Solar CompassPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-16DOI: 10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100154
Mohammad Hasan Ghodusinejad , Nasrin Rashvand , Fatemeh Salmanpour , Shaghayegh Danehkar , Hossein Yousefi
{"title":"A systematic review of solar irradiance forecasting across time horizons using physical, satellite, and AI-based methods","authors":"Mohammad Hasan Ghodusinejad , Nasrin Rashvand , Fatemeh Salmanpour , Shaghayegh Danehkar , Hossein Yousefi","doi":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100154","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100154","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solar energy is a key renewable resource, yet synchronizing its production with grid demand remains challenging due to irradiance variability. This review systematically examines the evolution of solar irradiance forecasting methods, from physical and numerical weather prediction (NWP) models to modern data-driven and hybrid AI-based approaches. It integrates analyses of All-Sky Imager (ASI) and satellite datasets and categorizes forecasting techniques by temporal horizons from intra-hour to multi-day forecasts. The paper uniquely contributes a comparative taxonomy linking forecast horizon, input data type, and model architecture to accuracy outcomes. The findings highlight the growing benefits of physics-informed deep learning for improving operational solar forecasts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101173,"journal":{"name":"Solar Compass","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100154"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145799894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar CompassPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-04DOI: 10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100152
Amina Natheer Abdulla, Omar Rafae Alomar
{"title":"Performance of solar air heater collector with jet impingement and V-corrugated absorber plate: A comprehensive investigation towards high-efficiency applications in sustainable buildings trends","authors":"Amina Natheer Abdulla, Omar Rafae Alomar","doi":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100152","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100152","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a comprehensive review on the advancements in solar air heater (SAH) technologies with a particular focusing on their integration into smart and energy-efficient. The review also critically examines the role of solar air heaters in thermal management, air quality control, and renewable energy utilization within the built environment. The verified experimental and numerical studies are presented to evaluate the influence of absorber plate geometries, flow configurations, and hybrid integrations-such as phase change materials (PCMs), jet impingement, and multi-pass channels-on system performance. The review study reveals that the geometrically optimized and hybrid SAH designs can increase thermal efficiency from traditional 40–50% levels to more than 80% and significantly reducing energy demand for space heating and lowering CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in building applications. Moreover, the economic evaluations discussed in the literature indicated that these systems offer short payback periods and contribute to sustainable energy management in residential and institutional facilities. Finally, this work provides a detailed and critical synthesis of existing research, emphasizing the potential of advanced solar air heaters as a core component in smart, low-carbon building technologies aimed at achieving environmental and energy sustainability goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101173,"journal":{"name":"Solar Compass","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100152"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145694957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A multi-objective optimization framework for enhancing the resilience and self-sufficiency of photovoltaic systems in smart cities","authors":"Hamidreza Keihani , Farshad Kaveh , Seyedamirhossein Talebi , Hamed Karimi Shirazi , A. Pourghader Chobar","doi":"10.1016/j.solcom.2026.100156","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solcom.2026.100156","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems into smart cities presents both opportunities and challenges in achieving sustainable, cost-effective, and resilient energy solutions. This study proposes a multi-objective optimization model for designing resilient and self-sustaining PV systems, focusing on cost minimization, energy independence, and system reliability. Unlike conventional models that primarily address either economic or operational aspects, the proposed approach offers a comprehensive optimization framework that simultaneously considers energy generation, storage management, and grid interaction. A key innovation of this research is the application of the Greedy Man Optimization Algorithm (GMOA), a novel metaheuristic inspired by greedy decision-making behavior, which is compared against the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) to evaluate its effectiveness in solving large-scale PV optimization problems. Computational experiments reveal that GMOA consistently outperforms GWO, achieving lower total costs, higher renewable energy utilization, and improved computational efficiency. Sensitivity analysis further demonstrates that increasing energy storage capacity significantly reduces system costs, reinforcing the importance of investment in advanced storage technologies. The findings of this study contribute to the development of scalable, adaptive PV energy management strategies, offering valuable insights for policymakers and energy planners in smart cities. Future research could explore real-time data integration and hybrid optimization techniques to enhance decision-making under dynamic environmental conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101173,"journal":{"name":"Solar Compass","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100156"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Applications of phase-change materials in solar drying technology: A review","authors":"Deshini Ranasingha , Sushovan Chatterjee , Priyantha Bandara","doi":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100155","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100155","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solar