Solar thermal energy is one of the most interesting sustainable solutions for decarbonizing the energy sector. Integrating solar collectors with other energy sources is common, as seen in domestic heating, where solar collectors are combined with common heaters to reduce fuel consumption (gasoline, electricity, gas, and biomass) and therefore, the energy cost. Similarly, this concept can be applied to nuclear energy, where the reduction in nuclear fuel consumption is very strategic for decreasing not only its cost but also the risk in handling, transportation, and storage (both the fuel and th ..read more

Urban soiling, consisting of dust, industrial byproducts, and other pollutants, presents a significant risk to the effectiveness and safety of solar energy systems. To achieve the goal of net zero, having renewable energy systems such as solar panels in urban environments can help. This review will examine the composition and variety of urban soiling and evaluate its impact on PV installation. The study will analyze the efficiency loss attributable to soiling, focusing on its impact on small-scale installations such as rooftops, building integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs), and large-scale urban ..read more

In the decarbonization process, the solar energy sector will play a crucial role, representing one of the key technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In Italy, photovoltaics stands out as the fastest-growing energy sector, thanks to the combination of favorable climatic conditions, supportive policies, and a growing interest in renewable energy sources. In this context, renewable energy communities (RECs) emerge as potential strategic tools for promoting the development of photovoltaics nationally and at the European level. Therefore, this study aims to examine the policy and regul ..read more

The global energy landscape is experiencing growing challenges, with energy crises in regions such as South Africa underscoring the drive to accelerate the shift toward renewable energy solutions. This paper presents an approach for improving solar energy planning, specifically focusing on leveraging the capabilities of the ATlite software in conjunction with custom data. Using mathematical models, ATlite (which was initially developed by the Renewable Energy Group at the Frankfurt Institute for Advances Studies) is a Python software package that converts historical weather data into power gen ..read more

This paper presents findings from the LEOPARD project, part of the LEAP-RE program, a joint European Union (EU) and African Union initiative to advance renewable energy solutions. The study employs a simulation-based approach to optimize solar-integrated microgrid configurations for rural electrification. The project deployed a solar-integrated pilot microgrid at the Songhai agroecological center in Benin to address key challenges, including load profile estimation, energy balancing, and diesel dependency reduction. A hybrid methodology integrating predictive modeling, real-time solar and weat ..read more

The rapid acceptance of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy across various countries has created a pressing need for more coordinated approaches to the sustainable monitoring and maintenance of these widely distributed installations. To address this challenge, several digitization architectures have been proposed, with one of the most recently applied being the digital twin (DT) system architecture. DTs have proven effective in predictive maintenance, rapid prototyping, efficient manufacturing, and reliable system monitoring. However, while the DT concept is well established in fields like wind ene ..read more

The reliable operation of photovoltaic (PV) systems is essential for sustainable energy production, yet their efficiency is often compromised by defects such as bird droppings, cracks, and dust accumulation. Automated defect detection is critical for addressing these challenges in large-scale solar farms, where manual inspections are impractical. This study evaluates three YOLO object detection models—YOLOv5, YOLOv8, and YOLOv11—on a comprehensive dataset to identify solar panel defects. YOLOv5 achieved the fastest inference time (7.1 ms per image) and high precision (94.1 ..read more

A theoretical and experimental evaluation was conducted on a prototype radiative flux homogenizer (HOFRAC) specifically designed for the Solar Furnace at Instituto de Energías Renovables (HoSIER) of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. The development of HOFRAC included three versions (HOFRAC-PRO, HOFRAC-PRI, and HOFRAC-PRIK); each iteration incorporated improvements based on theoretical modeling and experimental results. Evaluations were performed using ray-tracing simulations and experimental tests capturing radiative flux distribution images. The last tw ..read more

The rapid proliferation of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells as a clean energy source has raised significant concerns regarding their end-of-life (EoL) management, particularly in terms of sustainability and waste reduction. This review comprehensively examines challenges, opportunities, and future directions in the recycling of PV solar cells, focusing on mechanical, thermal, and chemical recycling techniques. It also evaluates the scalability and practicality of these methods to different PV technologies, including crystalline silicon and thin-film modules. It explores the economic and environme ..read more

This study explores the potential for co-locating floating photovoltaics (FPVs) with existing hydropower plants (HPPs) in Ecuador. Ecuador’s heavy reliance on hydropower for electricity generation, combined with recent blackouts caused by prolonged dry seasons, underscores the importance of diversifying energy sources. The integration of FPVs with HPPs offers a promising opportunity to enhance energy security by reducing dependency on a single energy source and improving economic, electrical, and environmental outcomes. In this paper, we assess all HPPs in Ecuador and quantify the po ..read more