numerous hydrocarbon polynorbornene derivative membranes with the intention of incorporating amino-phosphine ion exchange groups (IEG) to compete with current IEMs in both efficiency and cost with the major application of fuel cells and flow batteries in mind. We also performed different modifications to the initial membranes such as crosslinking and alkyl chain addition to increase the mechanical strength and mitigate the degradation of the membranes. Using results gathered from developing polynorbornene IEMs, we pivoted to another multitude of membranes, this time focusing on the PEM capabilities of fluorinated polymers instead of their hydrocarbon alternatives for use in redox flow batteries with the main goal of decreasing electrolyte crossover, therefore increasing the longevity of the devices. Several new IEMs were designed as composite membranes of Nafion® and aromatic organic IEGs and synthesized to compete with the current commercial IEMs while testing the effect of different aromatic IEGs on the salt permeability and mechanical strength of the membrane. Synthesis of a stable IEM with good electrolyte crossover and conductivity properties was achieved by combining a grafted Nafion® backbone with 2-phenylbenzimidazole side chains containing a long hydrocarbon chain to facilitate hydrophobicity and increase mechanical strength. These composite membranes take advantage of the imidazole’s highly stable chemical backbone and proton exchanging properties allowing it to withstand highly acidic and oxidative environments as well as relying on benzimidazoles tight packing to reduce electrolyte permeability throughout the membrane.

No description available.

No description available.

This paper explores the Renewable Energy in Bangladesh and identifies the current challenges for renewable energy entrepreneurs to develop sustainable and reliable energy generation prospects across the country. Theoretical frameworks are developed through the concepts of industry, society, and government and value creation. Purpose- The purpose of this study is to identify the existing challenges of renewable energy entrepreneurs in Bangladesh and realize how based on these challenges there can be value created across renewable energy industry. Literature review- The literature review includes different concepts that are crucial when determining the current challenges that entrepreneurs face in renewable energy industry. Those include local and community perspective, industry related aspects like technology, innovation, and governmental matters. Based on the literature review theoretical concepts were created. Methodology- Interpretivism and inductive approach was used in the form of qualitative research design. Two forms of empirical material are used- survey with local people from Kutubdia region and semi structured interviews with 3 entrepreneurs. Surveys were conducted through Google Forms and interviews through online face to face meetings. Thematic Analysis were used to identify the reoccurring patterns. Findings- Main challenges can be divided into community, industry challenges and institutional inefficiencies. Societal challenges are related to lack of education, knowledge, job creation and trust. Industry related challenges are in the form of weak infrastructure, lack of suitable workforce, slow innovation, and access to R&D. Governmental challenges are connected to lack of financing and investing possibilities, high corruption, lack of well- structured policies and tax initiatives. Based on identification of challenges it is possible to set up framework for value creation across the industry.

This thesis examines the effects of different environmental policies on renewable energy technology innovation. Previous empirical and theoretical studies done on the field of environmental and innovation economics agree that the presence of environmental regulations positively affect innovation. This paper uses patent applications to the EPO in order to measure the effectiveness of the different policy measures to induce innovation in renewable energy technologies. Patent data from 20 European countries was used for the period 1977-2013. The empirical model was estimated using the Poisson fixed-effects model. The results indicate that tax measures are necessary for renewable energy innovation but is unlikely that taxes alone are sufficient to induce innovation without other policy support to tackle the market inefficiencies. The price of electricity and the growth of the electricity consumption were also found to be significant determinants of innovation to renewable energy technologies, suggesting that the conditions of the energy market play an important role in energy innovation.

No description available.