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Journal of Renewable Energy
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This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Online) 2314-4386
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A Review on the Recent Advances in Battery Development and Energy Storage
Technologies
- Abstract: Energy storage is a more sustainable choice to meet net-zero carbon foot print and decarbonization of the environment in the pursuit of an energy independent future, green energy transition, and uptake. The journey to reduced greenhouse gas emissions, increased grid stability and reliability, and improved green energy access and security are the result of innovation in energy storage systems. Renewable energy sources are fundamentally intermittent, which means they rely on the availability of natural resources like the sun and wind rather than continuously producing energy. Due to its ability to address the inherent intermittency of renewable energy sources, manage peak demand, enhance grid stability and reliability, and make it possible to integrate small-scale renewable energy systems into the grid, energy storage is essential for the continued development of renewable energy sources and the decentralization of energy generation. Accordingly, the development of an effective energy storage system has been prompted by the demand for unlimited supply of energy, primarily through harnessing of solar, chemical, and mechanical energy. Nonetheless, in order to achieve green energy transition and mitigate climate risks resulting from the use of fossil-based fuels, robust energy storage systems are necessary. Herein, the need for better, more effective energy storage devices such as batteries, supercapacitors, and bio-batteries is critically reviewed. Due to their low maintenance needs, supercapacitors are the devices of choice for energy storage in renewable energy producing facilities, most notably in harnessing wind energy. Moreover, supercapacitors possess robust charging and discharging cycles, high power density, low maintenance requirements, extended lifespan, and are environmentally friendly. On the other hand, combining aluminum with nonaqueous charge storage materials such as conductive polymers to make use of each material’s unique capabilities could be crucial for continued development of robust storage batteries. In general, energy density is a key component in battery development, and scientists are constantly developing new methods and technologies to make existing batteries more energy proficient and safe. This will make it possible to design energy storage devices that are more powerful and lighter for a range of applications. When there is an imbalance between supply and demand, energy storage systems (ESS) offer a way of increasing the effectiveness of electrical systems. They also play a central role in enhancing the reliability and excellence of electrical networks that can also be deployed in off-grid localities.
  PubDate: Wed, 08 May 2024 06:20:01 +000
Technical Evaluation of Photovoltaic Systems in the Bamenda Municipality
of the North West Region of Cameroon
- Abstract: In the Bamenda Municipality of Cameroon households are adopting Solar Photovoltaic Systems (SPVS). The penetration of SPVS in this Municipality depends on their technical performance. The study aimed to evaluate the technical installation of SPVS within the Municipality. A field inspection and administration of a questionnaire was conducted. The field inspection evaluated the respect of technical installation norms for SPVS. The questionnaire captured data on the technical situation of the SPVS. The SPVS installed included PV and grid to power separate loads, and PV and grid to power same loads. The installed loads were a mix of AC and DC loads of capacity from 360 W to 10000 W. The load powered by the installed SPVS varied from 300 W to 7000 W. The PV array varied from 200 W to 3200 W and battery bank capacity of 100 Ah to 800 Ah. The PV arrays were mostly installed on roof tops. Only 5% of the SPVS were installed by certified personnel. More than 50% of the installed SPVS operated below designed operation time. Failures in installed systems were related to inverters (36 %) and battery banks (36 %). Most of the PV arrays were installed on rooftops at tilt angles between 20° and 50°. More than 50 % of the PV arrays were oriented to directions other than South. Protective devices were installed in only 14 % of the installed systems. Some of the SPVS were not properly dimensioned. It may be concluded that most of the installed SPVS do not respect the technical installation norms and were not dimensioned according to users’ needs. The survival and penetration of SPVS technology in the Bamenda Municipality, Cameroon, and other sub-Saharan communities requires awareness and capacity building, policies, and regulations in the design and installation of this technology.
