This book analyses and quantifies how and where energy and water are consumed by the ceramic sanitary-ware industry and provides solutions as to how to reduce this. The whole production process is mapped, including modelling methods. The book begins by providing an introduction to ceramic sanitary-ware production and types of factories casting technology. It then moves on to discuss the process and energy modelling for the production line, analysis of energy and water consumptions and proposals for improvements. The last chapter presents the practical implementation of the selected modelling configuration. This book is of particular interest to water and energy management professionals within the ceramic industry, but the methods are of interest to those in other production industries as well.

This book analyses and quantifies how and where energy and water are consumed by the ceramic sanitary-ware industry and provides solutions as to how to reduce this. The whole production process is mapped, including modelling methods. The book begins by providing an introduction to ceramic sanitary-ware production and types of factories casting technology. It then moves on to discuss the process and energy modelling for the production line, analysis of energy and water consumptions and proposals for improvements. The last chapter presents the practical implementation of the selected modelling configuration. This book is of particular interest to water and energy management professionals within the ceramic industry, but the methods are of interest to those in other production industries as well.

Among other things, this book analyzes the energy losses in transformation systems composed of parallel transformers and proposes a method known as PLO that allows for the reduction of these losses. Distribution transformer system losses represent an important contribution to the quantity of GHG emitted to the atmosphere and have a high economic cost. This book benefits the reader by proposing and validating a novel method for the transformer utilities of three efficiency levels. This method can be implemented with any transformer, regardless of its characteristics. New low-loss transformers have lower losses but higher economic cost, and so their installation is cost-effective only if the total cost over the life cycle is lower. However, replacement of existing transformers is rarely profitable. This book proposes a method to reduce losses throughout the life cycle in new or existing installations. For implementation, the system does not require any additional device and allows energy savings of up to 41% to be obtained over the initial losses when it is used in parallel transformers; the study also proposes using an automated system instead of manual disconnection. The new energy measurement equipment in smart grid systems facilitates the installation and operation of this method. Due to its contribution to the current pool of knowledge for topics such as repowering and renewable distribution systems, this book is an ideal resource for those interested in renewable energy, electric power systems and their applications.

This book acts as a reference that provides readers with the broadest available single volume coverage of leading edge advances in the development and optimization of clean energy technologies. One of the objectives of this book is to conduct a primary energy analysis and economic evaluation of solar thermal and photovoltaic cooling systems used for air conditioning in office buildings that apply simulation systems. Due to the climatic conditions that influence the performance of these two systems, the comparison is made for three different climates corresponding to Palermo, Madrid and Stuttgart. For each climate, the same geometry and dimensions of a building are considered, but with different user profiles and construction. Consequently, different heating and cooling loads twelve cases in total are taken into consideration. Another purpose of this book is to highlight water consumption as a key design parameter in determining the most convenient cooling system and selecting the most appropriate location for Solar Parabolic Trough (SPT) plants. Considering the importance of water in guaranteeing environmental sustainability, a review of water consumption parameters is presented, and water consumption in the SPT plants that are in the planning stages for southern Spain are analyzed as examples. The selected region for the present study is exposed to high horizontal solar irradiance, undergoes large seasonal weather fluctuations (prolonged droughts) and is located far from the coast (determining the sites topography and soil availability). These characteristics demonstrate that water consumption is one of the decisive factors for the construction of new solar plants in similar locations worldwide, in addition to other considerations such as capital cost or plant efficiency.

