Optimizing the power conversion processes in diluted donor/acceptor heterojunctions towards 19.4%efficiency all-polymer solar cells

All polymer solar cells(all-PSCs)promise mechanically-flexible and morphologically-stable organic photovoltaics and have aroused increased interests very recently.However,due to their disorderly conformation structures within the photoactive film,inefficient charge generation and carrier transport are observed which lead to inferior photovoltaic performance compared to smaller molecular acceptor-based photovoltaics.Here,by diluting PM6 with a cutting-edge polymeric acceptor PY-IT and diluting PY-IT with PM6 or D18,donor-dominating or acceptor-dominating heterojunctions were prepared.Synchrotron X-ray and multiple spectrometer techniques reveal that the diluted heterojunctions receive increased structural order,translating to enhanced carrier mobility,improved exciton diffusion length,and suppressed non-radiative recombination loss during the power conversion.As the results,the corresponding PM6+1%PY-IT/PY-IT+1%D18 and PM6+1%PY-IT/PY-IT+1%PM6 devices fabricated by layer-by-layer deposition received superior power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 19.4%and 18.8%respectively,along with enhanced operational lifetimes in air,outperforming the PCE of 17.5%in the PM6/PY-IT reference device.

Preparation and Characterization of Andalusite Ceramic Used for Solar Thermal Power Generation

High-temperature thermal storage material is one of the critical materials of solar thermal power generation system. Andalusite, kaolin, talc, γ-Al2O3 and partially stabilized zireonia were used as the raw materials, and in-situ synthesis of cordierite was adopted to fabricate thermal storage material for solar thermal power generation via pressureless sintering. The phase compositions, microstructures and thermal shock resistances of the sintered samples were analyzed by XRD, SEM and EDS, and the corresponding mechanical properties were measured. The results show that the major phases of the samples are mullite and zirconium silicate, and the pores distribute uniformly. After being sintered at 1 460℃C, A4 sample exhibits a better mechanical performance and thermal shock resistance, its loss rate of bending strength after 30 cycles thermal shock is 3.04%, the bulk density and bending strength are 2.86 g.cm^-3 and 139.66 MPa, respectively. The better thermal shock resistance of the sample is closely related to the effect of zirconium silicate, such as its uniform distribution, nested growth with mullite, low thermal expansion coefficient, high thermal conductivity, etc. This ceramic can be widely used as one of potential thermal storage materials of solar thermal power generation system.

Research progress on protective coatings against molten nitrate salts for thermal energy storage in concentrating solar power plants

Concentrating solar power(CSP) has garnered considerable global attention as a reliable means of generating bulk electricity, effectively addressing the intermittent nature of solar resources.The integration of molten salt technology for thermal energy storage(TES) has further contributed to the growth of CSP plants;however, the corrosive nature of molten salts poses challenges to the durability of container materials, necessitating innovative corrosion mitigation strategies.This review summarizes scientific advancements in high-temperature anticorrosion coatings for molten nitrate salts, highlighting the key challenges and future trends.It also explores various coating types, including metallic, ceramic, and carbon-based coatings, and compares different coating deposition methods.This review emphasizes the need for durable coatings that meet long-term performance requirements and regulatory limitations, with an emphasis on carbon-based coatings and emerging nanomaterials.A combination of multiple coatings is required to achieve desirable anticorrosion properties while addressing material compatibility and cost considerations.The overall goal is to advance the manufacturing, assembly, and performance of CSP systems for increased efficiency, reliability, and durability in various applications.

Progress in Research and Development of Molten Chloride Salt Technology for Next Generation Concentrated Solar Power Plants

Concentrated solar power(CSP)plants with thermal energy storage(TES)system are emerging as one kind of the most promising power plants in the future renewable energy system,since they can supply dispatchable and low-cost electricity with abundant but intermittent solar energy.In order to significantly reduce the levelized cost of electricity(LCOE)of the present commercial CSP plants,the next generation CSP technology with higher process temperature and energy efficiency is being developed.The TES system in the next generation CSP plants works with new TES materials at higher temperatures(>565℃)compared to that with the commercial nitrate salt mixtures.This paper reviews recent progressin research and development of the next generation CSP and TES technology.Emphasis is given on theadvanced'TES technology based on molten chloride salt mixtures such as MgCl_(2)/NaCl/KCl which hassimilar thermo-physical properties as the commercial nitrate salt mixtures,higher thermal stability(>800℃),and lower costs(<0.35USD·kg^(-1)).Recent progress in the selection/optimization of chloridesalts,determination of molten chloride salt properties,and corrosion control of construction materials(eg.,alloys)in molten chlorides is reviewed.

