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Prof. Antonio Gagliano
University of Catania - Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering

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0 photovoltaic
0 Renewable energies
0 Energy and Buildings
0 Ventilated façades
0 Building energy performance

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photovoltaic
Energy and Buildings
Ventilated façades
Building energy performance

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Journal article
Published: 04 August 2021 in Sustainability
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The development of adaptive architectural envelopes is one of the goals of researchers that aim to improve the energy performance of buildings. Traditional devices often have drawbacks linked to the complexity of the kinetic systems used, as the mechanical systems for guaranteeing proper operation are complex and expensive (e.g., hinges). Adaptive envelopes require energy for driving the mechanical components and management systems. Thus, it is useful for such adaptive elements to be self-sufficient, generating the energy necessary for their functioning. This study presents a prototype of a lightweight and stand-alone component for dynamic envelopes, characterized by a flexible composite material integrated with high-efficiency photovoltaic cells called the Solar Lightweight Intelligent Component for Envelopes (SLICE). The management and control of the SLICE is based on the Arduino platform. This paper describes the multidisciplinary design process that led to the realization of the current prototypes, the laboratory test phases, as well as the results of the preliminary experiments carried out under real environmental conditions.

ACS Style

Angelo Monteleone; Gianluca Rodonò; Antonio Gagliano; Vincenzo Sapienza. SLICE: An Innovative Photovoltaic Solution for Adaptive Envelope Prototyping and Testing in a Relevant Environment. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8701 .

AMA Style

Angelo Monteleone, Gianluca Rodonò, Antonio Gagliano, Vincenzo Sapienza. SLICE: An Innovative Photovoltaic Solution for Adaptive Envelope Prototyping and Testing in a Relevant Environment. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):8701.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Angelo Monteleone; Gianluca Rodonò; Antonio Gagliano; Vincenzo Sapienza. 2021. "SLICE: An Innovative Photovoltaic Solution for Adaptive Envelope Prototyping and Testing in a Relevant Environment." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 8701.

Journal article
Published: 30 April 2021 in International Journal of Heat and Technology
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The electrical efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) modules can be improved through the cooling of the PV. Among the passive cooling strategy, one of the most promising concerns the use of phase change materials (PCMs) to decrease the operative temperature of a PV panel. This paper investigates the performances of a conventional PV panel in which two organic PCMs are added (PV-PCM) to reduce the temperature rise of PV cells and consequently to increase the electrical performances. With this aim, unsteady numerical simulations have been carried with Ansys Fluent software using a two-dimensional simplified geometry for the PV modules with the PCM is incorporated (PV-PCM), as well as for the benchmark PV module. The numerical simulations have allowed evaluating the PV cell temperatures, the power production, as well the PCM thermal behavior. As regards this latter aspect the dynamic analysis has evidenced the need to extend the time of simulation at least for two days in such way to take into account of the degree of solidification achieved during the night by the PCM materials. PCM with low melting temperature cannot complete solidifying during the night and so the heat stored during the day will be lesser than the theoretical one. The results of this study pointed out that the PV-PCM units allow achieving higher performances in comparison with a conventional PV module, especially during the hottest months. An increase in the peak power of 10% and of 3.5% of the energy produced all year round is attained.

ACS Style

Stefano Aneli; Roberta Arena; Antonio Gagliano. Numerical Simulations of a PV Module with Phase Change Material (PV-PCM) under Variable Weather Conditions. International Journal of Heat and Technology 2021, 39, 643 -652.

AMA Style

Stefano Aneli, Roberta Arena, Antonio Gagliano. Numerical Simulations of a PV Module with Phase Change Material (PV-PCM) under Variable Weather Conditions. International Journal of Heat and Technology. 2021; 39 (2):643-652.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefano Aneli; Roberta Arena; Antonio Gagliano. 2021. "Numerical Simulations of a PV Module with Phase Change Material (PV-PCM) under Variable Weather Conditions." International Journal of Heat and Technology 39, no. 2: 643-652.

Journal article
Published: 15 March 2021 in Energies
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Photovoltaic (PV) modules suffer from a reduction of electric conversion due to the high operating temperatures of the PV cells. Hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) technology represents an effective solution for cooling the PV cells. This paper discusses a theoretical study on a novel bi-fluid PV/T collector. One dimensional steady-state numerical model is developed, and computer simulations are performed using MATLAB. This numerical model is based on a pilot PV/T plant, installed in the Campus of the University of Catania, and was experimentally validated. The design of the proposed bi-fluid PV/T is based on a commercial WISC PV/T collector, to which are added an air channel, an aluminum absorber with fins, and a layer of thermal insulation. The analysis of the thermal behavior of the proposed collector is carried out as a function of the flow rate of the two heat transfer fluids (air and water). Finally, the comparative analysis between the conventional water-based PV/T collector, namely PV/T, and the bi-fluid (water/air-based) WISC PVT, namely PV/Tb, is presented for both winter and summer days. For the investigated winter day, the numerical results show an overall improvement of the performance of the bi-fluid PV/T module, with an increase of thermal energy transferred to the liquid side of 20%, and of 15.3% for the overall energy yield in comparison to the conventional PV/T collector. Instead, a loss of 0.2% of electricity is observed. No performance improvements were observed during the summer day.

