Current Issue : January-March Volume : 2026 Issue Number : 1 Articles : 5 Articles
This study presents the development and validation of a high-efficiency optical interface designed for ultra-high-concentration photovoltaic (UHCPV) systems, with a focus on enabling clean and sustainable solar energy conversion. A Fresnel lens serves as the primary optical concentrator in a novel system architecture that integrates advanced optical design with system-level thermal management. The proposed modeling framework combines detailed 3D ray tracing with coupled thermal simulations to accurately predict key performance metrics, including optical concentration ratios, thermal loads, and component temperature distributions. Validation against theoretical and experimental benchmarks demonstrates high predictive accuracies within 1% for optical efficiency and 2.18% for thermal performance. The results identify critical thermal thresholds for long-term operational stability, such as limiting mirror temperatures to below 52 ◦C and photovoltaic cell temperatures to below 130 ◦C. The model achieves up to 89.08% optical efficiency, with concentration ratios ranging from 240 to 600 suns and corresponding focal spot temperatures between 37.2 ◦C and 61.7 ◦C. Experimental benchmarking confirmed reliable performance, with the measured results closely matching the simulations. These findings highlight the originality of the coupled optical–thermal approach and its applicability to concentrated photovoltaic design and deployment. This integrated design and analysis approach supports the development of scalable, clean photovoltaic technologies and provides actionable insights for real-world deployment of UHCPV systems with minimal environmental impact....
The development of thin-film organic solar cells (TFOSCs) is pivotal for advancing sustainable energy technologies because of their potential for low-cost, lightweight, and flexible photovoltaic applications. In this study, silver-doped copper sulfide (CuS/Ag) metal nanoparticles (MNPs) were successfully synthesized via a wet chemical method. These CuS/Ag MNPs were incorporated at varying concentrations into a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) blend, serving as the active layer to enhance the photovoltaic performance of the TFOSCs. The fabricated TFOSC devices were systematically evaluated based on the optical, electrical, and morphological characteristics of the active layer. By varying the concentration of CuS/Ag MNPs, the influence of nanoparticle doping on photocurrent generation was investigated. The device incorporating 1% CuS/Ag MNPs exhibited the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.28%, significantly outperforming the pristine reference device, which achieved a PCE of 2.53%. This enhancement is attributed to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), which augments charge transport and increases optical absorption. The CuS/Ag MNPs were characterized using ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive dispersion (EDX) analysis. These findings underscore the potential of CuS/Ag MNPs in revolutionizing TFOSCs, paving the way for more efficient and sustainable solar energy solutions....
In urban heat islands with sun-exposed roofs, the cooling potential of unfinished attics is often insufficient. Attics and the adjacent floor often overheat and do not cool sufficiently during tropical nights. Because of heritage-preservation requirements and limited structural reserve in historic roof constructions, it is often not possible to install heat-dissipating photovoltaic modules or add a superimposed cold-roof assembly above the existing roof skin. A possible solution is ‘infrared (IR) shading’, which uses interior IR-shading elements to shield long-wave radiation from the solar-heated roof skin. The research had two goals: (i) develop and evaluate lightweight IR-shading elements that can be reversibly mounted at rafter level on the attic side; and (ii) investigate how rafter-field ventilation can remove heat from the IR-shading elements....
The increasing demand for reliable electricity in off-grid regions, particularly in remote areas, calls for innovative solutions. This project focuses on the integration of Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH) with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, aiming to provide a clean, sustainable, and stable energy solution. The primary goal is to design and develop a small-scale hybrid system that utilizes solar energy to pump water into an elevated reservoir, which can then be released to generate electricity via a turbine when solar generation is low or unavailable. An Arduino-based monitoring system was developed to track the performance of both the solar panel and the hydro generator. The system was designed, simulated, and tested under real-world conditions. Results indicate that although the system demonstrates potential for off-grid applications, the small-scale PSH prototype is less efficient compared to direct battery-based solar storage in terms of consistency and output power. The findings suggest that improvements in system design, turbine efficiency, and storage capacity are required to enhance the performance and reliability of the hybrid system. The outcomes highlight the viability of hybrid renewable systems for sustainable off-grid electrification but also indicate areas for future research, particularly in optimizing system design and scaling for broader applications....
Photovoltaic (PV) module enhancers, such as coolers and reflectors, are advanced technologies aimed at improving PV performance. The conventional approach for selecting the optimal PV enhancer relies on the observation of the highest power. While effective in comparing different enhancer designs, this method does not determine the maximum performance that the PV enhancer can achieve. To address this limitation, a new methodology is introduced that overcomes this drawback. It relies on three essential parameters: the net power gain with an enhancer, the power output of a PV module without an enhancer, and the maximum power of a PV module under standard test conditions. The impact of each parameter on the proposed method is analyzed, and enhancers are classified based on the method’s output. Maximum or minimum performance is observed when the method’s value is either in unity with or matches the ratio of a PV module’s power output (without an enhancer) to its maximum power under standard conditions. To validate this approach in practical applications, experimental data from previous studies are examined. The results confirm that this technique can be applied for real-world cases and can effectively categorize PV enhancers, offering valuable insights for researchers, designers, and manufacturers....
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