In-Situ Preparation and Thermal Shock Resistance of Mullite-Cordierite Heat Tube Material for Solar Thermal Power

In order to improve the thermal shock resistance of solar thermal heat transfer tube material, the mullite-cordierite composite ceramic as solar thermal heat transfer tube material were fabricated by pressureless sintering using a-Al203, Suzhou kaolin, talc, and feldspar as starting materials. The important parameter for solar thermal transfer tube such as water absorption （W）, bulk density （Db）, and the mechanical properties were investigated. The phase composition and microstructure of the composite ceramics were analyzed by XRD and SEM. The experimental results show that the B3 sintered at 1 300 ℃ and holding for 3 h has an optimum thermal shock resistance. The bending strength loss rate of B3 is only 2% at 1 100℃ by air quenching-strength test and the sample can endure 30 times thermal shock cycling, and the water absorption, the bulk density and the bending strength are 0.32%, 2.58 g·cm-3, and 125.59 MPa respectively. The XRD analysis indicated that the phase compositions of the sample were mullite, cordierite, corundum, and spinel. The SEM images illustrate that the cordierite is prismatic grain and the mullite is nano rod, showing a good thermal shock resistance for composite ceramics as potential solar thermal power material.

Cascade utilization of full spectrum solar energy for achieving simultaneous hydrogen production and all-day thermoelectric conversion

Solar-driven photocatalytic water/seawater splitting holds great potential for green hydrogen production.However,the practical application is hindered by the relatively low conversion efficiency resulting from the inadequate utilization of solar spectrum with significant waste in the form of heat.Moreover,current equipment struggles to maintain all-day operation subjected to the lack of light during nighttime.Herein,a novel hybrid system integrating photothermal catalytic(PTC)reactor,thermoelectric generator(TEG),and phase change materials(PCM)was proposed and designed(named as PTC-TEG-PCM)to address these challenges and enable simultaneous overall seawater splitting and 24-hour power generation.The PTC system effectively maintains in an optimal temperature range to maximize photothermal-assisted photocatalytic hydrogen production.The TEG component recycles the low-grade waste heat for power generation,complementing the shortcoming of photocatalytic conversion and achieving cascade utilization of full-spectrum solar energy.Furthermore,exceptional thermal storage capability of PCM allow for the conversion of released heat into electricity during nighttime,contributing significantly to the overall power output and enabling PTC-TEG-PCM to operate for more than 12 h under the actual condition.Compared to traditional PTC system,the overall energy conversion efficiency of the PTC-TEG-PCM system can be increased by∼500%,while maintaining the solar-to-hydrogen efficiency.The advancement of this novel system demonstrated that recycling waste heat from the PTC system and utilizing heat absorption/release capability of PCM for thermoelectric application are effective strategies to improve solar energy conversion.With flexible parameter designing,PTC-TEG-PCM can be applied in various scenarios,offering high efficiency,stability,and sustainability.

Development modes analysis of renewable energy power generation in North Africa

North African countries generally have strategic demands for energy transformation and sustainable development.Renewable energy development is important to achieve this goal.Considering three typical types of renewable energies—wind,photovoltaic(PV),and concentrating solar power(CSP)—an optimal planning model is established to minimize construction costs and power curtailment losses.The levelized cost of electricity is used as an index for assessing economic feasibility.In this study,wind and PV,wind/PV/CSP,and transnational interconnection modes are designed for Morocco,Egypt,and Tunisia.The installed capacities of renewable energy power generation are planned through the time sequence production simulation method for each country.The results show that renewable energy combined with power generation,including the CSP mode,can improve reliability of the power supply and reduce the power curtailment rate.The transnational interconnection mode can help realize mutual benefits of renewable energy power,while the apportionment of electricity prices and trading mechanisms are very important and are related to economic feasibility;thus,this mode is important for the future development of renewable energy in North Africa.

Optimization of solar thermal power station LCOE based on NSGA-Ⅱ algorithm

In view of the high cost of solar thermal power generation in China,it is difficult to realize large-scale production in engineering and industrialization.Non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II(NSGA-II)is applied to optimize the levelling cost of energy(LCOE)of the solar thermal power generation system in this paper.Firstly,the capacity and generation cost of the solar thermal power generation system are modeled according to the data of several sets of solar thermal power stations which have been put into production abroad.Secondly,the NSGA-II genetic algorithm and particle swarm algorithm are applied to the optimization of the solar thermal power station LCOE respectively.Finally,for the linear Fresnel solar thermal power system,the simulation experiments are conducted to analyze the effects of different solar energy generation capacities,different heat transfer mediums and loan interest rates on the generation price.The results show that due to the existence of scale effect,the greater the capacity of the power station,the lower the cost of leveling and electricity,and the influence of the types of heat storage medium and the loan on the cost of leveling electricity are relatively high.

