Driving carbon zero initiative and green scenes by rooftop SPV

Solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity is considered to be an important source of electricity generation in the quest for net-zero carbon emissions. However, the growth of solar electricity is creating both increased material demands and increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from silicon and PV manufacturing (also referred to as embodied GHG emissions of solar electricity). Here we analyze the silicon and solar PV supply chain for the United States (U.S.) market and find that the embodied GHG emissions of solar PV panel materials (such as silicon), manufacture, logistics, and installation in the U.S. given the current supply chain are 36 g CO2e kWh−1 of solar electricity generated. Eighty-five percent of the embodied GHG emissions are from PV panel production processes in China and other Asia–Pacific countries. Moving the silicon and PV manufacturing to the U.S. would reduce the embodied GHG emissions of solar electricity by 16% from its current level, primarily because of the lower GHG emission intensity of the U.S. electrical grid and the lower GHG emissions for aluminum electrolysis in North America. Future scenario analysis shows that by 2030, with the U.S. PV domestic supply chain and its decarbonized grid electricity and aluminum production, as well as improving PV conversion efficiency, the embodied GHG emissions of solar electricity in the U.S. will be reduced to 21 g CO2e kWh−1.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy; latest developments in the building integrated and hybrid PV systems

Embodied greenhouse gas emissions from PV systems in Norwegian residential Zero Emission Pilot Buildings

ABSTRACTThis study evaluates the feasibility of designing and implementing a 200 kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system for the residential camp at Ndawara Tea Estate, Cameroon. The study aims to provide a sustainable and reliable power supply for workers and their families living in remote locations with limited grid access. Using PVSyst software, the system was designed, sized, and simulated to assess its technical and economic viability. The results indicate that a 200 kWp fixed‐tilted grid‐connected solar PV system can generate 389 MWh of electricity annually at a levelized cost of energy of 0.0715 USD/kWh, which is lower than average household electricity tariffs in Cameroon. The system also achieves an average performance ratio (PR) of 84.7%, with strong financial indicators supporting its viability. While results may differ for other plantation communities due to site‐specific conditions, Cameroon's high solar irradiation makes solar PV generation a practical and effective solution. The study concludes that solar PV systems can provide sustainable and affordable electricity for plantation communities, improving energy access, and reducing reliance on costly and unreliable power sources.

This article presents RETROFIT-LAT: a collection of data from 1010 residential building projects, funded by the Republic of Latvia’s Environmental Investment Fund (LEIF). The first dataset analyses the energy performance and sustainability of buildings before and after retrofitting actions, including their energy consumption, CO 2 emissions, and energy classes. It spans projects implemented from 1870 to 2022, covering various building types and regions, with data on their energy use, heat loss coefficients, and both renewable and non-renewable energy contributions. The second dataset focuses on photovoltaic (solar panel) installations as part of energy efficiency measures. It documents electricity consumption, rimary energy use before and after installation, inverter power, and reductions in CO 2 emissions. Such a collection could offer a valuable foundation for developing machine learning models to evaluate and predict the impacts of retrofitting and solar panel installations on energy efficiency and sustainability. It could also be particularly relevant for researchers and policymakers who evaluate the effectiveness of energy-saving measures or planning similar interventions in other contexts.

Determination of an economically-suitable and sustainable standalone power system for an off-grid town in Western Australia

Estimation of electricity generation potential by solar radiation on Sardar Sarovar dam