  PubDate: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 06:50:01 +000
CFD Simulations and Experimental Investigation of a Flat-Plate Solar Air
Heater at Different Positions of Inlet and Outlet
- Abstract: In this study, the effects of the positions of inlet and outlet in a single-flow flat plate rectangular box active solar air heater due to convective heat transfer were designed, constructed, theoretically investigated using CFD fluid flow (fluent) software, and experimentally examined. The internal dimensions of the solar air heater are length and width of 100 cm and 50 cm, respectively, and the air gap between absorber plate and glazing glass is 9 cm. The solar air heaters are constructed with 18 mm thickness plywood, 4 mm thickness glazing glass, and 1 mm thickness aluminium sheet metal. Except for the glazing glass, other construction materials are painted black to absorb solar radiation. The positions of the inlet and outlet depend on the fraction of the width of the solar air heater. Based on the three-day average outlet temperature of the solar air heaters, solar air heater B has the highest average outlet temperature compared with other active solar air heaters and ambient air temperatures. Based on the three-day average outlet temperature of solar air heaters and ambient air temperatures, the active solar air heater B outlet temperature is 33.83 percent greater than the ambient air average temperature. The average outlet temperature of the air in passive solar air heaters increased by 17% and 4.43% compared to ambient air and active solar air heaters outlet air temperatures, respectively, due to the speed of the air in the solar air heater. The uncertainty of the instruments to measure the temperature of the air is 0.289°C, and the uncertainty of the solar air heater is 0.462°C. A higher average air outlet temperature was achieved in March at a tilt angle of 12° at a latitude of 8.89°. The negative tilt angle in May at a latitude of 8.89° indicates the south-facing orientation of solar air heaters is better. The passive solar air heater and ambient air temperature have a higher air temperature fluctuation than the active solar air collector.
  PubDate: Fri, 06 Oct 2023 06:50:01 +000
Bioenergy Production Potential of Available Biomass Residue Resources in
Ethiopia
- Abstract: The study intends to present the bioenergy potential in Ethiopia using major sources of biomass generation. The study utilized data from secondary sources to generate the potential using the available biomass sources within the country. In order to determine the bioenergy potential, four residue biomass sources, including livestock manure, crop residues, forest residues, and municipal solid waste (MSW) from major cities, were considered. The Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical (FAOSTAT) Database as well as national and local reports were used to compile information on crops, forests, animals, and human populations. The potential of each source is estimated for 2020-21 as the base year. The total bioenergy potential of the country is estimated to be 2955 petajoule (PJ) per year, with 56.01% of it coming from forest residue, 28.29% from crop residue, 15.36% from livestock waste, and 0.33% from MSW. In addition, it is estimated that 819.7 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity may be generated from all sources yearly. This is equivalent to around 8, 58, and 89 times Ethiopia’s total primary energy consumption, electricity production, and electricity net consumption in 2020, respectively. Results also demonstrated that the total potential (819.7 TWh·y−1) is roughly 56% greater than the forest residues’ potential alone (459 TWh·y−1). This implies that biomass resources might be crucial in assisting Ethiopia to fulfill its future energy needs. To fully realize the availability of biomass energy, the study suggests performing integrated development research, choosing the best feedstock and value chains for bioenergy, and creating a bioenergy database.
  PubDate: Fri, 11 Aug 2023 06:20:01 +000
A Bottom-Up Approach to PV System Design for Rural Locality
Electrification: A Case Study in Burkina Faso
- Abstract: This work evaluates the performance of optimal hybrid PV/battery and PV/diesel generator renewable energy systems for a remote village in Burkina Faso. Based on socioeconomic data and the household sample survey, a technoeconomic simulation and optimization model of electrical loading are presented. Ant colony optimization (ACO) and the loss of power supply probability (LPSP) algorithms were used for the search of the optimal hybrid power system. For the selected village location, the results have shown that the hybrid PV/battery system represents the best renewable energy solution due to abundant solar irradiation and carbon emission free compared to the conventional diesel generator (DG) or PV/DG system. To reach the estimated load power demand of 2150 kWh for the studied location, optimized PV/battery configuration sizing required 650 PV modules of 250 W and 715 batteries of 300 Ah. The economical evaluation reveals a cost investment of about 1,293 025.7 USD for a lifetime of 25 years in comparison of that of PV/DG and DG systems, which are 1,088 701.9 USD and 1,682 850.6 USD, respectively. However, environmental and atmospheric pollution is minimized with a saving of more than 17943 tons of CO2. Therefore, the production of electricity from the PV/battery system leads to better competitiveness reliability for a socioeconomic development of studied remote villages.
