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The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for handling end of life (henceforth EoL) scenarios of solar photovoltaic (solar PV) panels, which includes different options available to businesses and end-users, as well as promoting the collaboration between government and all relevant stakeholders.

This paper adopts purposeful sampling, secondary data and content analysis to develop an appropriate conceptual framework that helps to create awareness of the appropriate options for dealing with the EoL cases of solar PV panels.

From the data analysis, it is revealed that reuse, repair and recycling of solar PV panels can ensure value creation, public-private partnership and a solution for education in sustainability, and thus, prolonging the useful life cycle of the products.

This paper limits the analysis on developing economies and the use of selected literature based on the recycling of solar PV panels.

This paper is an initial attempt to create an awareness by identifying, analyzing and educating the stakeholders to handle appropriately any EoL scenario of solar PV panels.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) of 1 MW roof-top Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels installed in warm and humid climatic region in Southern India. The effect of actual power generated from solar PV panels on financial indicators is evaluated.

LCCA is done using the actual power generated from solar PV panels for one year. The net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), simple payback period (SPP) and discounted payback period (DPP) are determined for a base case scenario. The effect of service life and the differences between the ideal power expected and the actual power generated is evaluated.

A base case scenario is evaluated using the actual power generation data, 25-year service life and 6 percent discount rate. The NPV, IRR, SPP and DPP are found to be INR 13m, 8 percent, 10.9 years and 18.8 years respectively. It is found that the actual power generated is about one-third less than the ideal power estimated by consultants prior to project bidding. The payback period increases by 70–120 percent when the actual power generated from solar PV panels is considered.

The return on investment calculated based on ideal power generation data without considering the operation and maintenance related aspects may lead to incorrect financial assessment. Hence, strategies toward solar power generation should also focus on the actual system performance during operation.

Over the past decades, the global solar photovoltaic (PV) market has experienced an unprecedented development associated with a substantial decline in solar PV module prices. A body of literature has attempted to identify and evaluate the different sources of price variation. However, the impact of international trade on the price of solar PV modules has not yet been empirically examined. This paper contributes to filling this gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive empirical examination on the relationship between international trade and solar PV module prices.

The author uses a sample of 15 countries over the period 2006–2015 and proposes a linear dynamic panel data model based on a new specification, including a number of relevant factors influencing solar PV module prices.

The empirical analysis reveals that an increase in imports of solar PV cells and modules is associated with a decline in solar PV module prices. This finding suggests that international trade could lead to further price reductions, thus fostering the deployment of solar PV technology. The study reveals several other important findings. Market and technological development are key factors explaining the decline in solar PV module prices. Moreover, government policies such as public budget for R&D in PV and feed-in tariff for solar PV are effective in reducing the price of solar PV modules.

This paper examines the influence of international trade, government policies, market development and technological development on solar PV module prices. The results may be of interest to both academic research and policy analysis.

Tunisia has high solar radiation levels, which makes it suitable for the installation of photovoltaic (PV) systems. The design of these kinds of systems is an important step because there are many crucial factors to assess the PV module efficiency such as temperature, module types and solar radiation.This paper aims to give an analysis of the most influencing factor for selecting location. In fact, after estimating the PV panel inclination, the solar radiation and the temperature in “Zarzis” (southeastern of Tunisia), a comparative analysis among the different PV panel types was given. Additionally, to find which technologies are suitable for the climate conditions of this area, it is important to compare the effect of temperature and solar radiation on their performances.

In France, as in other countries, the idea of installing rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels in private homes is based on an incentive scheme (tax advantages, feed-in tariffs, etc.) inspired by neoclassical economic theory. In the case of electricity producers in Reunion Island, unlike economists, we argue that producers’ calculations involve decision-making criteria which go further than any simple evaluation of economic costs and benefits.

Our approach is based on concepts of economic anthropology and on observations and semi-structured interviews conducted in the homes of the producers.

This ethnographic method allowed us to examine economic rationalities which revealed the anticipation of an energy landscape that will be subject to issues relating to the environment, access to electricity, evolution in the local electricity market, and household budget management. In this context, producers’ representations of solar power and of processes for commoditizing and decommoditizing the electricity produced (sold on the network/“free” when consumed) make compatible preservation of the environment and social norms of consumption.

This paper focuses on PV energy producers (who have been the object of very little research) and thus provides input for existing reflection on the diversity of economic rationalities. Such insight is important for understanding how people respond to policy appeals for PV panels. Anthropology therefore has an important role to play in the debate on energy transition. This conclusion paves the way for similar research in other contexts (of a non-insular nature in particular) which would allow for a promising comparative anthropological approach.

This chapter seeks to place the Paris agreement on anthropogenic greenhouse gases (COP21) in a wider picture on how the global solar photovoltaic (PV) market has been created and shaped over decades. The chapter discusses the role of solar PV actors, as well as other actors in the market-shaping process. The aim is to show how the COP21 can be interpreted in a wider historical perspective.

