The theoretical part focuses on the formation, transport of solar radiation and its availability in the Czech Republic. There are also discussed solar thermal systems and components of these systems, including their use. Project part addresses two design options of heating the hotel building. The first version is aimed at the common solution in the form of heating radiators with the source in the form of gas boiler and solar hot water. The second option solves superior solutions in the form of heating and cooling ceilings in the form of heat source heat pumps and solar heating support. Experimental solutions are focused on monitoring the operational status of the experimental solar devices and evaluation of operating characteristics of the device.

No description available.

Solar radiation is a primary driving force behind a number of solar energy applications such as photovoltaic systems for electricity generation amongst others. Hence, the accurate modelling and prediction of the solar flux incident at a particular location, is essential for the design and performance prediction of solar energy conversion systems. In this regard, literature shows that time series models such as the Box-Jenkins Seasonal/Non-seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (S/ARIMA) stochastic models have considerable efficacy to describe, monitor and forecast solar radiation data series at various sites on the earths surface (see e.g. Reikard, 2009). This success is attributable to their ability to capture the stochastic component of the irradiance series due to the effects of the ever-changing atmospheric conditions. On the other hand at the top of the atmosphere, there are no such conditions and deterministic models which have been used successfully to model extra-terrestrial solar radiation. One such modelling procedure is the use of a sinusoidal predictor at determined harmonic (Fourier) frequencies to capture the inherent periodicities (seasonalities) due to the diurnal cycle. We combine this deterministic model component and SARIMA models to construct harmonically coupled SARIMA (HCSARIMA) models to model the resulting mixture of stochastic and deterministic components of solar radiation recorded at the earths surface. A comparative study of these two classes of models is undertaken for the horizontal global solar irradiance incident on the solar panels at UKZN Howard College (UKZN HC), located at 29.9º South, 30.98º East with elevation, 151.3m. The results indicated that both SARIMA and HCSARIMA models are good in describing the underlying data generating processes for all data series with respect to different diagnostics. In terms of the predictive ability, the HCSARIMA models generally had a competitive edge over the SARIMA models in most cases. Also, a tentative study of long range dependence (long memory) shows this phenomenon to be inherent in high frequency data series. Therefore autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA) models are recommended for further studies on high frequency irradiance. / M.Sc. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2014.

The climatic effects of Solar Radiation Management (SRM) geoengineering have been often modeled by simply reducing the solar constant. This is most likely valid only for space sunshades and not for atmosphere and surface based SRM methods. In this thesis, a global climate model is used to test if the climate response to SRM by stratospheric aerosols and uniform solar constant reduction are similar. Our analysis shows that when global mean warming from a doubling of CO2 is nearly cancelled by both these methods, they are similar when important surface and tropospheric climate variables are considered. However, a difference of 1K in the global mean stratospheric (61-9.8 hPa) temperature is simulated between the two SRM methods. Further, while the global mean surface diffuse radiation increases by about 15- 20% and direct radiation decreases by about 8% in the case of sulphate aerosol SRM method, both direct and diffuse radiation decrease by similar fractional amounts (~ -1.5%) when solar constant is reduced. When CO2 fertilization effects from elevated CO2 concentration levels are removed, the contribution from shaded leaves to gross primary productivity (GPP) increases by 6 % in aerosol SRM because of increased diffuse light. However, this increase is almost offset by a 7% decline in sunlit contribution due to reduced direct light. Overall both the SRM simulations show similar decrease in GPP (~ 1%) and NPP (~ 0.7%). Based on our results we conclude that the climate states produced by a reduction in solar constant and addition of aerosols into the stratosphere can be considered almost similar except for two important aspects: stratospheric temperature change and the consequent implications for the dynamics and the chemistry of the stratosphere and the partitioning of direct versus diffuse radiation reaching the surface. Further, the likely dependence of global hydrological cycle response on aerosol particle size and the latitudinal and height distribution of aerosols is discussed.