European efforts to fight climate change, to improve the security of energy supply, and to drive innovation and competitiveness in the next decade will make distributed generation (DG) develop and grow considerably. DG growth is an integral component of a new vision of an effective and highly responsive "European Smart Grid" in which the actions of all stakeholders are fully integrated. However, there are a number of existing barriers that prevent the spread of DG in the European market. These barriers range from simple commercial issues, such as the fact that the energy produced is currently not cost-effective in comparison to the electricity generated on a large scale, to complex regulatory reforms. In this book, several comparisons are made regarding different solutions already adopted in European countries for low power distributed generation, thereby providing possible solutions to the budding energy situation in Europe, as well as an overview of trends and growth forecasts for distributed generation and smart grid (SG) projects. Since several processes working with solar energy are available, a study to know which technology is more suitable considering the primary energy consumption and economy is necessary. This book analyses existing wind farms to quantify and characterise the market suitable for repowering. We discuss whether repowering is a valid alternative from the point of view of feasibility to enable the continuation of the integration of wind energy in the Spanish energy mix and whether this feasibility is enough when the energy generated is charged at the electricity market price in terms of grid parity. The results support that repowering is a profitable alternative and is often even better than the construction of new wind farms under certain conditions. Finally, in this book, the problems that have motivated the development of wind control centres are presented, highlighting the Spanish case. This book describes typical telecontrol architecture from the local wind farm level to inter-control centre connectivity, with special emphasis on differences compared with other control centres and the functionalities that can be implemented in this architecture. A study on the use of virtual machines in wind control centres is also included for the purpose of shedding light on this modern trend, despite the strong inertia in the use of conventional servers.

This book evaluates the potential of the combined use of district heating networks and cogeneration in the European Union (EU). It also proposes measures to remove barriers hindering their widespread implementation, formulates policies for their implementation, and evaluates their economic, energy, and environmental consequences. The book presents a preliminary assessment of the likely cost and the impact of widespread adoption of district heating networks and cogeneration carried out in three cities that represent the variety of climatic conditions in the EU. Based on this assessment, it is estimated that by undertaking the maximum economically feasible implementation across the EU, fuel savings of EURO95M/year would be achieved, representing energy savings of 6,400 petajoules (PJ), which is around 15% of the total final energy consumption in the EU in 2013 (46,214.5 PJ). Using simple and quick calculations and not specific software, the method used allows the evaluation of the potential benefits of retrofitting existing power plants into cogeneration plants and connecting them to nearby heating networks. In light of increasing energy costs and environmental concerns, the book is of interest to heating engineers, city planners, and policy-makers around the globe.

This book develops a novel and simple, yet rigorous methodology that, by means of basic techniques and tools available to any engineer, enables the study of solar concentrator performance parameter scattering on the control of the solar field outlet temperature. Several simulations are performed considering a realistic solar field comprised of a large set of solar collectors with slight differences in performance. Sets of scattered parameter distributions are randomly assigned to the collectors in the solar field. Sensitivity analysis of solar field behavior is then performed in terms of the distribution of the performance parameters of the solar collectors, followed by a comparison between different configurations of the solar field according to the number of subfields. The latter is of great interest in order to evaluate the effect of a subfield number on the ability of the solar fields operator to control the temperature of the solar field when a flow control valve is not available in each loop. As a special feature, this book proposes a new model for characterizing the energetic behavior of grid connected PV inverters. The model has been obtained from a detailed study of the main loss processes in small size PV inverters in the market. The main advantage of the used method is to obtain a model that comprises two antagonistic features, since both are simple, easy to compute and apply, and accurate. One of the main features of this model is how it handles the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and its efficiency: Concerning both parts, the model uses the same approach and is achieved by two resistive elements which simulate the losses inherent to each parameter. This makes this model easy to implement, compact and refine. The model presented here also includes other parameters, such as the start threshold, standby consumption and islanding behavior. As an example, the model has been implemented in the PSPICE electronic simulator, and this approach has been used to teach grid-connected PV systems. The use of this model for the maintenance of working PV facilities is also shown.

This book explores the potential of magnetic superconductors in storage systems, specifically focusing on superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) systems and using the Spanish electricity system, controlled by Red Eléctrica de España (REE), as an example. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic costs associated with the manufacture and maintenance of SMES systems, as well as a regulatory analysis for their implementation in the complex Spanish electrical system. The analysis also compares this system with the regulations of other countries, providing a comprehensive case study. The book examines the possible economic and environmental benefits of using magnetic superconductors in electrical systems and provides a technical study of the use of these systems in hybrid storage systems that complement each other to optimize network performance. The study is conducted from the perspective of new distribution networks, distributed generation, and the concepts of the smart city. The book also explores potential applications and developments, such as electric vehicles. Overall, this book offers an insightful and comprehensive analysis of the potential of magnetic superconductors in storage systems. It will be an invaluable resource for researchers, engineers, and policymakers interested in the future of energy storage systems    

