Theocharis Tsoutsos

Environmental impacts from the solar energy technologies

Abstract Solar energy systems (photovoltaics, solar thermal, solar power) provide significant environmental benefits in comparison to the conventional energy sources, thus contributing, to the sustainable development of human activities. Sometimes however, their wide scale deployment has to face potential negative environmental implications. These potential problems seem to be a strong barrier for a further dissemination of these systems in some consumers. To cope with these problems this paper presents an overview of an Environmental Impact Assessment. We assess the potential environmental intrusions in order to ameliorate them with new technological innovations and good practices in the future power systems. The analysis provides the potential burdens to the environment, which include—during the construction, the installation and the demolition phases, as well as especially in the case of the central solar technologies—noise and visual intrusion, greenhouse gas emissions, water and soil pollution, energy consumption, labour accidents, impact on archaeological sites or on sensitive ecosystems, negative and positive socio-economic effects.

Renewable energy sources project appraisal under uncertainty: the case of wind energy exploitation within a changing energy market environment

Abstract There are four elements, which contribute to the oncoming increase of electricity demand: climate changes, the expected growth rates of EU Member State economies, changes in the consumption patterns and the introduction of new technologies. The new deregulated Electricity Market is expected to respond to this challenge and the energy supply will be adequate and cost effective within this new environment which offers promising opportunities for power producers both existing and newcomers. In this paper a framework for the appraisal of power projects under uncertainty within a competitive market environment is identified, focusing on the electricity from Renewable Energy Sources. To this end the wind energy-to-electricity production in Greece will serve as a case study. The subject matter is centred on the following areas: • the uncertainties within the new deregulated energy market; • the evaluation methods including an analysis of the introduced uncertainties after deregulation and a new approach to project evaluation using the real options, as well as comparison of the valuation methodologies within the new environment drawing from the case for Greece.

Technical and economical evaluation of solar thermal power generation

This article presents a feasibilty on a solar power system based on the Stirling dish (SD) technology, reviews and compares the available Stirling engines in the perspective of a solar Stirling system.

Solar cooling technologies in Greece. An economic viability analysis

In Greece, during the summer, the demand for electricity greatly increases because of the extensive use of air-conditioning systems. This is a source of major problems in the country’s electricity supply and contributes to an increase of the CO2 emissions. The use of solar energy (SE) to drive cooling cycles is attractive since the cooling load is roughly in phase with SE availability. An economic evaluation of two types of solar cooling systems is made (an absorption and an adsorption system). The analyses indicated that, because of their high investment cost, these systems would be marginally competitive with standard cooling systems at present energy prices.

Industrial solar thermal applications in Greece: Economic evaluation, quality requirements and case studies

Industrial solar thermal installations of the 1980s had to face problems of poor quality and high maintenance requirements. During the 1990s the situation began to change and today in Greece there exist installations which are both economically attractive and offer significant energy saving and environmental benefits. Good potential for applications of solar thermal systems exist in sectors such as agrofood, textiles, chemicals and beverages. In this paper these systems are evaluated in economic terms in comparison with energy equivalent systems such as diesel, LPG, fuel 1500 and natural gas. The development of local solar thermal markets is described and eight successful applications of solar thermal systems in Greek industry are presented.

Energy saving technologies in the European ceramic sector: a systematic review

Especially after the energy crisis of 1980s, plenty of energy efficient technologies were introduced in the European ceramic industry sector, resulting in significant energy reduction together with reduction of production time and cost. In the present review, these energy savings technologies introduced over the last two decades are presented and analysed. After a brief introduction about the current status and the typical products of the European ceramic sector, the general ceramic production flow-chart common to all ceramic industries is outlined and the energy efficient technologies introduced per sub-sector and per stage of the ceramic production process are described. Finally, an assessment of these technologies is presented and the trends for the future are discussed.

The sustainable management of renewable energy sources installations: legal aspects of their environmental impact in small Greek islands

Abstract Nowadays, an attractive legislative and financing framework has been established in Greece for the development of renewable energy sources. This has resulted in a strong increase of investors’ interest, especially in the islands, mainly due to their high renewable energy potential all year round. However, the typical characteristics of the small Greek island, which constitute sensitive ecosystems with unique attributes of a natural and cultural heritage, impose a limitation on the development of energy generation plants using renewables. In order to adopt the principles of sustainable development of these island regions, the application of the proportionality principle in relation to other general principles of environmental law is proposed as a suitable legislative tool for resolution of the foreseeable conflicts.

Marketing solar thermal technologies: strategies in Europe, experience in Greece

Solar thermal technologies (STTs) are mature in many EU Member States. However, in some EU regions solar applications, and especially the innovative ones (such as solar heating/cooling, solar drying, solar-powered desalination), remain at an early stage. The degree of development of each market does not depend on climate conditions (e.g., insolation) or on different technological developments. The major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of STTs are examined, in order to identify the most important actions that should be taken to reduce existing barriers, as opposed to RTD (Research and Technology Development) of the new STTs. These include financing schemes, publications, electronic dissemination tools, campaigns, events, creation of information centres, audits and studies.

The PHILOSOL project: a strategic market development of the solar thermal sector in Southern Europe

Abstract Given the rapid development of the European ST market and the tremendous potential of the local markets due to favorable climatic conditions, the local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of the EU face the opportunity to enter this rapidly growing market with reliable technologies and know-how. In order to assist them, the PHILOSOL project aimed at stimulating awareness of the local authorities, promoting the use of ST technology and involving the local market actors in business partenariat meetings. The experiences of the more ST technology mature countries show that more than a product and a subsidy programme are needed. Amongst others, the motivation of the population by information and image campaigns can assist solar energy in becoming an intrinsic part of household technology.

Life cycle assessment of facile microwave-assisted zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures

The life cycle assessment of several zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures, fabricated by a facile microwave technique, is presented. Key synthesis parameters such as annealing temperature, varied from 90°C to 220°C, and microwave power, varied from 110W to 710W, are assessed. The effect of these parameters on both the structural characteristics and the environmental sustainability of the nanostructures is examined. The nanostructures were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Photoluminescence (PL) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. Crystalline size was found to be 22.40nm at 110W microwave power, 24.83nm at 310W, and 24.01nm at 710W. Microwave power and synthesis temperature were both directly proportional to the surface area. At 110W the surface area was 10.44m2/g, at 310W 12.88m2/g, and at 710W 14.60m2/g; while it was found to be 11.64m2/g at 150°C and 18.09m2/g at 220°C. Based on these, a life cycle analysis (LCA) of the produced ZnO nanoparticles was carried out, using the ZnO surface area (1m2/g) as the functional unit. It was found that the main environmental weaknesses identified during the production process were; (a) the use of ethanol for purifying the produced nanomaterials and (b) the electricity consumption for the ZnO calcination, provided by South Africas fossil-fuel dependent electricity source. When the effect of the key synthesis parameters on environmental sustainability was examined it was found that an increase of either microwave power (from 110 to 710W) or synthesis temperatures (from 90 to 220°C), results in higher sustainability, with the environmental footprint reduced by 27% and 41%, respectively. Through a sensitivity analysis, it was observed that an electricity mix based on renewable energy could improve the environmental sustainability of the nanoparticles by 25%.