MSc (Physics) / Department of Physics

Conventional energy sources are not only finite and depleting rapidly, but are a major source of global warming because they are key contributors of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Renewable energy sources are one important approach to these challenges. Distributed micro-generation energy sources are expected to increase the diversity of energy sources for the grid, but also increase the flexibility and resilience of the grid. Furthermore, it could reduce the domestic energy demand from the grid by enabling local consumption of energy generated through renewable sources. The most widely installed renewable energy generation systems in domestic environments, in UK, are based on solar power. However, there is a common recurring issue related to output intermittency of most promising renewable energy generation methods (e.g. solar and wind), resulting in a temporal energy mismatch between local energy generation and energy consumption. Current state-of-the-art technologies/solutions for tackling temporal energy mismatch rely on various types of energy storage technologies, most of which are not suitable for the domestic environments because they are designed for industrial scale application and relatively costly. As such energy storage system technologies are generally not deemed as economically viable or attractive for domestic environments. This research project seeks to tackle the temporal energy mismatch problem between local PV generated energy and domestic energy consumption without the need for dedicated energy storage systems; without affecting the householders comfort and/or imposing operational burdens on the householders. Simulation has been chosen as the major vehicle to facilitate much of the research investigation although data collated from related research projects in the UK and Jordan have been used in the research study. Solar radiation models have been established for predicting the solar radiation for days with clear-sky for any location at any time of the year. This model has achieved a correlation factor of 0.99 in relating to the experimental data-set obtained from National Energy Research Centre Amman/Jordan. Such a model is an essential component for supporting this research study, which has been employed to predict the amount of solar power that could be obtained in different locations and different day(s) of the year. A Domestic Energy Ecosystem Model (DEEM) has been established, which is comprised of two sub-models, namely “PV panels” and “domestic energy consumption” models. This model can be configured with different parameters such as power generation capacity of the photovoltaic (PV) panels and the smart domestic appliances to model different domestic environments. The DEEM model is a vital tool for supporting the test, evaluation and validation of the proposed temporal energy mismatch control strategies. A novel temporal energy mismatch control strategy has been proposed to address these issues by bringing together the concepts of load shifting and energy buffering, with the support of smart domestic appliances. The ‘What-if’ analysis approach has been adopted to facilitate the study of ‘cause-effect’ under different scenarios with the proposed temporal energy mismatch control strategy. The simulation results show that the proposed temporal energy mismatch control strategy can successfully tackle the temporal energy mismatch problem for a 3 bedroom semi-detached house with 2.5kWp PV panels installed, which can utilise local generated energy by up to 99%, and reduce the energy demand from the grid by up to 50%. Further analysis using the simulation has indicated significant socio-economic impacts to the householders and the environment could be obtained from the proposed temporal energy mismatch control strategy. It shows the proposed temporal energy mismatch control strategy could significantly reduce the annual grid energy consumption for a 3 bedrooms semi-detached house and produce significant carbon reductions.

Vegetational responses to changes in exposures within a constant slope range were studied on the Shallow Upland Range Sites and Granitic Hills Range Site in the Chihuahuan semidesert grasslands in Central Arizona. Sixteen exposures with slopes between 11 and 17 degrees were chosen for subsample sites. Environmental, complete soil descriptions, and vegetational composition data were taken. All data were analyzed using analyses of variance, ordination programs, and regression analyses to determine climate, soils, and vegetational relationships among exposures. The resulting data indicated that the geological lithologic unit on which the soils formed was the most important factor affecting apparent vegetational type. In this study, the data obtained from the complete soil profile descriptions contributed little information to the understanding of vegetational responses. Soil surface characteristics and surface soil horizon properties influenced soil moisture relationships. The conservation of soil moisture appeared to be more important to plant communities than did the total moisture holding capacity of the soil continuum. Monthly precipitation reliability and soil surface reflectances were environmental factors affecting plant communities occurring on different exposures. Fall/spring, winter/spring, and spring soil temperature interactions were the most important environmental factors affecting vegetation on different sloping exposures. All exposures within each of the four sample locations had vegetational components that were similar to the vegetational components of other exposures but all exposures were found to have different plant communities. Each exposure within a given slope range is a phase and/or subphase of currently used range site descriptions. A range site that is based on a potential natural community at one type location cannot be extrapolated across broad geographical expanses to define vegetative potentials for other areas having similar vegetative aspects. Range site descriptions must be site specific for one geographical rangeland that has had the same historical uses.

Der Einfluss der direkten Sonnenstrahlung kann trotz Strahlungsschutz und Ventilation zu deutlichen Fehlern bei der Bestimmung der Lufttemperatur führen. Zur Verringerung des Strahlungsfehlers in einer ventilierten Hütte wurde um die Temperatur- und Feuchtesensoren doppelte Strahlungsschutzrohre angebracht. Vergleichsexperimente haben gezeigt, dass damit ein wesentlich besserer Schutz vor der direkten Sonnenstrahlung erreicht wurde. / The influence of direct solar radiation and – despite a radiation shelter and sufficient ventilation – may cause an overestimation of the air temperature. To reduce the influence of the direct radiation, a double radiation protection tube was mounted around the temperature sensor. A cross validation has demonstrated, that consequently a much better radiation protection was realized.