drying offers a sustainable alternative to conventional drying methods by utilizing renewable energy in a controlled and efficient manner. Integrating phase-change materials (PCMs) into solar dryers enables efficient thermal energy storage, extending drying operations beyond sunlight hours, while improving product quality. This review discusses techno-economic aspects, recent advances related to PCM-based solar dryers in terms of configuration, PCMs being used and strategies adopted to enhance the performance of the same. The review also highlights user satisfaction/acceptance, operational convenience, worldwide adaptation as well as barriers and challenges with respect to the PCM-based solar dryers. A comparative analysis of PCM-based drying applications involving various crops and food products in particular, has also been conducted. Furthermore, some of the commercial solar dryers in the market together with their relevant product information have been presented. The paper concludes with insights into future research directions, including techno-economic feasibility and design optimization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101173,"journal":{"name":"Solar Compass","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100155"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar CompassPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100150
Saada Said Al Zakwani, Shanza Neda Hussain, Aritra Ghosh
{"title":"Floating PV powered seawater purification using the RO process and powering electrolyser for green hydrogen production in Oman","authors":"Saada Said Al Zakwani, Shanza Neda Hussain, Aritra Ghosh","doi":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Floating photovoltaic (FPV)-powered PEM electrolysis can be a promising solution for green hydrogen production, as it eliminates land use concerns typically associated with PV installations. Electrolysis produces hydrogen and oxygen as by-products without emitting harmful gases. However, the process requires a substantial amount of clean water, which can be sourced from seawater using desalination techniques. This study demonstrates the viability of an off-grid green hydrogen production system powered by FPV technology and seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO), designed to support green mobility in Duqm, Oman. A 20 MWp FPV system was installed on the Arabian Sea, approximately 600 km south of Muscat. The integrated system efficiently combines renewable energy, desalination, and electrolysis to produce 1755 kg of hydrogen per day using local solar energy and seawater resources.</div><div>The system achieved zero operational CO₂ emissions, contributing to the decarbonisation of the transportation sector through the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles. The Levelised Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) was calculated at $9.50/kg, the Levelised Cost of Water (LCW) at $1.80/m³, and the Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) at a competitive $0.05/kWh. Hydrogen-powered sedans and high-capacity fuel cell buses were successfully operated using the produced hydrogen, demonstrating the potential for widespread refuelling of a significant number of vehicles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101173,"journal":{"name":"Solar Compass","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100150"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145750169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar CompassPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-16DOI: 10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100153
Abdul-Hamid Mohammed , Clement A. Komolafe , Anthony Simons
{"title":"Advances in solar drying technologies: A comprehensive review of designs, applications, and sustainability perspectives","authors":"Abdul-Hamid Mohammed , Clement A. Komolafe , Anthony Simons","doi":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100153","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100153","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A lack of adequate postharvest equipment has been a significant cause of food shortages in many developing countries. In terms of cost, traditional open sun drying appears economical; however, it faces limitations such as being highly labour intensive, exposing products to direct sunlight, and risking quality loss due to pests and animal invasion. Using solar energy to dry these food products is a promising approach that does not compromise their nutritional value. Despite significant advances in solar energy drying systems, the adoption of solar drying remains limited due to low energy efficiency, inconsistent performance under varying weather conditions, and the absence of scalable design frameworks. This review critically examines developments in solar drying technologies from 2020 to 2025, addressing the increasing need for sustainable postharvest processing solutions. It combines technical, environmental, and socioeconomic perspectives to provide a comprehensive overview of current solar drying systems. The analysis reveals a notable shift from traditional dryers to advanced hybrid configurations that incorporate energy storage materials, nanomaterials, ejector heat pumps, and smart control systems. These innovations have greatly improved thermal efficiency, reduced drying times, and preserved product quality. Application-specific customization, guided by computational tools such as CFD, artificial neural networks (ANN), etc. This review serves as a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and policymakers aiming to scale up solar drying as a climate-resilient, energy-efficient, and economically sustainable solution. It also highlights emerging research trends, identifies key performance indicators, and underscores the importance of integrating computational modeling with sustainability metrics as future directions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101173,"journal":{"name":"Solar Compass","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100153"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145799893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar CompassPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.solcom.2026.100157
Soroush Ghasemi , Iman Sadeghkhani , Mohammad Parhamfar
