IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i5p1923-d327917.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Socio-economic Study to Improve the Electrical Sustainability of the North Tower of Instituto Superior Técnico

Author

Listed:
  • Beatriz Durão

    (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • João Paulo N. Torres

    (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
    Instituto de Telecomunicações, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Carlos A. F. Fernandes

    (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
    Instituto de Telecomunicações, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Ricardo A. Marques Lameirinhas

    (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

Abstract

In this paper, an autonomous photovoltaic system is going to be designed for the North Tower of Instituto Superior Técnico through the application of solar panels on its windows, using them as producers of electricity based on solar energy. The main objectives of this paper are: (1) to make the building energetically autonomous, using an integrated system of solar photovoltaic technology; (2) check the system behaviour and comment on possible system impacts on the user’s lifestyle. Two solutions are going to be proposed to cover/substitute the windows of the Tower, one using amorphous silicon panels and the other using crystalline silicon panels. Taking into account this type of solution, it is possible to recognize that there are positive impacts, such as the reduction of transmission lines/grids or the decentralisation of energy supplies. However, there are also disadvantages such as the need to have an energy storage system to guarantee the continuous supply. This study, for this building in particular, shows that organic photovoltaic cells have enormous advantages in the future in terms of our environment and social needs, but they do not yet produce the energy needed to meet today’s needs. Both solutions present a return estimative time of seven years, with an initial investment of approximately two million euros, but the produced energy will not be enough to create an off-grid system.

Suggested Citation

  • Beatriz Durão & João Paulo N. Torres & Carlos A. F. Fernandes & Ricardo A. Marques Lameirinhas, 2020. "Socio-economic Study to Improve the Electrical Sustainability of the North Tower of Instituto Superior Técnico," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:5:p:1923-:d:327917
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/5/1923/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/5/1923/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Husain, Alaa A.F. & Hasan, Wan Zuha W. & Shafie, Suhaidi & Hamidon, Mohd N. & Pandey, Shyam Sudhir, 2018. "A review of transparent solar photovoltaic technologies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 779-791.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gorjian, Shiva & Bousi, Erion & Özdemir, Özal Emre & Trommsdorff, Max & Kumar, Nallapaneni Manoj & Anand, Abhishek & Kant, Karunesh & Chopra, Shauhrat S., 2022. "Progress and challenges of crop production and electricity generation in agrivoltaic systems using semi-transparent photovoltaic technology," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Moh’d Al-Nimr & Abdallah Milhem & Basel Al-Bishawi & Khaleel Al Khasawneh, 2020. "Integrating Transparent and Conventional Solar Cells TSC/SC," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-22, September.
    3. Assaf, Jihane & Shabani, Bahman, 2019. "A novel hybrid renewable solar energy solution for continuous heat and power supply to standalone-alone applications with ultimate reliability and cost effectiveness," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 509-520.
    4. Mikhail Vasiliev & Mohammad Nur-E-Alam & Kamal Alameh, 2019. "Recent Developments in Solar Energy-Harvesting Technologies for Building Integration and Distributed Energy Generation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-23, March.
    5. Xuan, Qingdong & Li, Guiqiang & Lu, Yashun & Zhao, Bin & Wang, Fuqiang & Pei, Gang, 2021. "Daylighting utilization and uniformity comparison for a concentrator-photovoltaic window in energy saving application on the building," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    6. Safat Dipta, Shahriyar & Schoenlaub, Jean & Habibur Rahaman, Md & Uddin, Ashraf, 2022. "Estimating the potential for semitransparent organic solar cells in agrophotovoltaic greenhouses," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 328(C).
    7. Paula Donaduzzi Rigo & Carmen Brum Rosa & Graciele Rediske & Julio Cezar Mairesse Siluk & Leandro Michels, 2022. "A Software Application to Support Decision-making in Small-scale Photovoltaic Projects," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(1), pages 32-39.
    8. Mohd Ashraf Zainol Abidin & Muhammad Nasiruddin Mahyuddin & Muhammad Ammirrul Atiqi Mohd Zainuri, 2021. "Solar Photovoltaic Architecture and Agronomic Management in Agrivoltaic System: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-27, July.
    9. Anctil, Annick & Lee, Eunsang & Lunt, Richard R., 2020. "Net energy and cost benefit of transparent organic solar cells in building-integrated applications," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    10. Reza Khalifeeh & Hameed Alrashidi & Nazmi Sellami & Tapas Mallick & Walid Issa, 2021. "State-of-the-Art Review on the Energy Performance of Semi-Transparent Building Integrated Photovoltaic across a Range of Different Climatic and Environmental Conditions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-19, June.
    11. Saoud A. Al-Janahi & Omar Ellabban & Sami G. Al-Ghamdi, 2020. "A Novel BIPV Reconfiguration Algorithm for Maximum Power Generation under Partial Shading," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-25, August.
    12. Gaigalis, Vygandas & Katinas, Vladislovas, 2020. "Analysis of the renewable energy implementation and prediction prospects in compliance with the EU policy: A case of Lithuania," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 1016-1027.
    13. Robertson, John & Riggs, Brian & Islam, Kazi & Ji, Yaping Vera & Spitler, Christopher M. & Gupta, Naman & Krut, Dimitri & Ermer, Jim & Miller, Fletcher & Codd, Daniel & Escarra, Matthew, 2019. "Field testing of a spectrum-splitting transmissive concentrator photovoltaic module," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 806-814.
    14. Jouttijärvi, Sami & Lobaccaro, Gabriele & Kamppinen, Aleksi & Miettunen, Kati, 2022. "Benefits of bifacial solar cells combined with low voltage power grids at high latitudes," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    15. Peng, Jinqing & Curcija, Dragan C. & Thanachareonkit, Anothai & Lee, Eleanor S. & Goudey, Howdy & Selkowitz, Stephen E., 2019. "Study on the overall energy performance of a novel c-Si based semitransparent solar photovoltaic window," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C), pages 854-872.
    16. Hyeog-in Kwon & Yong-su Jeon & Bo-hyun Baek, 2021. "Solar Signage Business Model Design Using the EPSS Framework," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-14, October.
    17. María Herrando & Alba Ramos, 2022. "Photovoltaic-Thermal (PV-T) Systems for Combined Cooling, Heating and Power in Buildings: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-28, April.
    18. Xuan, Qingdong & Li, Guiqiang & Jiang, Bin & Zhao, Xudong & Ji, Jie & Pei, Gang, 2021. "Overall outdoor experiments on daylighting performance of a self-regulating photovoltaic/daylighting system in different seasons," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 286(C).
    19. Ali Jallal, Mohammed & Chabaa, Samira & Zeroual, Abdelouhab, 2020. "A novel deep neural network based on randomly occurring distributed delayed PSO algorithm for monitoring the energy produced by four dual-axis solar trackers," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 1182-1196.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:5:p:1923-:d:327917. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.