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The use of fossil fuels in developing countries places increasing economic, health, and environmental costs on the population. In decentralized and rural communities without existing grid systems, direct solar technologies provide the basis for electricity production, for water pumping and hot water, and for heating of houses. Examples and case studies for each of these direct solar technologies are presented which may be directly applicable or potentially modified for rural development in countries such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, which have ample direct solar resources. Related design involving both daylighting and passive cooling are described as part of the incorporation of passive solar heating techniques.

Every since OPEC forced us to face the fact that oil and gas were not going to be cheap and available forever, increased attention has been paid to alternative energy sources. Among the most attractive of these is solar energy—clean, free at the source, resistant to monopolistic control, and plentifully available in most regions. Solar energy, which had been utilized for heating from the time of the Greek and Roman civilizations, has been rediscovered. Among those focusing on its potentialities are government, industry, conservation groups, and academic agencies. Masses of information are becoming available, variously aimed at the researcher, the consumer, community groups and specialized audiences—political, commercial, and industrial. A selection for the vertical file, including some programming aids and bibliographies useful in collection development, follows. As before, we are defining inexpensive as under $2.50 plus postage.

Low flow bikini solar combisystems and high flow tank‐in‐tank solar combisystems have been studied theoretically. The aim of this paper is to study which of these two solar combisystem designs is suitable for different houses. The thermal performance of solar combisystems based on the two different heat storage types is compared.

The thermal performance of Low flow bikini solar combisystems and high flow tank‐in‐tank solar combisystems is calculated with the simulation program TRNSYS. Two different TRNSYS models based on measurements were developed and used.

Based on the calculations it is concluded that low flow solar combisystems based on bikini tanks are promising for low energy buildings, while solar combisystems based on tank‐in‐tank stores are attractive for the houses with medium heating demand and old houses with high heating demand.

Many different Solar Combisystem designs have been commercialized over the years. In the IEA‐SHC Task 26, twenty one solar combisystems have been described and analyzed. Maybe the mantle tank approach also for solar combisystems can be used with advantage? This might be possible if the solar heating system is based on a so‐called bikini tank. Therefore, the new developed solar combisystems based on bikini tanks is compared to the tank‐in‐tank solar combisystems to elucidate which one is suitable for three different houses with low energy heating demand, medium and high heating demand.

Solar energy is the most abundant of all renewable energy sources and the development pressures for solar farms have grown rapidly in the last five years within the UK. With this in mind the purpose of this paper is to offer a general review of solar farm development in the UK.

The paper begins with a description of the characteristics of solar farms, outlines the solar farm market in the UK and discusses the planning policies and issues associated with solar farm development.

The paper reveals that solar farms have been developed on both agricultural land and brownfield sites and that the development pressures are greatest in the southwest and southeast of England. While national and local authority planning policies generally promote renewable energy schemes, proposals for the development of solar farms have raised a wide range of planning issues. These include impacts on land, landscape and visual amenity; ecology and nature conservation: cultural heritage and historic environment; construction traffic and highways; security; economic benefits; and potential economic and social impacts within the community.

This paper provides an accessible review of the development of solar farms within the UK and as such it will be of value to developers, land and property professionals and students.

The purpose of this paper is to predict the global solar radiation intensity in areas where meteorological stations do not exist and information on solar radiation cannot be obtained experimentally.

The approach to achieve the objective of the paper is developing multiple regression relations between the global solar radiation intensity (the dependent variable) and geographical, geometrical, astronomical and meteorological parameters (the independent variables). The independent variables used for this purpose were selected based on their ease of measurability outside the meteorological station and without expensive equipment. The number of independent variables is arbitrarily chosen and directly affects the accuracy of predictions.

Linear regression relations using one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven independent variables were developed to predict the global solar radiation intensity on horizontal surfaces. An advanced computer program based on least square analysis was used to obtain the regression coefficients. The relations having the highest correlation coefficients were selected. The study shows even when only one independent variable (declination angle) is used, the one variable regression relation predicts the global solar radiation with an accuracy that is satisfactory in most engineering applications.

The diversity of regression relations introduced in this paper gives the engineer such a broad freedom of choice, that knowing only an astronomical parameter of the site makes him capable of estimating the global solar radiation intensity within acceptable margins. The predicted values of global solar radiation intensity by this approach can be used for the design and performance estimation in solar applications. The statistical model developed in this research was validated when compared with the measured data in Yazd airport. The measured data used to analyze the model equations were collected in a 13‐year period. No investigation of this type exists having such degree of accuracy in geographical, geometrical, astronomical and meteorological parameters in Iran.

The purpose of this paper is to establish the dynamics model of spacecraft during deployment of oblique solar panel using Auto Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical System (ADAMS) and to study the attitude motion of the spacecraft system during the oblique solar panel deployment.

For the case of an oblique solar panel on spacecraft, the dynamics virtual prototype model of deployment of oblique solar panels on spacecraft is established and the dynamics simulation is carried out using ADAMS. The effects of solar panel deployment on the attitude motion of spacecraft with different oblique angles are studied and the attitude motion regularities of spacecraft system are discussed. First, the effects on attitude motion of spacecraft are compared between the normal solar panel deployment and oblique solar panel deployment on a spacecraft. Then the attitude motion of spacecraft during the deployment of solar panel with different oblique angles on spacecraft is studied.