Shape Effect of Piezoelectric Energy Harvester on Vibration Power Generation

Vibration energy harvesting is widely recognized as the useful technology for saving energy. The piezoelectric energy harvesting device is one of energy harvester and is used to operate certain types of MEMS devices. Various factors influence the energy regeneration efficiency of the lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric (PZT) devices in converting the mechanical vibration energy to the electrical energy. This paper presents the analytical and experimental evaluation of energy regeneration efficiency of PZT devices through impedance matching method and drop-weight experiments to different shape of PZT devices. The results show that the impedance matching method has increased the energy regeneration efficiency while triangular shape of PZT device produce a stable efficiency in the energy regeneration. Besides that, it becomes clear that the power, energy and subsequently efficiency of the triangular plate are higher than those of the rectangular plate under the condition of the matching impedance and the same PZT area.

High-temperature Thermal Properties and Wear Behavior of Basalt as Heat Storage Material for Concentrated Solar Power Plants

The microstructures,components,thermal stability,specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity of basalt sample were studied.Besides,as a comprehensive result of thermal expansion and contraction process,both the friction coefficient and wear rate of the basalt sample were also characterized.Our results indicate that basalt is an excellent candidate to be used as thermal energy storage material for concentrated solar power plants,and also provide a strategy for solar energy utilization in volcanic area with excellent geographical environment.

Figure of Merit Analysis of a Hybrid Solar-geothermal Power Plant

Figure of merit analysis is a general methodology used to evaluate whether a hybrid power plant could produce more power than two stand-alone power plants. In this paper, the assessment methodology using figure of merit analysis was re-examined for a hybrid solar-geothermal power plant. A new definition of the figure of merit was introduced specifically for a solar boosted geothermal plant to include both the technical and economic factors. The new definition was then applied in a case study of a hypothetical demonstration hybrid solar-geothermal power plant in Australia. The power plant was considered to have a typical net power output of 2.2 MW with a solar energy fraction of 27%. The analysis was performed to compare the power output and capital cost of the hybrid plant with the state-of-the-art (SoA) and existing stand-alone solar and geothermal plants. Based on the new definition, the hybrid plant was found to generally outperform the two existing stand-alone plants. Moreover, at an ambient temperature of 5 °C, the hybrid plant was found to outperform the SoA stand-alone plants when the geothermal temperature was greater than 150 °C. For geothermal temperature of 180 °C on the other hand, the hybrid plant outperformed the SoA stand-alone plants at ambient temperatures lower than 33 °C.

Analysis of Current Research and Future Development Trends of Applying Solar Energy in Street Lighting

In the context of promoting green energy transition and addressing climate change globally,solar energy,as a clean and renewable energy source,has gradually become a hot topic for research.Solar streetlight systems realize energy self-sufficiency and environment-friendly lighting by integrating photovoltaic power generation technology and efficient LED lighting technology.By comprehensively analyzing the current status of the application of solar streetlights at home and abroad,this paper discusses its technical advantages,market penetration,and challenges in its development.In terms of technical characteristics,this paper focuses on analyzing the key technologies such as energy conversion efficiency and intelligent control systems of solar streetlights.

Proposal of a Solar Thermal Power Plant at Low Temperature Using Solar Thermal Collectors

To this day, only two types of solar power plants have been proposed and built: high temperature thermal solar one and photovoltaic one. It is here proposed a new type of solar thermal plant using glass-top flat surface solar collectors, so working at low temperature (i.e., below 100°C). This power plant is aimed at warm countries, i.e., the ones mainly located between -40° and 40° latitude, having available space along their coast. This land based plant, to install on the seashore, is technologically similar to the one used for OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion). This plant, apart from supplying electricity with a much better thermodynamic efficiency than OTEC plants, has the main advantage of providing desalinated water for drinking and irrigation. This plant is designed to generate electricity (and desalinated water) night and day and all year round, by means of hot water storage, with just a variation of the power delivered depending on the season.

Energy and Exergy Analysis of a New Small Concentrating Solar Power Plant

A new small concentrating solar power plant which is suitable for urban area is presented, and a theoretical framework for the energy and exergy analysis in the overall power plant is also constructed. The framework can be used to evaluate the energy and exergy losses in each component. Furthermore, the energy and exergy efficiencies have also been computed and compared for the individual components as well as for the overall plant.

