0000000000433231

AUTHOR

Federico M. Butera

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIFFUSE AND TOTAL SOLAR RADIATION IN COMPUTER SIMULATION OF SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS

ABSTRACT The diffuse to total radiation correlation developed by Liu and Jordan [1] was tested for three Italian locations. An acceptable agreement was found between the regression lines in [1] and the ones found for two of the three locations. Using measured hourly values of total solar radiation on a horizontal surface, the corresponding hourly values of total solar radiation on an inclined surface at 45° facing south were computed with both the Liu and Jordan and the Loudon [6] method for estimating the diffuse radiation. Results show that approximately the same degree of accuracy in the prediction is achievable with both methods and that the difference between the measured total monthly…

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The technological transplant

Abstract This paper deals with technology transfer and conditions for successful diffusion of renewable energy technologies in developing countries. Issues such as perception of needs and resources are fully discussed, whether on mega-scale or micro-scale; that is to say, whether for a specific project or a whole country. A distinction is made between technology and the technological device, the latter being a component which is injected into a social system creating new links into the pre-existing structure; therefore, even if perfect in itself, it may not fit into the system in which it has to operate. The need for a complete analysis of the effects of the injection (or transplant) of the…

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Diffusion of innovative agricultural production systems for sustainable development of small islands: A methodological approach based on the science of complexity

In order to develop small islands, not only must a vital agricultural system be maintained, but the range of opportunities for tourism must be increased with respect to both the seaside and the environmental features of the rural landscape. As an alternative to the traditional and economically declining ones, many innovative production processes can be identified, but their success depends on their interaction with the physical, biological, economic and social environment. In order to identify the main nodes and the most critical interactions, so as to increase the probability of success of a new productive process, a methodological approach based on the science of complexity is proposed fo…

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Energy Conscious Building Design

Since the beginning of energy crisis many design tools have been developed in order to enable the designer to cope with energy consumption in buildings. These tools are of different kind: from very sophisticated simulation models to simplified (often too much) methods. Each of them offers various advantages and disadvantages, and it is up to the designer to choose among them.

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