Brazilian solar water heating systems evaluation

The Brazilian National Electricity Conservation Program - PROCEL - runs regular surveys in the electric-energy-consumption market. These studies are used as valuable data to better plan the actions of this program. These data also evaluate the program's performance by identifying the level of penetration of the most efficient electric equipment within the residential sector. PROCEL's main lines of action is to promote and make available the most efficient technologies. Based on the results from the latest survey, it is estimated that 24% of the electric-energy consumption of the residential sector is used by electric shower devices, which instantaneously heat the water that flows through them, normally using an electric resistance of 5 kW. These are an important factor in a country where electric-heating devices are present in about 73% of Brazilian households. Keeping that in mind, the purpose of this work is to present the main results of the Brazilian Solar-Water-Heating-Systems Evaluation, finished in 2010, where 535 installations were visited and more than 50 researchers from different universities participated in the project. Moreover, seven Brazilian cities were selected to be studied. The information was collected from field research and statistically treated. The collected information focused on the adequacy of the project to the household, installation, operation and life cycle of the systems, as well as the users' satisfaction level. Technical questionnaires were developed to summarize all the required information, such as a Web site designed to organize and manage the data collected and a Matlab application that performed the dimensioning and F-chart systems evaluation. Quality indicators were created through a full system monitoring, with thermographic analysis and evaluation of shading influence at the system's efficiency, using the Ecotect software.

Remoção de micropoluentes na filtração lenta com pré-oxidação com radiação solar

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Geração de energia elétrica a partir da concentração solar

The current world's need for clean and renewable energy sources aligned with the strong Brazilian growth looking to diversify its electric power generation sources, highly dependent on hydropower and petroleum encourages the implementation of technologies that reach this growth with diversity and cleaning. The sun energy source is considered inexhaustible and can meet the demand for energy through thermo solar plants to generate electricity. Several technologies are being studied and developed in the world and they can be used to generate electricity from the solar concentration, but in Brazil its use is still not found commercially. It is therefore essential to understand these technologies and develop knowledge about them so they can be implemented in Brazil. This work brings an overview of the thermo solar generation in Brazil, showing the different technologies and a thermodynamic simulation of one of such technologies considering a hybrid plant with complementary generation biomass, aiming at the generation of 1 MW in the Brazilian Northeast

Estudo da produção de hidrogênio eletrolítico a partir de fontes eólica, solar e hidrelétrica

Introduces technical, economic and environmentally competitive solutions in the energy market is a great challenge for society. This work examines each of these aspects considering the production of electrolytic hydrogen with energy from wind power, solar and hydropower, in order to ensure an overview of this energy carrier. Initially, an assessment of the technical aspects is made addressing existing electrolysers technologies, its main characteristics and differences. The geographical distribution of wind, solar and hydroelectric potential in Brazil is also mapped, and a configuration scheme of a hydrogen production system is discussed. Subsequently, the economic analysis calculates the cost of investment in the alkaline electrolyser of 60 Nm³ / h, similar to the Brazilian bus powered by hydrogen project, coordinated by EMTU. Since the main input of electrolysis is electricity, is analyzed the latest energy auctions of each primary source and it is calculated the cost of production of the wind, solar and hydropower hydrogen. Postponed to this, are investigated the intrinsic environmental impacts of electricity generation process, proposing a readjustment of an indicator of ecological efficiency for the production of hydrogen. Finally, the work discusses the concept of externalities and demonstrates how the incorporation of external costs can leverage the hydrogen economy. In short, it is evident that the wind and hydroelectric hydrogens are more promising compared to solar hydrogen, whether in the economic aspect, because it achieved lower costs, whether in the environmental aspect, because it reached the highest ecological efficiency

Single precursor route to efficient cobalt sulphide counter electrodes for dye sensitized solar cells

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Sanitário solar: a transdisciplinaridade como ferramenta de projeto, design e desenvolvimento sustentável

The appropriate use of computer aided technologies, allied to the concepts and design guidelines, grounded in biology, stimulated the development of a solar toilet, able to convert human waste into compost, rich in nutrients for use in gardens, farms and small farms. This transdisciplinary approach is presented as a necessary tool to be used in academia, integrating and developing activities previously disconnected. The solar toilet also called green bathroom, combines the most modern concepts and technologies of computer-aided design, design, selection of materials and microbiological control, reaching biologically correct and safe composting of waste, ensuring the viability of the project terms of cost, deployment, use and environmental safety, such as supporting sustainable development. It is also planned to install a pilot project in a small community with the aim of assessing its implementation and use as a complementary activity and university extension.