{"title":"Towards hybrid grid-connected solar power plants: A case study of IAUN Science and Technology Park in Iran","authors":"Soroush Ghasemi , Iman Sadeghkhani , Mohammad Parhamfar","doi":"10.1016/j.solcom.2026.100157","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solcom.2026.100157","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing global demand for electricity has intensified the need for efficient and sustainable energy production. While a variety of technologies — ranging from fossil fuels to hydropower, nuclear, and renewables — are utilized for electricity generation, fossil fuel power plants remain predominant. However, the environmental consequences of fossil fuel use, including pollution and global warming, as well as the finite nature of these resources, present significant challenges. In response, there has been a growing focus on alternative energy sources, particularly renewable technologies. Among these, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have garnered increasing attention due to their availability, low installation and maintenance costs, and low environmental impact. Iran, facing high establishment costs for other types of power plants, is turning to solar energy as a key solution. This article evaluates the feasibility of installing a 100 kW PV power plant at the Science and Technology Park of Islamic Azad University of Najafabad (IAUN) in Iran. The system incorporates both rooftop and floating PV installations. Technical analysis is conducted using PVsyst software, while economic and environmental assessments are carried out with RETScreen software. The results indicate a payback period of 3.4 years, with the system expected to mitigate 109 tons of CO<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> emissions annually.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101173,"journal":{"name":"Solar Compass","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100157"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar CompassPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-09-05DOI: 10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100144
Kelvin Nkalo Ukoima
{"title":"A comparative analysis of the one, two and three - diode photovoltaic (PV) models","authors":"Kelvin Nkalo Ukoima","doi":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100144","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100144","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a comparative analysis of the one, two and three – diode mathematical models of photovoltaic (PV) cells. It is shown that for an n-diode (<em>n</em> > 1) PV cell model, the open circuit voltage and maximum power decreases by n % when compared with a one diode model. The non-linear equations that governs the current – voltage and power - voltage characteristics are presented and simulated using an iterative looping method in Matlab. All the mathematical model simulations were performed at manufacturers standard test conditions (25 °C, 1000W/m<sup>2</sup>) and compared with the manufacturer parameter values from the KC200GT datasheet. Results obtained are presented for two cases: models without shunt resistance and models with shunt resistance. For models without shunt resistance, the one diode has the highest values of the open circuit voltage and maximum power. The two diode model values of maximum power and open circuit voltage differed from values of the single diode model with a 2 % decrease. The three diode model values were reduced by 3 %. Similarly, for models with shunt resistance, the one diode has the highest values of the open circuit voltage and maximum power. The two diode model values of maximum power and open circuit voltage differed from values of the single diode model by 2 % decrease. The three diode model values were decreased by 3 %. The findings indicate that the one-diode model offers the best trade-off between simplicity and accuracy, making it suitable for simulation tasks where computational efficiency is critical. This comparative framework provides valuable insights for selecting appropriate PV models based on application-specific requirements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101173,"journal":{"name":"Solar Compass","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100144"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145020381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar CompassPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-08-26DOI: 10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100140
Isaac Amoussou , Ahmed Issoufou Imadan , Romain Akpahou , Takele Ferede Agajie , Wirnkar Basil Nsanyuy
{"title":"Battery-coupled PV systems for residential applications in Benin: An optimal sizing and cost-effectiveness analysis","authors":"Isaac Amoussou , Ahmed Issoufou Imadan , Romain Akpahou , Takele Ferede Agajie , Wirnkar Basil Nsanyuy","doi":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100140","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the high amount of renewable energy resources available in Benin, the share of electricity generated from renewable energy (RE) sources is still low with high dominance of conventional energy resources and regular power shortage. This study examined autonomous photovoltaic systems with batteries as an alternative to Benin's public electricity grid. Five different load profiles with the same daily energy consumption were investigated, and their effect on the PV/battery system cost was estimated. The PV/battery system's sizing was optimized using decision criteria such as cost of energy (COE) and loss of power supply probability (LPSP). The multi-objective problem was solved using the non-dominated genetic sorting algorithm II (NSGA-II) metaheuristic. The effect of geographical location on the cost of PV/battery systems was also investigated. The findings revealed that load profiles that prioritized deferred energy consumption had higher energy costs than those that prioritized direct consumption from solar panels. The PV/battery systems proved to be less expensive for consumers than the tariffs currently charged by Benin's national grid, regardless of geographical location. The widespread use of these systems could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, substituting the electricity grid with photovoltaic/battery systems for the five load profiles investigated in this research could effectively avoid the release of around 1.94 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101173,"journal":{"name":"Solar Compass","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100140"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145020356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}