  PubDate: Sat, 27 May 2023 08:50:00 +000
Determinants of Electricity Transmission and Distribution Losses in South
Africa
- Abstract: The increased electricity demand amidst inadequate electricity generation in South Africa has plunged the country into frequent power outages and load shedding. However, the country still has the lowest electricity transmission and distribution losses in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite low losses, there is still an opportunity to reduce losses further and reduce power outages and load shedding. This study examines the determinants of electricity transmission and distribution losses in South Africa. The results will inform policymakers on avoiding higher electricity transmission losses to alleviate the current electricity shortfall. Using the time-series data from 1971–2020 and the autoregressive distributed-lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration, the study confirmed a long-run relationship between electricity transmission, distribution losses, and income, price, investment, political regime, and economic integration. Regression analysis from the ARDL methods revealed that investments, political administration, and economic integration positively influence electricity transmission and distribution losses. At the same time, income reduces electricity transmission and distribution losses in the long run. However, income, price, and economic integration minimize electricity transmission losses in the short run while the remaining variables maintained their positive effects. The implication is that without proper checks in place, an expansion in South Africa’s economic integration, investment, and democracy may negatively affect the electricity sector of the country through an increase in electric power losses, while higher income will help the industry via lower electric power losses. The paper, among other things, recommends building a robust economy to ensure lower levels of electricity transmission and distribution losses.
  PubDate: Sat, 13 May 2023 06:20:00 +000
Year-Round Experimental Analysis of the Productivity of Vapour-Based
Multistage Solar Still: A Developmental Study
- Abstract: The standalone vapour-based multistage solar still with stacked stages (MSS-SS) belongs to a pool of widely studied small-scale water desalination devices through solar thermal energy. This work contributes to the body of knowledge by presenting a system with new configurations. There is a need to develop small-scale systems to be reliable devices for freshwater provision, as brackish water is available for processing. The experimental study was conducted in a field under actual weather conditions, with the data logged and analysed to study the systems’ behaviour under varying meteorological conditions. A maximum distillate yield of 7790 ml, corresponded to a maximum daily average solar radiation at high range. There was a 21.8% decrease to 6090 ml at moderate daily average range and a further decline of 80.5% to 1190 ml in the low daily average range, representing a significant drop in the distillate yield caused by the insufficient heat collection at low range. The high, moderate, and low ranges corresponded to summer, spring and autumn, and winter, respectively. The lower values of the moderate range were the most optimum operationally. The impulsive modes were ideal for high rates of the heat inputs, while the continuous were for low rates. The assumption of a continuous mode and a further increase in the rate of thermal energy input caused thermal damage necessitating the augmentation of the thermal energy storage (TES) device due to a larger collector-to-basin area (CBA) ratio. The distillate yield trends from the stages were dynamic and were the inverse of the stage temperature, which was dictated by the mode and rate of the thermal energy input. These trends were such that stage 5 > 3 > 2 > 1 > 4 at moderate to high ranges and changed a low range. The summer season enhanced the cumulative saline water (SW) preheating and heat recovery to 66.8°C. The economic analysis found that at its most productive level, the cost of producing water per litre (CPL) from the vapour-based MSS-SS was R 4.05. The small-scale water purification systems are helpful, especially in remote areas.
  PubDate: Tue, 28 Mar 2023 10:20:01 +000

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