The effects of oblique angle of solar panel deployment on the attitude motion of spacecraft are significant in yaw axis. The bigger the oblique angle, the bigger the changes of yaw angle of spacecraft. However, the bigger the oblique angle, the smaller the changes of roll angle of spacecraft. The effects of oblique angle on pitch angle of spacecraft are slight.

Providing a practical method to study the attitude motion of spacecraft system during deployment of solar panel and improving the engineering application of spacecraft system, which put forward up spacecraft system to the practical engineering.

The paper is a useful reference for engineering design of a spacecraft attitude control system and ground text.

Decreasing sources of fossil fuels has caused an increase in importance of the renewable energy resources and systems that directly utilize renewable energy are even more important. The purpose of the paper is to compare the most common solar cooling technologies against the most important requirements.

A multi-criteria decision methodology, analytical hierarchical process, has been used to prioritize these technologies with respect to each other.

The findings of this study are the priorities of selected solar cooling concepts against performance affecting criteria. The solar vapour adsorption cooling system has been found to be the optimum solar cooling concept with practically the highest performance number compared with the other cooling systems.

This study can be used in the future development of solar cooling technologies to benefit from the best collective features of the specific technologies.

The purpose of the study was to develop a performance flat-plate solar collector that would be used as a solar drier for fruit fig (Ficus carica L). This study proposes how and why solar energy is important for drying the agricultural products. This study aims to expand the domain of solar collector for different purposes and, most important, for agricultural resource normally found in the literature.

The paper opted for an exploratory study using the flat-plate solar collector with drying chamber for drying purposes of agricultural products. During the experiment, the data were collected with moisture content, drying rate of the product and solar irradiation falls on the collector.

This paper describes that how flat-plate collector works for agricultural products and how to reduce the moisture content in the product (fig). Efficiency of collector was evaluated under the ambient temperatures of 24°C. Efficiency also significantly increased from 53 to 55 per cent with an increase in ambient temperature from 22 to 24 °C. Figs (Ficus carica L) were dried in the drying chamber of the flat-plate solar collector. The products were dried at temperature of 55-65°C and 15 to 20 per cent humidity.

Because of this research chosen, the research results are beneficiary for agricultural users for drying purposes. Therefore, the researchers are encouraged to dry the agricultural product with flat-plate solar collector, because it reduced the moisture content of the product very fast.

This paper fulfills an identified need to study that how flat-plat solar collector can be used.

Recent advancements in technology have led to the exploration of solar-based thermal radiation and nanotechnology in the field of fluid dynamics. Solar energy is captured through sunlight absorption, acting as the primary source of heat. Various solar technologies, such as solar water heating and photovoltaic cells, rely on solar energy for heat generation. This study focuses on investigating heat transfer mechanisms by utilizing a hybrid nanofluid within a parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC) to advance research in solar ship technology. The model incorporates multiple effects that are detailed in the formulation.

The mathematical model is transformed using suitable similarity transformations into a system of higher-order nonlinear differential equations. The model was solved by implementing a numerical procedure based on the Wavelets and Chebyshev wavelet method for simulating the outcome.

The velocity profile is reduced by Deborah's number and velocity slip parameter. The Ag-EG nanoparticles mixture demonstrates less smooth fluid flow compared to the significantly smoother fluid flow of the Ag-Fe3O4/EG hybrid nanofluids (HNFs). Additionally, the Ag-Ethylene Glycol nanofluids (NFs) exhibit higher radiative performance compared to the Ag-Fe3O4/Ethylene Glycol hybrid nanofluids (HNFs).

Additionally, the Oldroyd-B hybrid nanofluid demonstrates improved thermal conductivity compared to traditional fluids, making it suitable for use in cooling systems and energy applications in the maritime industry.

The originality of the study lies in the exploration of the thermal transport enhancement in sun-powered energy ships through the incorporation of silver-magnetite hybrid nanoparticles within the heat transfer fluid circulating in parabolic trough solar collectors. This particular aspect has not been thoroughly researched previously. The findings have been validated and provide a highly positive comparison with the research papers.

In response to increasing concerns about climate change and evolving public policies, consumer behaviour and attitudes are shifting towards the adoption of renewable energy solutions like photovoltaic (PV) panel systems. This study aims to address this shift by developing a conceptual framework grounded in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and Diffusion of Innovation theory. The framework identifies and analyses the factors influencing Vietnamese consumers’ decisions to install PV panels, focusing on the roles of consumer innovativeness, government incentives and social influence. By examining these dynamics, this study offers insights to inform policy in promoting renewable energy adoption.

Data from 339 Vietnamese households were analysed using SmartPLS 3.0 to test the proposed hypotheses. A structured questionnaire survey focused on consumer innovativeness, government incentives and social influence. The partial least squares structural equation modelling approach was used to evaluate the relationships between constructs.

The findings indicate that consumer innovativeness significantly predicts knowledge, sustainable lifestyles and attitudes towards solar PV panels. Moreover, household attitudes are influenced by government incentives and knowledge, but not by sustainable lifestyles. Crucially, the intention to install solar PV panels among Vietnamese households is positively affected by facilitating conditions, government incentives and social influence.

The results can assist government officials and policymakers in emerging markets in devising strategies to alleviate environmental burdens and facilitate a shift towards sustainability. Furthermore, by understanding the factors impacting the residents’ intention, public communication can be improved to raise awareness of environmental concerns and sustainable lifestyles, which results in the encouragement of the purchase and installation intention of solar panels.