Optimisation of Electrical Distribution System by Using Solar Thermal Powered Systems and Its Impact on Electrical Distribution Feeders

In this research, the performance of the solar thermal powered systems (STPS) is analyzed with different models (without inserts, with inserts and with Nano fluids with different concentrations) and its impact on the Electric load in a residential/Institutional Electrical Distribution system. For this purpose, the electrical and solar thermal water heater is tested and validated. Solar thermal powered systems and its impact on the Institutional electrical distribution feeders are tested and compared with the energy efficiency (EE) and cost optimization. The goal of this paper is to analyze the impact of solar thermal energy on electrical energy consumption in the electrical distribution feeder level. The electrical system cost and energy consumptions are tabulated and observed that there is a considerable savings.

The Study of Thermal Mass as a Passive Design Technique for Building Comfort and Energy Efficiency

The day/night （diurnal） changes in temperature and solar radiation pose challenges for maintaining human thermal comfort in buildings. Passive and energy-conserving buildings seek to manage the available thermal energy by lowering peaks and dampening the fluctuations in order to maintain conditions for human comfort. Appropriate use of thermal mass moderates the internal temperatures by averaging diurnal extremes. Thermal mass is one of the powerful tools which architects and designers can use to control temperature. It can be used to optimize the performance of energy-conserving buildings that rely primarily on mechanical heating and cooling strategies. Massive building envelopes-such as masonry, concrete, earth, and insulating concrete forms （ICFs） can be utilized as one of the simplest ways of reducing building heating and cooling loads. This article analyses the role and effectiveness of thermal mass as a strategy for providing indoor thermal comfort for passive solar and energy conserving buildings.

Renewable Energy:Wind Turbines,Solar Cells,Small Hydroelectric Plants,Biomass,and Geothermal Sources of Energy

In this paper,we present five basic types of renewable energy sources,namely:wind turbines,solar cells,small hydroelectric plants,biomass,and geothermal sources of energy.Wind turbines transform energy of wind into electrical energy,solar cells transform energy of sun into electric energy,hydroelectric plants transform energy of water into electric energy,devices or machines can be constructed to transform energy of biomass into heat energy,and geothermal energy into some form of energy.In this paper we present basic information and reasons why there is need today to use these forms of energy—called green energies,we present how these devices or machines function,and we propose for future work design of typical devices or machines that will satisfy basic functional needs.

POWER GENERATION POTENTIAL OF BIPV APPLICATION IN CHINA

This paper discusses the potential and prospect of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) for solar electrical power generation in China.The BIPV technology has been identified as the most economical renewable energy resource to contribute to world electrical energy demand for protecting environment from reduced fossil fuel consumption.The available solar energy resource of 14 cities and the potential power generation from PV claddings in buildings in China were estimated.The economical analysis of BIPV application is discussed.It is found that the potential is significant and the government should play an important role in its development.

Country-level meteorological parameters for building energy efficiency in China

Accurate basic data are necessary to support performance-based design for achieving carbon peak and carbon neutral targets in the building sector.Meteorological parameters are the prerequisites of building thermal engineering design,heating ventilation and air conditioning design,and energy consumption simulations.Focusing on the key issues such as low spatial coverage and the lack of daily or higher time resolution data,daily and hourly models of the surface meteorological data and solar radiation were established and evaluated.Surface meteorological data and solar radiation data were generated for 1019 cities and towns in China from 1988 to 2017.The data were carefully compared,and the accuracy was proved to be high.All the meteorological parameters can be assessed in the building sector via a sharing platform.Then,country-level meteorological parameters were developed for energy-efficient building assessment in China,based on actual meteorological data in the present study.This set of meteorological parameters may facilitate engineering applications as well as allowing the updating and expansion of relevant building energy efficiency standards.The study was supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of China during the 13th Five-Year Plan Period,named Fundamental parameters on building energy efficiency in China,comprising of 15 top-ranking universities and institutions in China.

Economic analysis of solar energy development in North Africa

The economic analysis of solar energy development is the basis of promoting the solar energy planning in north Africa and realizing the clean energy power transmission among continents. In this paper, the cost development trend of photovoltaic(PV) power and concentrating solar power(CSP) generation is analyzed, and the levelized cost of energy(LCOE) of solar power generation is forecasted. Then, taking the development of Tunisian solar energy as an example in the context of transcontinental transmission, PV power with energy storage and PV-CSP power generation are given as two kinds of development plan respectively. The installed capacity configurations of the two schemes are given with production simulation method, and comprehensive LCOE are calculated. The studies show that based on the LCOE forecast value, the LCOE of PV-CSP combined power generation will decrease when the annual utilization hours of transmission channel is increased. It can be chosen as one of important mode of the North Africa solar energy development.