This work presents an adjustable large-scale solar simulator based on metal halide lamps. The design procedure is described with regards to the construction and spatial arrangement of the lamps and the designed optical system. Rotation and translation of the lamp array allow setting the direction and the intensity of the luminous flux on the horizontal plane. To validate the built model, irradiance nonuniformity and temporal instability tests were carried out assigning Class A, B, or C for each test, according to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards requirements. The simulator meets the Class C standards on a 200 × 90 cm test plane, Class B on 170 × 80 cm, and Class A on 80 × 40 cm. The temporal instability returns Class A results for all the measured points. Lastly, a PV panel is characterized by tracing the I–V curve under simulated radiation, under outdoor natural sunlight, and with a numerical method. The results show a good approximation.

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Cold ironing provides for powering berthed ships in port with electricity from the national grid. A local energy production improves the self-sufficiency of the port area. This work presents an optimization model for a photovoltaic/cold ironing system. The energy demand of ferries was analyzed, taking the port of Ancona (Italy) as case study. The model returns the optimal size of the PV plant based on a Life Cycle Cost (LCC) approach. Results show that the optimal PV plant size is 2100kW and 3700kW for two scenarios with different costs. CO2 emissions saving is 64.9% and 73.1%, respectively

Phase change materials (PCMs) applied to photovoltaic (PV) panels are a promising solution to recover the large share of energy from the incident radiation, not converted into electricity. PCMs can store a huge amount of energy, exploiting the solid-liquid phase change, which occurs at a nearly constant temperature. In addition, reducing the temperature of a PV panel increases its electric conversion efficiency. This papers experimentally investigates the match between the heat production of a PV-PCM system and the domestic hot water (DHW) demand of a typical residential building. Different curves of demand are analyzed, all have a peak in the evening period. The solar radiation profile of a typical sunny day is reproduced under a solar simulator. Once the PCM is fully melt, a hydraulic circuit, which connects the heat exchanger immersed in the PCM to a water tank, is activated to extract the heat stored. Different tests are performed by varying the size of the water tank storage. Results show that a storage volume of 50 L, 75 L, 100 L and 125 L ensures a reduction of energy demand of 15.3%, 21.2%, 22% and 21.5% respectively, compared to traditional electric water heaters.