This study presents an investigation concerning the conversion of solar radiation into heat, cold, and electricity on the facades of virtual buildings located in four different cities that correspond to different climatic conditions. Two of the cities are in Eastern Europe, Romania, one city is situated in Western Europe, Spain, and one city is on the western coast of the United States. Four different solar active applications integrated in the facades were investigated: heating based on flat solar collectors, cooling based on a LiBr-${\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$ absorption cycle, photovoltaic conversion of solar radiation in electricity, and conversion of heat into electricity based on an organic Rankine cycle. The facades most suitable for investments in the solar active applications were recommended and it was found that both location and the type of application were influencing such recommendations. For both locations in Romania the facade facing west was recommended for all types of applications. For the location in Spain, for both heating and cooling, the first recommendation is the facade facing east and the second recommendation is the facade facing south. Although for electrical applications, the first recommendation is the facade facing south, and the second recommendation is the facade facing east. For the location in the United States, for heating and cooling, the first recommendation is the facade facing west, and the second recommendation is the facade facing south. Although, for electrical applications, the first recommendation is the facade facing south, and the second recommendation is the facade facing west.

The study carried out by simulation, concerns the thermal behavior of an office building’s solar fresh air cooling system, based on a LiBr-H₂O absorption chiller in different climatic conditions. The coefficient of performance (COP) and the solar fraction were considered performance parameters and were analyzed with respect to the operating limits—the risk of crystallization and maintaining at least a minimum degassing zone. A new correlation between the required solar hot temperature and the cooling water temperature was established and then embedded in another new correlation between the COP and the cooling water temperature that was used in simulations during the whole cooling season corresponding to each location. It was found that—the solar hot water should be maintained in the range of (80–100) °C depending on the cooling water temperature, the COP of the solar LiBr-H₂O absorption chiller with or without cold storage tank could reach (76.5–82.4)% depending on the location, and the solar fraction could reach (29.5–62.0)% without cold storage tank and could exceed 100% with cold storage tank, and the excess cooling power being available to cover other types of cooling loads—through the building envelope, from lighting, and from occupants, etc.

In the actual context of growing concerns over sustainability and energy efficiency, Phase Change Materials (PCMs) have gained attention as promising solutions for enhancing energy storage and release efficiency. On another hand, materials based on graphene oxide (GO) have proven antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, efficiency in microbial growth inhibition, and pollutant removal. Integrating nanoparticles into PCMs and creating Nano-Enhanced Phase Change Materials (NEPCMs) have opened new horizons for optimizing the performance of these systems and sustainable development. The key objective of this work is to gain insight into NECPMs, which are used in solar wall systems to enhance solar energy storage. Paraffin RT31 was mixed with Cu nanoparticles, graphene oxide (GO), and Cu-decorated GO (Cu@GO) at loading ratios ranging from 1% to 4% (w/w nanoparticles with respect to RT31). The compositions were characterized through Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and rheology tests. The decoration of the carbon-based nanoparticles was performed using the ultrasonication procedure, and the decoration efficiency was confirmed through X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The rheologic measurements were performed to correlate the flow behavior of the NEPCM with their composition at various temperatures. The study methodically investigated these composites’ latent heat values, phase change peak temperatures, and solidification phase change temperatures. Compared to pure paraffin, the solidification of the formulations obtained using Cu@GO exhibits the largest increase in latent heat, with a 12.07% growth at a concentration of 2%. Additionally, at a 4% concentration of NEPCM, the largest increase in thermal conductivity was attained, namely 12.5%.

The study provides a comparative analysis of the energy production of a 3 kW peak PV array connected in an islanded microgrid, in correlation with solar radiation and ambient temperature measurements. The experimental system is located in Cluj-Napoca Romania and was monitored during the year 2017, based on a graphical user interface. It was also evaluated the capability to predict the PV energy production by using the PV*SOL simulation software and an analytical model, developed at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. As input data in the analytical model was used the measured solar radiation and ambient temperature while in the simulations was used alternatively measured data and average meteorological data available in the software database. Besides energy production it was compared the solar radiation on the tilted plane of the PV panels, the PV panel's temperature and the system efficiency. For the predictions accuracy evaluation it was used the weighted mean absolute error based on total energy production, which was found to be lower than 1%, in good agreement with the values reported in literature. The outcomes of this study are valuable for expanding the PV installations in this area and for predictive energy management developments.