Solar Energy最新文献

{"title":"Influence of dust accumulation on the performance and economics of a flat plate solar collector system","authors":"Abdullah Al-Sharafi ,&nbsp;Ahmad Bilal Ahmadullah ,&nbsp;Abdulrahman S. Al-Buraiki","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dust accumulation on the active surfaces of solar energy harvesting devices reduces their efficiency while increasing the overall cost of production. This study aims to assess the impact of dust accumulation on the performance and economics of a Solar Water Heating System (SWHS) equipped with flat plate solar collectors to meet the hot water requirements of a typical residential house located in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Mathematical models and MATLAB computer code are developed and used, in hourly-based simulations, to optimize the sizes of the SWHS components. As a reference case, SWHS with a clean active surface is optimized first. Then, the optimization process is repeated for SWHWs cases with dust accumulation densities of <span><math><mrow><mi>χ</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>0.7</mn><mo>,</mo><mspace></mspace><mn>1.4</mn></mrow></math></span> and <span><math><mrow><mn>2.1</mn><mspace></mspace><msup><mrow><mi>mg</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></math></span>. For the clean active surface case, the optimal sizes for SWHS components are a 1 m³ storage tank and 9 m² collector area. To fulfill the identical hot water demand, with the presence of dust, the storage tank capacity and collector area increased to 1.1 m³ and 11 m² for the dust accumulation density of <span><math><mrow><mi>χ</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>0.7</mn><mspace></mspace><msup><mrow><mi>mg</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></math></span>, 1.3 m³ and 13 m² for <span><math><mrow><mi>χ</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>1.4</mn><mspace></mspace><msup><mrow><mi>mg</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></math></span>, and 1.4 m³ and 19 m² for <span><math><mrow><mi>χ</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>2.1</mn><mspace></mspace><msup><mrow><mi>mg</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></math></span>, respectively. The results show that Cost of Energy (COE) is $0.128/kWh for the clean surface case; however, it is increased by 15, 34, and 71 % for the three considered dusty cases, respectively. These findings demonstrate the effect of dust accumulation on both sizing and cost-effectiveness of SWHS highlighting the importance of incorporating appropriate dust mitigation solutions in arid climates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 113879"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A simulation environment for UAV-based real-time condition monitoring of solar tower power plants","authors":"Alexander Schnerring ,&nbsp;Rafal Broda ,&nbsp;Adrian Winter ,&nbsp;Michael Nieslony ,&nbsp;Julian J. Krauth ,&nbsp;Marc Röger ,&nbsp;Sonja Kallio ,&nbsp;Robert Pitz-Paal","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113803","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113803","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development and testing of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based condition monitoring systems is time consuming, costly and poses safety risks. While numerous examples show that simulation environments are well suited to support the development process, existing environments fall short of simulating quantities specific to the condition monitoring of solar tower power plants. To bridge this gap, we present a simulation environment that provides quantities necessary to investigate such systems in simulation, prior to their application in real solar tower power plants. The presented environment models the state of the solar field and computes observations of the field and reflections of a point light source, as seen from a virtual camera. In addition, it allows for the navigation of a simulated UAV in the virtual solar field in response to realistic UAV control signals. The simulated concentrator corner points were found to match the concentrator corner points determined by a bundle adjustment measurement up to an <span><math><mrow><mtext>RMSE</mtext><mo>=</mo><mn>23</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>7</mn><mspace></mspace><mstyle><mi>m</mi><mi>m</mi></mstyle></mrow></math></span> before and <span><math><mrow><mtext>RMSE</mtext><mo>=</mo><mn>4</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>6</mn><mspace></mspace><mstyle><mi>m</mi><mi>m</mi></mstyle></mrow></math></span> after accounting for translational, rotational and scale errors. The simulated reflections of a point light source were found to match the measured reflections up to an <span><math><mtext>RMSE</mtext></math></span> of <span><math><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>25</mn><mspace></mspace><mstyle><mi>m</mi><mi>r</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>d</mi></mstyle></mrow></math></span> in X-direction and <span><math><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>09</mn><mspace></mspace><mstyle><mi>m</mi><mi>r</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>d</mi></mstyle></mrow></math></span> in Y-direction in the concentrator coordinate system. After eliminating errors in the camera position estimate, concentrator orientations and mirror surface slope errors, the remaining <span><math><mtext>RMSE</mtext></math></span> is <span><math><mrow><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>35</mn><mspace></mspace><mstyle><mi>m</mi><mi>r</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>d</mi></mstyle></mrow></math></span> in X-direction and <span><math><mrow><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>22</mn><mspace></mspace><mstyle><mi>m</mi><mi>r</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>d</mi></mstyle></mrow></math></span> in