Soteris A. Kalogirou

A Survey on the Application of Artificial Intelligence Techniques for Photovoltaic Systems

Abstract This chapter presents four of the major artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for photovoltaic applications: artificial neural networks (ANNs), fuzzy logic (FL), genetic algorithm (GA), and hybrid systems (HSs). The advantages of AI-based modeling and simulation techniques as alternatives to conventional physical modeling are explained. The text validates the premise that AI offers alternative ways to improve prediction accuracy and fault identification. The importance of digital hardware modules that can be integrated within systems is emphasized. Applications of AI techniques for modeling, control, sizing, prediction, and fault detection are described in some detail; conclusions are presented for each of the main AI techniques. References are provided for information on setup techniques.

Introduction to Renewable Energy Powered Desalination

Abstract Life on earth depends on water, which is an essential element for life. Three-fourths of the planets surface is covered with water but 97% of this huge quantity is contained in the oceans and is salty water and only a tiny 3% is freshwater. This small percentage of the earths water, however, supplies most of the needs of humanity and exists in lakes, rivers, and ground water. As can be understood, the only practically inexhaustible sources of water are the oceans, which, however, are of very high salinity, much above the safe consumption limit. It would be therefore possible to address the water shortage problem faced by many countries and many millions of people with seawater desalination. The separation of salts from seawater, however, requires large amounts of energy which, when produced from fossil fuels, can increase the environmental pollution and thus the climate problems of the earth. There is therefore a need to employ environmental-friendly energy sources, such as renewables, in order to desalinate seawater. A large variety of systems used to convert seawater into freshwater suitable for human use are presented in this chapter together with a variety of systems which can be used to convert effectively renewable energy sources into useful forms of energy. These can be used to power desalination systems and include solar collectors, photovoltaics, solar ponds, and geothermal energy. Both direct and indirect collection systems are presented. Direct collection systems use one piece of equipment both to collect solar radiation and use the energy collected to desalinate seawater. The representative example of these types of systems is the solar still. In contrast, indirect collection systems employ two different subsystems: one for collecting renewable energy and a different one for desalination. These comprise two broad categories: the phase change processes, which include the multistage flash, multiple effect distillation, vapor compression, and membrane distillation; and the membrane processes, which include reverse osmosis and electrodialysis. The chapter concludes with some general guidelines which can be used for the selection of desalination and renewable energy systems, their combination to produce freshwater in an environmental-friendly way, and the parameters that need to be considered.

Chapter II-2-A – System Electronics

Power electronic circuits are used to address and overcome the limitations of battery-powered simple photovoltaic (PV) systems by converting DC power to AC power. Included in this chapter are discussions on various types of converters, inverters, and batteries.

Simulation-Based Investigation of the Air Velocity in a Naturally Ventilated BIPV System

A Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) facade is formed by PV panels integrated to a second skin forming an air gap between the two skins. The air gap is responsible for cooling the PVs and for removing the excess heat, to avoid building overheating. The ventilation of the air gap can be natural or mechanical. The system investigated in this study is a vertical, naturally ventilated system. This has a number of advantages, the most important being the avoidance of energy to power the fans, the operation with no noise and the avoidance of overheating which can happen when the fan stops in an active system. A BIPV system is designed in COMSOL simulations software in 3D geometry and tested by varying the temperature on the various surfaces of the system for different air velocities from 0.02 m/s to 2.5 m/s. Additionally, experimental tests are carried out to validate the model. The results show a good agreement between the simulated and measured values.