The chapter builds on expert interviews conducted after the COP21, as well as secondary data on historical studies on evolution of solar energy markets in various countries.

Although scientists and entrepreneurs have been important in creating and shaping the global solar PV market, it is noted that other actors have also had an influence on the market development. Particularly, politicians are seen as playing a crucial role through legislation and funding. Unfortunately for the solar PV market, support has fluctuated over time. The COP21 provides a clear pathway for positive support, and it is expected to bind governments for pro-solar politics even during low prices of fossil fuels and economic downturn.

The chapter provides an overview of what has happened in the history of global solar PV market. It gives reasoning as to why the COP21 is important in securing support for the solar PV market. Thus, it can provide reasoning as to why the COP21 can make a difference.

This is the first academic study that portrays the COP21 against historical evolution of the global solar PV market.

This paper aims to achieve accurate maximum power from solar photovoltaic (PV), its five parameters need to be estimated. This study proposes a novel optimization technique for parameter estimation of solar PV.

To extract optimal parameters of solar PV new optimization technique based on the Jellyfish search optimizer (JSO). The objective function is defined based on two unknown variables and the proposed technique is used to estimate the two unknown variables and the rest three unknown variables are estimated analytically.

In this paper, JSO is used to estimate the parameters of a single diode PV model. In this study, eight different PV panels are considered. In addition, various performance indices, such as PV characteristics, such as power-voltage and current-voltage curves, relative error (RE), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and normalized mean absolute error (NMAE) are determined using the proposed algorithm and existing algorithms. The results for different solar panels have been obtained under varying environmental conditions such as changing temperature and constant irradiance or changing irradiance and constant temperature.

The proposed technique is new and provides better results with minimum RE, RMSE, NMAE, MAE and converges fast, as depicted by the fitness graph presented in this paper.

The purpose of this paper is to design and develop an IR and sprinkler based embedded controller operated robotic arm for automatic dust removal system to mitigate the dust effect on the solar panel surface, since dust accumulation normally affected by real weather conditions is one of the serious concern for the deterioration of photovoltaic (PV) system output.

The system is a wet cleaning device which provides a cheap silicon rubber-based wiping operation controlled by the pulse width modulation-operated motors of robotic arm. The IEEE 1149.1-compliant mixed signal-embedded platform of C8051F226DK is involved to command the complete system.

A prototype of 30 W_P system is capable of producing an inspiring average value of 11.26 per cent in energy increase, 13.63 per cent in PV module efficiency and 85.20 per cent in performance ratio of the system after 73 days of cleaning in summer season. In addition, a total of 1,617.93 W power; 1,0516.55 Wh energy; and 350.55 KWh/KW_P final yield was found during the entire cleaning period.

A novel technique of the implementation of IR sensor and sprinkler in dust mitigation is proposed in this paper. The IR sensor is used as a versatile object which can manage the robotic arm setting and control the automatic switching between cleaning and charging, as well as identify the thermal condition of solar panel for overheating.

The environmental impact of energy supply is growing which has a significant impact on regional and global environmental issues. As a solution for this, both developed and developing nations paying attention to convert their energy productivity by using renewable energy like wind and solar energy. Sri Lankan government also aims to obtain the full amount of electricity required from local renewable sources by the year 2050 under the project called “sooryabala sangramaya” (the battle for solar energy). Currently, Sri Lanka’s power generation sector is heavily dependent on imported fuels, such as petroleum and coal, resulting in growing detrimental impacts on the country’s sustainable socioeconomic development. With the growing market of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, Sri Lanka is turning its attention towards generating the total amount of electricity required from solar power by promoting the installation of arrays of PV panels on the rooftops of households, religious places, hotels, commercial establishments and industries. It also aims to deploy solar PV for sustainable rural development, mainly focused on uplifting people living in remote areas in the country. This chapter discusses how Sri Lanka has initiated a rooftop solar PV adoption program to lessen imported fuels’ socioeconomic and environmental impacts. Moreover, this case demonstrates that the adoption of rooftop solar PV brings many socioeconomic benefits to its consumers.

The roofs of houses located at middle latitudes receive significant solar radiation useful to supply their own energy demands and to feed back into the urban electricity network. However, solar panels should be properly integrated into roofs. This study analyzed roof geometry and integrated solar performance of Photovoltaic, thermal-photovoltaic, and hybrid solar collection technologies on dwelling cases selected from a sample of recent housing developments in Concepción, Chile. Hour-by-hour energy generation estimates and comparisons with demand levels were calculated for representative days during seasons of maximum, minimum as well as mid-season. These estimates took into account the roof tilt and orientation effects also. Trnsys@ software was used to determine electricity supply and F-Chart tool for thermal energy supply. The results show five times more panels can be placed on the largest and most regular shaped roof sections than on those with the smallest and most irregular shapes. The house model with the largest roof section can provide up to six times more energy than the model with the smallest second roof section in different seasons and systems. This paper thus provides new findings on the performance of solar technologies when related to home energy demands and roof geometry.