Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 272-288).

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of Toledo, 2008. / Typescript. "Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Physics." Bibliography: leaves 124-132.

Thesis (M.S. in Electrical Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2002. / Thesis advisor(s): John Ciezki, Sherif Michael. Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-102). Also available online.

Thesis (Dipl.-Ing.)--Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, 2005. / Title from PDF title page (viewed Apr. 29, 2010). Abstract also in German. Includes bibliographical references (p. 60-63).

No description available.

Ralph L. Knowles. / Includes bibliographical references and index.

The energy crisis of 2001, high prices for gas and electricity and worries of climate change have caused a growing awareness about energy issues in California. The problems are clear. This paper looks at the next step of finding and implementing solutions. In this case the contribution that solar photovoltaic and solar thermal generation could make toward solving the problem. This paper looks at technological change, the current state of solar energy research, current government policies on solar energy, and finally makes policy recommendations to meet the stated problem.

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Στην παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία πραγματοποιείται μία τεχνικο-οικονομική μελέτη ενός διασυνδεδεμένου με το δίκτυο ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας της Δ.Ε.Η. φωτοβολταϊκού σταθμού παραγωγής ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας, με ονομαστική εγκατεστημένη ισχύ αιχμής 100kWp. Ο συγκεκριμένος φ/β σταθμός μελετήθηκε για το γεωγραφικό πλάτος της Πάτρας. Στις μέρες μας, η ανάπτυξη φ/β πάρκων παραγωγής ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας γνωρίζει μεγάλη άνθηση και το μέλλον σε αυτόν τον τομέα αναμένεται ακόμη πιο ευοίωνο, ειδικά για μία χώρα με τόσο πλούσιο ηλιακό δυναμικό όπως η Ελλάδα. Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο γίνεται μία σύντομη αναφορά στην παγκόσμια, ευρωπαϊκή και ελληνική πραγματικότητα στον τομέα της παραγωγής ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας. Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο γίνεται μία λεπτομερής ανάλυση του φωτοβολταϊκού φαινομένου και γενικότερα της φωτοβολταϊκής τεχνολογίας. Επίσης, αναλύονται τα ηλεκτρικά χαρακτηριστικά των φ/β στοιχείων και οι σημαντικότεροι παράγοντες που τα επηρεάζουν. Στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο γίνεται η περιγραφή και ανάλυση των επιμέρους στοιχείων που συνθέτουν ένα φωτοβολταϊκό σύστημα. Στο τέταρτο κεφάλαιο εξηγούνται βασικές οικονομικές έννοιες και παρουσιάζονται τρόποι αξιολόγησης μίας επένδυσης. Στο πέμπτο κεφάλαιο πραγματοποιείται μία λεπτομερής τεχνική μελέτη του φ/β σταθμού παραγωγής ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας. Η μελέτη αυτή αφορά το σύνολο του ηλεκτρομηχανολογικού εξοπλισμού που θα χρησιμοποιηθεί (φ/β πλαίσια, αντιστροφείς, καλωδιώσεις, συστήματα προστασίας, βάσεις στήριξης, γειώσεις, σύστημα αντικεραυνικής προστασίας, τοπογραφική διάταξη κλπ). Επίσης, υπολογίζεται η τελική απόδοση του φ/β πάρκου. Στο έκτο κεφάλαιο πραγματοποιείται η οικονομική μελέτη του συστήματος και ερευνάται η οικονομική βιωσιμότητα ενός τέτοιου έργου. Εξετάζονται τρεις διαφορετικές περιπτώσεις χρηματοδότησης και επιλέγεται η πιο συμφέρουσα οικονομικά. Στο έβδομο κεφάλαιο πραγματοποιείται μία μελέτη-προσομοίωση του φ/β συστήματος στον υπολογιστή, με τη βοήθεια του προγράμματος PSCAD. Αρχικά μελετάμε κάθε επιμέρους στοιχείο ενός φ/β συστήματος ξεχωριστά και στη συνέχεια τα συνθέτουμε όλα μαζί και μελετάμε το συνολικό σύστημα. Παρουσιάζεται η απόκριση του συστήματος σε κανονικές συνθήκες λειτουργίας, η επίδραση που έχουν οι μεταβολές της ακτινοβολίας και της θερμοκρασίας, μελετώνται οι αρμονικές και τέλος εξετάζεται η απόκριση του συστήματος σε απότομες μεταβολές της ακτινοβολίας (π.χ. σε παροδική συννεφιά). / The aim of the present thesis is the analysis of a grid connected photovoltaic system, which generates all its produced electrical power to the grid and has a nominal power of 100 kWp. In nowadays there is a significant rise in photovoltaic investments and the immediate future is expected to be more auspicious. In the first chapter, there is a brief presentation of the global, European and Greek situation in the section of electricity generation. In the second chapter, a detailed analysis of the photovoltaic technology is presented. There is a description of the materials and technologies used to manufacture solar cells. Moreover, the electrical properties of cells and modules are explained in detail and also the factors affecting their efficiency. In the third chapter, the main parts of a photovoltaic system are presented in detail. In the fourth chapter, there is a theoretical economic analysis. Specifically, basic economic terms are explained and tools for investment assessment are given. In the fifth chapter, there is a detailed technical study of a grid connected photovoltaic system. All the electrical and mechanical equipment is concerned (pv modules, inverters, wiring, groundings, electrical protection equipment etc). Moreover, the annually produced electrical energy is being estimated. In the sixth chapter, an economic study is presented and the economic sustainability of the investment is investigated. In the seventh chapter, we use the program PSCAD in order to simulate and analyse the photovoltaic system in the computer. Firstly we analyse each part of the photovoltaic system separately and afterwards we compose all these parts together and we analyse the whole system. The system’s response in normal operating conditions, the impact of changes in solar radiation and in cells’ temperature, the harmonics and lastly the system’s response in rapid change of solar irradiance, are all studied in this chapter.