Y-direction. We conclude that the proposed simulation environment is a valuable tool for the development of UAV-based condition monitoring systems of solar tower power plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 113803"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144860881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pyrocatalysis and solar/visible-pyrocatalysis effects in 0.937(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3–0.063BaTiO3 ceramics for waste water treatment","authors":"Abhishek Shukla,&nbsp;Vishal Singh Chauhan,&nbsp;Rahul Vaish","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113889","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113889","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pyrocatalysis has shown effective application in degrading organic pollutants for water remediation. A novel solar-pyro/pyrocatalytic activity was examined for multiple dye degradation. Till now, no significant work is done on degradation of organic pollutants by using sunlight as energy source i.e. solar-pyrocatalysis. 0.937(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)TiO₃–0.063BaTiO₃ (BNT-BT) was synthesized and characterized using the conventional solid-state reaction method for its pyrocatalytic activity. XRD, Raman spectroscopy and FE-SEM were used to examine the phase, vibrational modes and morphology of the synthesized sample. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to analyze the chemical composition, while diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) was used to examine the absorbance of the prepared sample. Pyrocatalysis experiments were conducted on MB (Methylene Blue) (66 %) and MV (Methyl violet) (45 %) dyes with a concentration of 10 ppm. Mixture of these two dyes (binary dye) were also examined, in MB 28 % and in MV 43 % individual degradation was observed. Additionally, the samples were poled using Corona poling, and poled samples showed enhanced degradation efficacy. The observed degradation in poled samples were ∼82 % in poled (MB) compared to 66 % in unpoled sample. Similarly, in MV dye degradation was enhanced to 78 % compared to unpoled sample (45 %). Using poled sample visible-pyrocatalytic experiments were performed and 56 % degradation was observed in 60 cycles. Further, using sunlight solar-pyrocatalytic experiments were performed (∼40,000 lx). The results were enhanced compared to pyrocatalysis only. Suggesting utilization of sunlight and its waste energy as a source for pyrocatalytic activity. Poled samples in sunlight showed enhanced 79 % degradation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 113889"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144860733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing surrogate models based on a fuzzy reinforced swarm intelligence and ANN to estimate the performance of parabolic trough collectors","authors":"Mahsa Moloodpoor ,&nbsp;Ali Mortazavi","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113880","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113880","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessing the performance of parabolic trough collectors is a difficult and intricate task owing to the redundancy of crucial parameters. Moreover, it necessitates the development of a comprehensive mathematical model for the system along with an effective solver tool. To address these challenges, this study introduces innovative prediction models for performance assessment. In the first approach, the fundamental heat transfer formula is converted to a constrained optimization model and solved using a fuzzy reinforced gradient-free optimization algorithm so-called Fuzzy Butterfly Optimization Algorithm. In the second approach, two different Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with non-regularized and regularized objective functions are trained. Additionally, to achieve the most efficient configuration for the trained ANN, hyperparameter tuning is performed using the mentioned fuzzy reinforced algorithm. Notably, this study not only pioneers an alternative approach for modeling and determining the thermal efficiency of parabolic trough collectors (PTCs) but also demonstrates the integration of a fuzzy-reinforced optimization algorithm for both solving the heat transfer model and optimizing the ANN architecture within this context. Comparative analyses based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) are employed, additionally, model performance is evaluated using standard error metrics, including MSE, RMSE, MAE, and R². Validation against experimental data from Sandia National Laboratories confirmed strong agreement across all models (R² &gt; 0.95). Overall, non-regularized ANN, configured three hidden layers with 5–10-3–5-2 architecture, provided the most robust and accurate results, particularly in predicting thermal efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 113880"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144860719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of wind conditions and impact on wind loading at an operational parabolic trough concentrating solar power plant using LiDAR observations","authors":"Geng Xia ,&nbsp;Ulrike Egerer ,&nbsp;Stefano Letizia ,&nbsp;Mithu Debnath ,&nbsp;David Jager ,&nbsp;Scott Dana ,&nbsp;Shashank Yellapantula","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113844","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113844","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wind loading is a major factor influencing the structural design costs of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) collector systems, including heliostats and parabolic troughs. Traditionally, these designs have been based on wind-tunnel data, which often fail to