Anesthesiology has arelevant carbon footprint, mainly due to volatile anesthetics (scope 1emissions). Additionally, energy used in the operating theater (scope 2emissions) contributes to anesthesia-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Optimizing the electricity use of medical devices might reduce both GHG emissions and costs might hold potential to reduce anaesthesia-related GHG-emissions and costs. We analyzed the electricity consumption of six different anesthesia workstations, calculated their GHG emissions and electricity costs and investigated the potential to reduce emissions and cost by using the devices in amore efficient way. Power consumption (active power in watt, W) was measured with the devices off, in standby mode, or fully on with the measuring instrument SecuLife ST. Devices studied were: Dräger Primus, Löwenstein Medical LeonPlus, Getinge FlowC, Getinge FlowE, GE Carestation 750 and GE Aisys. Calculations of GHG emissions were made with different emission factors, ranging from very low (0.09 kg CO2-equivalent/kWh) to very high (0.660 kg CO2-equivalent/kWh). Calculations of electricity cost were made assuming aprice of 0.25 € per kWh. Power consumption during operation varied from 58 W (GE CareStation 750) to 136 W (Dräger Primus). In standby, the devices consumed between 88% and 93% of the electricity needed during use. The annual electricity consumption to run 96devices in alarge clinical department ranges between 45and 105 Megawatt-hours (MWh) when the devices are left in standby during off hours. If 80% of the devices are switched off during off hours, between 20and 46 MWh can be saved per year in asingle institution. At the average emission factor of our hospital, this electricity saving corresponds to areduction of GHG emissions between 8.5and 19.8 tons CO2-equivalent. At the assumed prices, acost reduction between 5000 € and 11,600 € could be achieved by this intervention. The power consumption varies considerably between the different types of anesthesia workstations. All devices exhibit ahigh electricity consumption in standby mode. Avoiding standby mode during off hours can save energy and thus GHG emissions and cost. The reductions in GHG emissions and electricity cost that can be achieved with this intervention in alarge anesthesiology department are modest. Compared with GHG emissions generated by volatile anesthetics, particularly desflurane, optimization of electricity consumption of anesthesia workstations holds amuch smaller potential to reduce the carbon footprint of anesthesia; however, as switching off anesthesia workstations overnight is relatively effortless, this behavioral change should be encouraged from both an ecological and economical point of view.

Life cycle (well-to-wheel) energy and environmental assessment of natural gas as transportation fuel in Pakistan

To satisfy the electricity needs of a village in Tangi, northwest Pakistan, the present research can design and evaluate the environmental and economical aspects of an optimal hybrid photovoltaic-biogas-hydropower-battery energy sustainable system (PV-BG-HP-BESS). This framework integrates various renewable energy sources, delivering a modern, efficient approach to sustainable energy solutions. The HOMER Pro software is utilized to optimize the most economical and effective hybrid energy system. The results showed that the proposed hybrid system comprising 91.4 kWp PV modules, 19.6 kW hydropower, a 50 kW biogas generator (BG), 36 batteries, and a 60.6 kW converter was the most economical choice. This system, which used the cyclic charging (CC) method, had a cost of energy (COE) of 0.0728 $/kWh and a total net present cost (NPC) of $152,242. The suggested hybrid energy system for rural areas of Pakistan includes photovoltaic (PV), biogas (BG), hydro, and battery components to provide a dependable and sustainable power supply. This system minimizes the need for expensive fossil fuels while simultaneously minimizing environmental impact by lowering pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. The system's annual electricity production is 294,782 kWh, with PV leads at 59.4%, BG at 6.02%, and hydro at 34.6%, ensuring uninterrupted power generation even in remote areas. The unmet load, extra electricity, and capacity shortage illustrate the reliability of the system and make it possible to address rural electrification challenges while supporting sustainable development and economic growth. Moreover, the outcomes of the proposed hybrid system dominate the previous studies in multiple objectives, including cost and sensitivity analysis, when compared.

