The development of novel solar power technologies is regarded as one of the essential solutions to meeting the world’s rising energy demand. Floating photovoltaic panels (FPV) have several advantages over land-based installations, including faster deployment, lower maintenance costs, and increased efficiency. Romania is considered a country with enormous solar energy potential, which is one of the most exploited sectors of the renewable energy sector. With this in mind, the purpose of this work is to assess the energetic potential provided by the sun, taking into account three lakes in Romania’s east and extending to the west of the Black Sea. In this context, we examine the hourly distribution of solar radiation for the year 2021. The solar radiation data were extracted using the ERA5 database, as well as data collected in situ near them. Following this research, we discovered that all of the chosen locations have a high energetic potential and could be used as locations for the exploitation of solar energy, thereby avoiding the use of land that could be used for agricultural purposes in these areas. We also noticed that there are minor differences between the solar radiation values obtained from the ERA5 database and the measured ones.

This review aims to find, classify, and discuss ongoing projects that fall into the category of multi-use platforms, concerning offshore energy exploitation and marine resource production, including aquaculture. The term multi-use platforms (MUPs) refer to areas that may accommodate multiple operations such as aquaculture, tourism, transportation, oil, or energy production. This research only examines the current situation of marine energy projects that entail the integration of either a single kind of renewable energy or other types of marine renewable energy, in conjunction with aquaculture. The particularity of this research consists in the exclusive choice of platforms that integrate two sources of renewable energy on a single platform. The study focuses on analyzing the projects set up over time on these platforms, all of which include aquaculture. The state of the art in MUPs for offshore applications was examined to generate the review. We devised a methodical search approach aiming to find relevant material from various academic fields. During this phase, we looked to understand as much as we could about MUPs, including their design, the nature of these projects, what kinds of projects they can include, how they integrate renewable energy sources, and whether aquaculture facilities can be put together. To preserve scientific integrity and guarantee the inclusion of relevant research, a search strategy was formulated. The bibliographic study was through critical analysis, and at the end, significant conclusions were drawn concerning the development of multi-use platforms.

Excessive reliance on traditional energy sources such as coal, petroleum, and gas leads to a decrease in natural resources and contributes to global warming. Consequently, the adoption of renewable energy sources in power systems is experiencing swift expansion worldwide, especially in offshore areas. Floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) technology is gaining recognition as an innovative renewable energy option, presenting benefits like minimized land requirements, improved cooling effects, and possible collaborations with hydropower. This study aims to assess the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) associated with floating solar initiatives in offshore and onshore environments. Furthermore, the LCOE is assessed for initiatives that utilize floating solar PV modules within aquaculture farms, as well as for the integration of various renewable energy sources, including wind, wave, and hydropower. The LCOE for FPV technology exhibits considerable variation, ranging from 28.47 EUR/MWh to 1737 EUR/MWh, depending on the technologies utilized within the farm as well as its geographical setting. The implementation of FPV technology in aquaculture farms revealed a notable increase in the LCOE, ranging from 138.74 EUR/MWh to 2306 EUR/MWh. Implementation involving additional renewable energy sources results in a reduction in the LCOE, ranging from 3.6 EUR/MWh to 315.33 EUR/MWh. The integration of floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems into green hydrogen production represents an emerging direction that is relatively little explored but has high potential in reducing costs. The conversion of this energy into hydrogen involves high final costs, with the LCOH ranging from 1.06 EUR/kg to over 26.79 EUR/kg depending on the complexity of the system.

This paper aims to evaluate the energy potential of six sites located in the Black Sea, all of them near the Romanian shore. To conduct this study, a climate scenario was chosen which considers that the emissions of carbon dioxide will increase until 2040 when they reach a peak, decreasing afterward. This scenario is also known as RCP 4.5. The wind dynamics is considered for two periods of time. The first is for the near future with a duration of 30 years from 2021 to 2050, the second period is for the far-distant future with a span of 30 years from 2071 to 2100. In this study, parameters such as minimum, maximum, mean wind speed, interpolated at 90 m height were analyzed to create an overview of the wind quality in these areas, followed by an analysis of the power density parameters such as seasonal and monthly wind power. In the end, the annual electricity production and capacity factor were analyzed using five high-power wind turbines, ranging from 6 to 9.5 MW. For the purpose of this paper, the data on the wind speed at 10 m height in the RCP 4.5 scenario was obtained from the database provided by the Swedish Meteorology and Hydrology Institute (SMHI).

Airborne wind energy systems (AWESs) represent a novel idea that aims to gather energy from stronger winds aloft while operating at altitudes above conventional wind turbines (WTs). For this study, we examined the wind resources at a height of 100 m available for traditional wind turbines with aerial wind energy technologies, in addition to the wind potential at higher altitudes up to 500 m. The considered period was 20 years from January 2002 to December 2020, and the data were extracted from the ERA5 reanalysis database. We studied the possibility of placing 500 kW and 5 MW airborne systems in the Black Sea and the Azov Sea and compared them with a conventional turbine. As expected, the western part of the Black Sea presented the best results, both for the 500 kW airborne system with an annual energy production (AEP) of 2.39 GWh and a capacity factor of 55%, and for the 5 MW airborne system, which has an annual electricity production of 15.81 GWh and a capacity factor of 36%. Better results were recorded for the Sea of Azov for both the 500 kW and the 5 MW airborne systems, with an AEP of 2.5 and 15.81 GWh and a capacity factor of 58% and 36%, respectively.

The metal tower, or the pylon, is one of the most important elements in the construction of a wind turbine. It has the role of supporting the entire wind turbine, and it also allows access for inspection and conducting planned maintenance and repairs. Moreover, the tower ensures support for the structure and strengthens the whole assembly. It has a particularly important role, as it has to face very severe weather conditions. The present study aims to analyze the forces and moments resulting from the action of the wind on the tower of a wind turbine. Two important load cases are considered, namely, the load under operating conditions and the ultimate load under 50 year wind conditions. For this purpose, cylindrical and conical geometric shapes of the tower were chosen. These were analyzed under the action of both normal and extreme wind speeds. Then, the behavior of the two towers under the action of the wind speed for a location in the Black Sea was analyzed. Finally, in an attempt to make the structure more economical, the thickness of the shell was reduced.