This book investigates the sustainability performance of system that use microgrids in desalination processes. Climate change may be especially dramatic in its effects on island environments. In these environments, aquifers and wells could become over exploited resulting the use of desalination plans. The synergies between water, energy, and food sectors have been identified as vital in achieving the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. The book explores desalination and microgrids technically as well the economic and legal aspects that must be considered in order explore their techno-economic feasibility - analyzing how to improve the desalination process, proposing a method to locate and size a microgrid. Other synergies between the water, energy, and food system are discussed and the benefits to society that might result in these systems. Also, the lessons learned are highlighted in the context of how they may apply to other sustainable enterprises.

This book highlights the importance of geothermal energy by studying its potential either alone or in combination with solar energy, focusing on its industrial application. Its starting point is to identify in a thorough and precise manner the barriers that hinder the implementation of geothermal energy in Spain and the European Union and the measures to be taken to achieve its diffusion and regular use. Next, the book looks at how geothermal energy could contribute to this sector and to the desalination industry in particular, analysing a specific case in the south of Spain and extrapolating its results to a set of existing desalination plants in the Spanish Mediterranean with really interesting results in terms of economic amortisation and CO2 emissions avoided to the atmosphere. Beyond the desalination industry, this work demonstrates that almost 85% of the industrial processes of all industry in Spain can be carried out with very low, low and medium temperature geothermal resources and even applies its results to a set of existing solar plants, comparing in economic terms the results already obtained with those that would have been obtained if geothermal energy had been applied.

This book develops a novel and simple, yet rigorous methodology that, by means of basic techniques and tools available to any engineer, enables the study of solar concentrator performance parameter scattering on the control of the solar field outlet temperature. Several simulations are performed considering a realistic solar field comprised of a large set of solar collectors with slight differences in performance. Sets of scattered parameter distributions are randomly assigned to the collectors in the solar field. Sensitivity analysis of solar field behavior is then performed in terms of the distribution of the performance parameters of the solar collectors, followed by a comparison between different configurations of the solar field according to the number of subfields. The latter is of great interest in order to evaluate the effect of a subfield number on the ability of the solar fields operator to control the temperature of the solar field when a flow control valve is not available in each loop. As a special feature, this book proposes a new model for characterizing the energetic behaviour of grid connected PV inverters. The model has been obtained from a detailed study of the main loss processes in small size PV inverters in the market. The main advantage of the used method is to obtain a model that comprises two antagonistic features, since both are simple, easy to compute and apply, and accurate. One of the main features of this model is how it handles the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and its efficiency: Concerning both parts, the model uses the same approach and is achieved by two resistive elements which simulate the losses inherent to each parameter. This makes this model easy to implement, compact and refine. The model presented here also includes other parameters, such as the start threshold, standby consumption and islanding behavior. As an example, the model has been implemented in the PSPICE electronic simulator, and this approach has been used to teach grid-connected PV systems. The use of this model for the maintenance of working PV facilities is also shown.

The main objective of this book is to evaluate alternative energy systems in buildings regardless of their location and climatic conditions. To do so, evaluations have been conducted in temperate and marine weather conditions in developed countries like Germany; in a semiarid climate in Spain; and in a humid subtropical climate in Brazil. Over the past few years, the use of passive cooling and heating technologies has become more common for reducing the energy consumption of buildings. However, these technologies are not often used for some building systems. Buildings intended for children or the elderly are often climatized to improve indoor thermal conditions. In this book, a cost reduction in climatization based on passive systems is proposed and studied. Building site optimisation is performed to improve thermal behavior. To achieve this, computational fluid dynamics tools have been used. The integration of these passive systems allows the peak power demand to be reduced by up to 50% and the yearly energy consumption to be reduced by approximately 40%. These reductions are studied for conventional and renewable energy systems, showing that passive systems provide better thermal comfort and reduce initial investment and energy consumption, making low-cost buildings feasible.