accurately represent the dynamic effects experienced at full scale. This study presents a first-of-its-kind experimental characterization of wind conditions within an operational parabolic-trough CSP power plant focusing specifically on using lidar observations. The lidar observations give a unique opportunity to provide insights into wind flow conditions deep within the trough arrays. Our results suggest that (1) after being blocked by the first few rows, the wind speed above the troughs recovers to 73% of its inflow magnitude as it flows further over the trough field due to enhanced turbulent mixing and (2) due to the wind speed recovery, troughs in the interior field will likely experience higher shear-induced turning moments compared those at the front. The conclusions from this work stress the importance of better understanding the wind patterns and interior wind loads when designing solar collectors and highlights the need for more interior load measurements in the future field campaigns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 113844"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144858350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent enhancement in photovoltaic cell efficiency performance, stability, and cost reduction: a review","authors":"Anioke Afamefuna Ugochukwu ,&nbsp;Farhan Ahmad ,&nbsp;Munaza Khalid ,&nbsp;Muhammad Arslan Ali ,&nbsp;Iqra Mamoon ,&nbsp;Solomon Chika Udensi ,&nbsp;Uzochukwu Ogbonna ,&nbsp;Amjad Iqbal ,&nbsp;Riaz Ali ,&nbsp;Muhammad Usman ,&nbsp;Junaid Khan ,&nbsp;Ilsa Khurshid ,&nbsp;Uzma Zahoor ,&nbsp;Abdul Hakim shah ,&nbsp;Atta Ur Rahman ,&nbsp;Fida Rehman","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113853","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113853","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solar Photovoltaic (PV) energy, as a renewable technology, is increasingly surpassing fossil fuels and other renewable sources due to its distinct advantages. Recent advancements in PV cells, which are crucial component of PV technology, are closely linked to their materials, including silicon – carbon, cadmium telluride – group II − IV semiconductors, gallium arsenide – group III − V semiconductors, and perovskite – rear-earth transition metalloids (RT₃M). This review offers depth analysis of recent developments in PV solar cells, focusing on silicon, perovskite, and perovskite/silicon tandem cells. Key factors influencing the commercialization and widespread adoption of PV technologies—such as efficiency, stability, environmental impact, and production costs—are thoroughly examined. Silicon PV cells, while leading the market, face limitations due to the Shockley-Quesser limit and complex manufacturing processes that drive up costs. Techniques like luminescence converters (LCs) are being explored to enhance efficiency close to the S-Q limit. In contrast, perovskite cells exhibit promising opto-electronic properties that could enable low-cost cells with up to 26 % efficiency. Stability and the environment are still significant issues though, with ongoing research focused on addressing these issues. Tandem PV cell technology, which combines perovskite and silicon cells, holds great potential for revolutionizing the industry. By leveraging the unique properties of both materials, tandem cells can achieve power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of up to 32 % while reducing production costs. The primary challenges here involve the perovskite component, with recrystallization and passivation techniques showing promise in mitigating these effects. The review also includes a cross-material analysis and discusses future directions for PV technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 113853"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design and performance of a dual-function mixed-mode solar dryer with heat recovery for grapes drying: A 4E and sustainability study","authors":"Pranav Mehta ,&nbsp;Nilesh Bhatt ,&nbsp;Gurmitsingh Bassan ,&nbsp;Ashmore Mawire ,&nbsp;Zafar Said","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113875","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113875","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study summarizes the design, fabrication, and extensive assessment of an innovative mixed-mode solar dryer (MMSD) equipped with a heat recovery system to enable effective drying of red grapes under climatic conditions of Gujarat, India. The system features a UV-stabilized, semi-hemispherical drying chamber coupled with a polyvinyl-coated solar air heater operating under forced convection. This hybrid configuration simultaneously facilitates agricultural drying and preheating of saline water for potable water production through solar distillation, effectively addressing energy efficiency and water scarcity challenges in arid regions. Experimental results showed an appreciable enhancement in performance over conventional open sun drying, as indicated by more than 60 % reduction in drying time, consistent operational performance, and better product quality. The system reached an optimal thermal efficiency of 35.79 % with a corresponding optimum exergy efficiency of 7.6 %, demonstrating its remarkable energy performance. Drying kinetics were well represented using the Simplified Fick’s Diffusion model (R2 = 0.99987). The economic analysis revealed a feasible payback period of 2.3 years, alongside a reduction of 1.73 tons in CO₂ emissions, coupled with estimated carbon credit savings of about USD 394.97 over the system life cycle. Therefore, the integrated MMSD presents itself as a scalable, economically competitive, and environmentally friendly technology suitable for implementation in water-scarce remote localities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 113875"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Economic optimization of PCM