O carbaril (metilcarbamato de naftila), um inseticida de amplo espectro, foi recentemente associado ao desenvolvimento de melanoma cutâneo em estudo epidemiológico de coorte com trabalhadores agrícolas norte-americanos, expostos também à radiação solar, o principal fator etiológico para o desenvolvimento de tumores cutâneos. Apesar de abrangente e bem planejado, aquele estudo epidemiológico não é suficiente para caracterizar a contribuição direta do inseticida e da radiação solar na melanomagênese. Diversos estudos têm explorado o efeito sinérgico de determinadas substâncias químicas à radiação UV, potencializando seus efeitos deletérios sobre a pele, e possivelmente contribuindo para o desenvolvimento de tumores. A hipótese deste trabalho é de que a exposição ao carbaril associada à radiação solar possa estimular a transformação de melanócitos. Esse estudo visou caracterizar melanócitos humanos após exposição individual ou combinada ao carbaril (100uM) e à radiação solar (375 mJ/ cm2). Em ensaio de microarray, o carbaril, mas não a radiação solar, induziu uma importante resposta a estresse oxidativo, evidenciada pelo aumento da expressão de genes antioxidantes, como o Hemeoxigenase-1 (HMOX1), e pela diminuição da expressão do gene MiTF, regulador da atividade melanocítica; os resultados foram confirmados por qRT-PCR. Além disso, tanto o carbaril quanto a radiação solar induziram respostas que sugerem dano ao DNA e alteração de ciclo celular. A expressão dos genes nestas categorias, como p21 e BRCA1/2, foi notavelmente mais intensa no grupo de tratamento combinado e de fato, ensaios por citometria de fluxo demonstraram parada de ciclo celular na fase S, redução do número de células em apoptose e indução mais rápida de lesões do tipo CPD neste grupo experimental. Nossos dados sugerem que o carbaril é genotóxico para melanócitos humanos, especialmente quando associado à radiação solar / Carbaryl (1-naphthyl-methylcarbamate), a broad spectrum insecticide, has recently been associated with the development of cutaneous melanoma in an epidemiological cohort study with U.S. farm workers also exposed to ultraviolet radiation, which is known to be the main etiologic factor for skin carcinogenesis. Although comprehensive and well designed, the epidemiological study is not sufficient to characterize the direct contribution of the insecticide and solar radiation in melanomagenesis. Several studies have explored the synergistic effect of certain chemicals with UV radiation, increasing its deleterious effects on the skin, possibly contributing to tumor development. We hypothesized that Carbaryl exposure associated with UV solar radiation may induce melanocyte transformation. This study aims to characterize human melanocytes after individual or combined exposure to Carbaryl (100uM) and solar radiation (375 mJ/ cm2). In a microarray analysis, Carbaryl, but not solar radiation, induced an important oxidative stress response, evidenced by the upregulation of antioxidant genes, such as Hemeoxygenase-1 (HMOX1), and downregulation of MiTF, the main regulator of melanocytic activity; results were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Moreover, both Carbaryl and solar UV induced a gene response that suggests DNA damage and cell cycle alteration. The expression of genes in these categories, such as p21 and BRCA1/2, was notably more intense in the combined treatment group in an additive manner and in fact, flow cytometry assays demonstrated cell cycle arrest in S phase, reduced apoptosis induction and faster induction of CPD lesions in this experimental group. Our data suggests that carbaryl is genotoxic to human melanocytes, especially when associated with solar radiation

A especificação das vedações transparentes é uma das decisões mais complexas no âmbito do projeto arquitetônico. Envolve diversos fatores construtivos e de necessidades humanas relacionadas ao conforto ambiental, associadas a uma grande variedade de produtos disponíveis no mercado. Este trabalho busca facilitar aos projetistas esse processo de especificação, fornecendo valores dos parâmetros de desempenho dos elementos transparentes em relação à análise do conforto térmico e visual, coerentes com a realidade climática brasileira e com a real incidência da radiação solar ao longo do dia. Foram estudados os vidros comuns, laminados e refletivos, e as películas de controle solar, policarbonatos e acrílicos usados em edificações no Brasil. Foi utilizada a análise por espectrofotometria para a obtenção dos valores de refletância, transmitância a absortância para as diferentes regiões do espectro solar, com ângulos de incidência variados. A partir do relacionamento desses resultados, considerando o comportamento similar de variação do Fator do Calor Solar (FCS) e da Transmitância da Luz Visível (Tv) com o ângulo de incidência, foi desenvolvida uma metodologia que possibilita o cálculo simplificado de ganhos de calor e luz natural. / The specification of the transparent elements is one of the most complex decisions in the ambit of the architectural project. It involves several constructive factors and human necessities related to the environmental comfort, associated to a great variety of available products in the market. The aim of this work is to facilitate the specification process to the planners, supplying values of the performance parameters of the transparent elements in relation to the analysis of thermal and visual comfort, coherent with the Brazilian climatic reality and with real incidence of the solar radiation along of the day. It were studied the ordinary, laminate and reflective glasses, the solar control films, policarbonates and acrylic used in Brazilian constructions. The spectrophotometry analysis was used to obtain the reflectance, the transmittance and the absortance values for the different regions of the solar spectrum, with varied incidence angles. Starting from the relationship of those results, considering the similar behavior of variation of the Solar Heat Factor (FCS) and of Transmittance of the Visible Light (Tv) with the incidence angle, it was developed a methodology that facilitates the simplified calculation of heat and natural light gains.