Cement manufacturing is one of the most energy-intensive industries in the world. Most of the cost of producing cement is accounted for in terms of fuel consumption and power expenditure. Thermal power plants are a significant contributor to electricity generation in countries such as Pakistan. They are, however, inherently inefficient, and environmentally unfriendly. In this paper, the authors investigated the possibility of delivering hybrid energy to Pakistani cement plants. Five cement plants—Askari Cement Plant, Wah (ACPW); Bestway Cement Plant, Kalar Kahar (BCPKK); Bestway Cement Plant, Farooqia (BCPF); Bestway Cement Plant, Hattar (BCPH); and DG Cement Plant, Chakwal (DGCPC)—were selected. The possibility of implementing the four off-grid hybrid energy models (HEMs) was investigated for the intended cement plants, using HOMER Pro software. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) was carried out, based on objectives including the net present cost (NPC), the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. HEM-1 was comprised of PV, converter, and a fuel cell. HEM-2 had only a diesel generator, and acted as a base case in this study. HEM-3 had solar panels and a battery-converter system. In HEM-4, diesel generators, PV, and converters were considered. Based on the NPC, the optimal model was HEM-4, having a 0.249 USD/KWh LCOE in islanded systems. The NPC and operating costs were USD 540 M and USD 32.5 M per year, respectively, with a 29.80% reduction in the CO2 emissions compared to the base case. Based on the GHG emission, HEM-1 and HEM-3 were the best models, with 0% GHG emissions. The results confirmed that the proposed HEMs can sustainably provide electricity for 24 h a day to the sites under consideration, with minimum objectives.

Performance analysis of a grid-connected rooftop solar PV system in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

Lack of quality electricity supply in the remote areas is one of the main hindering factors of global development. Many countries around the world are trying to utilize renewable energy sources for remote electrification including developing countries like Bangladesh. After the renowned Solar Home System (SHS) program, Bangladesh is now focusing on solar PV-diesel hybrid minigrid system to reach more people by providing affordable electricity. Following the availability of electricity in the form of minigrid, a development in industries like sawmills, grinding mills, husking mills is predictable. Therefore, daytime loads might have significant contribution in energy consumption, unlike the usual residential scenario. With this, the irrigation demands are there during the dry season. This study analyzes the techno-economic feasibility of the solar PV-diesel hybrid system with different load conditions. A remote area of southern Bangladesh is taken as the case site. Three case studies are formulated based on the time of using irrigation pumps. HOMER Pro Microgrid Analysis Tool has been used to find the most optimized configuration for each case study. The optimized configurations from each case study are then evaluated based on the cost of electricity (COE), greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy fraction. The generation profile of solar PV and diesel generators are analyzed for each case study. From the techno-economic evaluation, it is observed that the optimum time to run the irrigation pumps is during the daytime. In this case, the solar PV has the highest contribution to meet the energy demand with the slightly increased cost of electricity.

In Sri Lanka, energy demand has been exponentially increasing with the outage of non-renewable energy sources. There is significant solar intensity in most of the areas in Sri Lanka. This study focused on the domestic solar power system since domestic solar panel usage (700 MW) is the country's highest contributor to solar energy usage. A photovoltaic (PV) system can supply electric energy to loads by directly converting solar energy through the photovoltaic effect with a flexible structure. This study aimed to analyze households' perceptions of solar panel installation. The study was conducted within a 5 km radius around the Faculty of Technology, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, to analyze the awareness of solar-related technologies. A systematically developed questionnaire was used for the survey to collect the peoples' awareness based on environmental, social & economic beliefs. Thirty residential places (30) were interviewed. According to the results, a residential house's average monthly electricity consumption is 137.67 kWh. The mean monthly income in the area is sixty-eight thousand one hundred and sixty-six rupees and sixty-seven cents. Moreover, most people had solar energy knowledge (93.33%). Among them, 53.57% of the majority were willing to install Domestic Solar PV systems for residential places. From the consumers, 76.66% of the majority had an average level of awareness of the Environmental benefits of using renewable energy and 70.00% of the majority had an excellent awareness of government intervention in rooftop solar energy projects such as "Soorya Bala Sangramaya‖. From the defined awareness levels, further analysis was done on the lowest level of Awareness of Solar Energy to identify their characteristics. The majority of them were those who had lower energy consumption, were over the age of 60 and had a monthly income below twenty thousand rupees. According to the consumers, the best strategy for promoting Solar PV Systems was to lower the prices of existing Solar PV systems. Regulating the efficiency of the Solar PV system was identified by the existing Solar PV system owners. 
 Keywords: Solar PV system, Techno-park, Photovoltaic panels

Impact of PV system orientation angle accuracy on greenhouse gases mitigation