use for enhanced energy efficiency in passive buildings: a case study in Egypt","authors":"Mehdi Azimi ,&nbsp;Mohammadjavad Mahdavinejad ,&nbsp;Mansour Yeganeh","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113876","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113876","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing urban population has significantly raised global energy consumption (EC) and fossil fuel demand, worsening environmental issues like greenhouse gas emissions and climate change (CC). Buildings contribute substantially to EC, requiring energy-efficient solutions such as passive systems (PS). This study investigates phase change materials (PCMs) for reducing heating and cooling demands while improving thermal comfort (TC) in Ismailia, Egypt—a hot, arid region. Five PCMs (PCM 21 (21 °C melting point), PCM 23, PCM 25, PCM 27, and PCM 29) were evaluated, with PCM 21 emerging as the most effective, achieving 17 % heating reduction and 13 % cooling reduction<strong>.</strong></div><div>Optimal PCM placement was determined using a 1.00 × 1.00 m² grid system<strong>,</strong> revealing that 60 % PCM coverage across walls and floors maximizes efficiency. This configuration lowered energy use intensity (EUI) by 9.23 %<strong>,</strong> cooling demand by 11.49 %<strong>,</strong> and heating demand by 14.89 %<strong>,</strong> with the upper 50 % of walls and southern 50 % of floors proving most impactful. Economic analysis showed payback periods of 75 months for 55.11 % PCM and 104 months for 60 % PCM<strong>,</strong> confirming PCMs as a cost-effective PS for sustainable building design. These results highlight PCMs’ potential to reduce EC while enhancing building resilience in extreme climates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 113876"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Performance enhancement of methylammonium tin iodide perovskite photodetectors through device optimization","authors":"Shilpi Singh,&nbsp;Saurabh Kumar,&nbsp;Manish Deo,&nbsp;R.K. Chauhan","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113874","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113874","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Metal halide perovskites have gained significant attention as favourable materials for photodetectors due to their improved optoelectronic characteristics, tunable bandgap, and cost-efficient solution-based synthesis methods. Simulations indicate that enhanced performance is primarily linked to improved charge carrier transport and reduced dark current. These enhancements were achieved by fine-tuning the thickness of the absorber layer, adjusting doping concentrations, and minimizing defect densities. The absorber layer is composed of organo-tin halide perovskite (MASnI₃), which exhibits a wide spectral response ranging from visible to near-infrared wavelengths. After optimizing the CH₃NH₃SnI₃ layer thickness to 950 nm, key parameters such as a short-circuit current density of 33.78 mA/cm2, high quantum efficiency, and an open-circuit voltage of 0.814 V were observed. The photodetector’s spectral responsivity largely depends upon its light absorption efficiency. The CH₃NH₃SnI₃-based photodetector provides enhanced responsivity values of 0.635 A/W and specific detectivity of 3.38 × 10¹¹ Jones at a wavelength of 860 nm and a bias voltage of −2V. The SCAPS-1D tool was used for simulations. The proper material selection provides the development of an efficient and environmentally friendly perovskite photodetector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 113874"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144858349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Standardized nomenclature for photovoltaic connectors","authors":"Steven J. DiGregorio ,&nbsp;Laurie Burnham ,&nbsp;Bruce H. King ,&nbsp;David C. Miller ,&nbsp;Bill Sekulic ,&nbsp;David Penalva Aguilar","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113847","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113847","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photovoltaic (PV) systems rely on discrete connectors for the efficient and safe flow of power from module to module and from strings to combiner boxes and inverters. Despite their functional importance, no common nomenclature for PV connectors currently exists, resulting in confusion and miscommunication. Misunderstood terms like “MC4 compatible”, “cross-mating”, “intermating”, “female”, and “male” can lead to installation and maintenance errors and compromise system reliability. We believe a standardized terminology will reduce confusion, help support installation best practices, aid in maintenance and repair, inform next-generation designs, and provide a technical basis for improved codes and standards.</div><div>To that end, we are proposing a standardized glossary for 4 mm PV connectors (the most common type of connector used in PV applications) based on, and validated by, a Sandia National Laboratories’ investigation that included the following sources: 1) a comprehensive review of official documents from 20 connector manufacturers, including schematics, datasheets, installation manuals, and catalogs, as well as relevant patents; 2) two rounds of surveys distributed to stakeholders, including connector manufacturers, engineers, asset owners, test labs, and researchers; and 3) visual examination of 25 different models of 4 mm single-pole DC PV connectors to document variations in design and functionality. This work provides a foundation for establishing a clear and consistent terminology for PV connectors that will in turn enable progress toward greater reliability and collaboration across the industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 113847"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144842641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}