Orientador: Vicente Luis Scalon / Banca: Santiago Del Rio Oliveira / Banca: João Batista Campos Silva / Resumo: O uso da energia térmica provinda da energia solar a partir do uso de aquecedores solares de água residuais associados aos sistemas convencionais vêm crescendo, principalmente com o intuito da redução do uso dos chuveiros elétricos. Porém é necessário que tais equipamentos sejam dimensionados de maneira correta de acordo com cada aplicação e necessidade, já que se isso não ocorrer o sistema não apresentará vantagens. Um sistema de aquecimento de água é basicamente composto por um coletor de placa plana, um reservatório térmico e um sistema de aquecimento auxiliar. Coletores solares são capazes de transformar a energia da radiação solar em energia térmica, que na forma de calor, é transferida para um fluido. O sistema de um coletor solar depende da radiação solar sobre as placas, da temperatura do ar ambiente e da temperatura desejada da água quente. A radiação solar é dependente da localização em que o coletor foi instalado e para que a direção o mesmo está voltado, definindo assim a quantidade de calor útil absorvido pelo coletor e seu rendimento. A eficiência do coletor solar é definida como a razão entre o calor útil recebido pelo fluido e a radiação solar incidente sobre a superfície do coletor, na forma de radiação direta, difusa e a refletida de outras superfícies, em um dado intervalo de tempo. A eficiência do coletor depende de vários fatores de projetos, sendo os principais: o número de coberturas da placa, o tipo de vidro e suas características refletivas, o espaçamento entre o coletor e o vidro, o tipo e espessura do isolamento, o fator de absorção da placa absorvedora, entre outros fatores. Para o dimensionamento correto de sistemas de aquecimento solar de água para o uso doméstico, a partir das curvas de eficiência dos coletores, foram desenvolvidas algumas metodologias, baseadas na equação da energia útil, ou no cálculo da utilizabilidade diária da radição solar, ou na... / Abstract: The thermal solar energy use for domestic water heaters associated with conventional system, have been growing, especially the aim of reducing the electric showers use. However it is necessary that the equipment is design correctly according to each application, since if that system does not fulfill this will not present advantages. A solar hot water system is composed by a flat-plate collector, a thermal storage and auxiliary heating system. Solar collectors are able to transform solar radiation into thermal energy and in the heat form that is transferred to al fluid. The solar collector depends on the solar radiation over the plates, the ambient temperature and the demand hot water temperature. Solar radiation is depended on the localion which the collector was collector was installed and the direction it is facing, thus the useful heat absorved by the collector and its performance can be define. The solar collector efficiency is defined as the ratio of useful heat received by the fluid and the solar radiation incident on the collector surface, which it is composed by the radiation direct, diffuse and reflected from other surfaces, in a given time interval. The collector efficiency depends on several projects factors, and the main factors are: the number of collectors covers, the kind of the glass and its reflective characteristics, the spacing between the absorber surface and the glass and the thickness of insulation, the absorption factor of the plate, the other factors. The correct design of the domestic solar hot water using, from the collectors efficiency curves, some methodologies based on the useful energy equation, or the calculation of daily utilizability of solar radiation, or the determination of solar fraction of the system that supplied the hot water demand. This paper proposes an analysis of different methods to desing solar hot water system, the economic study of solar heating systems and optimized analysis in order to... / Mestre