ACS Style

Oussama El Manssouri; Bekkay Hajji; Giuseppe Tina; Antonio Gagliano; Stefano Aneli. Electrical and Thermal Performances of Bi-Fluid PV/Thermal Collectors. Energies 2021, 14, 1633 .

AMA Style

Oussama El Manssouri, Bekkay Hajji, Giuseppe Tina, Antonio Gagliano, Stefano Aneli. Electrical and Thermal Performances of Bi-Fluid PV/Thermal Collectors. Energies. 2021; 14 (6):1633.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Oussama El Manssouri; Bekkay Hajji; Giuseppe Tina; Antonio Gagliano; Stefano Aneli. 2021. "Electrical and Thermal Performances of Bi-Fluid PV/Thermal Collectors." Energies 14, no. 6: 1633.

Journal article
Published: 12 March 2021 in Sustainability
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The increase of the urban warming phenomenon all over the world is gaining increasing attention from scientists as well as planners and policymakers due to its adverse effects on energy consumption, health, wellbeing, and air pollution. The protection of urban areas from the outdoor warming phenomenon is one of the challenges that policy and governments have to tackle as soon as possible and in the best possible way. Among the urban heat island mitigation techniques, cool materials and urban greening are identified as the most effective solutions in reducing the urban warming phenomenon. The effects produced by the adoption of cool materials and urban forestation on the urban microclimate were investigated through a computational fluid-dynamic (CFD) model. The CFD model was calibrated and validated thanks to experimental surveys within the Catania University campus area. The urban microclimate thermal comfort analysis and assessment were carried out with the Klima–Michel Model (KMM) and Munich Energy Balance Model for Individuals (MEMI). In particular, three scenarios were performed: cool, low, and high levels of urban greening. The cool scenario, although it produces air temperature at around 1.00 °C, determines the worst condition of outdoor thermal comfort, especially at the pedestrian level. On the contrary, a high level of urban greening, obtained by the extensive green roofs together with an urban forestation, guarantees the wellbeing of pedestrians, showing more convenient values of PMV and PET.

ACS Style

Maurizio Detommaso; Antonio Gagliano; Luigi Marletta; Francesco Nocera. Sustainable Urban Greening and Cooling Strategies for Thermal Comfort at Pedestrian Level. Sustainability 2021, 13, 3138 .

AMA Style

Maurizio Detommaso, Antonio Gagliano, Luigi Marletta, Francesco Nocera. Sustainable Urban Greening and Cooling Strategies for Thermal Comfort at Pedestrian Level. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (6):3138.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maurizio Detommaso; Antonio Gagliano; Luigi Marletta; Francesco Nocera. 2021. "Sustainable Urban Greening and Cooling Strategies for Thermal Comfort at Pedestrian Level." Sustainability 13, no. 6: 3138.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2020 in Energies
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Device engineering with proper material integration into perovskite solar cells (PSCs) would extend their durability provided a special care is spent to retain interface integrity during use. In this paper, we propose a method to preserve the perovskite (PSK) surface from solvent-mediated modification and damage that can occur during the deposition of a top contact and furtherly during operation. Our scheme used a hole transporting layer-free top-contact made of Carbon (mostly graphite) to the side of hole extraction. We demonstrated that the PSK/graphite interface benefits from applying a vacuum-curing step after contact deposition that allowed mitigating the loss in efficiency of the solar devices, as well as a full recovery of the electrical performances after device storage in dry nitrogen and dark conditions. The device durability compared to reference devices was tested over 90 days. Conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) disclosed an improved surface capability to hole exchange under the graphite contact after vacuum curing treatment.

ACS Style

Salvatore Valastro; Emanuele Smecca; Salvatore Sanzaro; Filippo Giannazzo; Ioannis Deretzis; Antonino La Magna; Youhei Numata; Ajay Kumar Jena; Tsutomu Miyasaka; Antonio Gagliano; Alessandra Alberti. Improved Electrical and Structural Stability in HTL-Free Perovskite Solar Cells by Vacuum Curing Treatment. Energies 2020, 13, 3953 .

AMA Style

Salvatore Valastro, Emanuele Smecca, Salvatore Sanzaro, Filippo Giannazzo, Ioannis Deretzis, Antonino La Magna, Youhei Numata, Ajay Kumar Jena, Tsutomu Miyasaka, Antonio Gagliano, Alessandra Alberti. Improved Electrical and Structural Stability in HTL-Free Perovskite Solar Cells by Vacuum Curing Treatment. Energies. 2020; 13 (15):3953.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Salvatore Valastro; Emanuele Smecca; Salvatore Sanzaro; Filippo Giannazzo; Ioannis Deretzis; Antonino La Magna; Youhei Numata; Ajay Kumar Jena; Tsutomu Miyasaka; Antonio Gagliano; Alessandra Alberti. 2020. "Improved Electrical and Structural Stability in HTL-Free Perovskite Solar Cells by Vacuum Curing Treatment." Energies 13, no. 15: 3953.

Journal article
Published: 30 June 2020 in TECNICA ITALIANA-Italian Journal of Engineering Science
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ACS Style

Stefano Aneli; Roberta Arena; Antonio Gagliano. Transient Analysis of Photovoltaic Module Integrated with Phase Change Material (PCM). TECNICA ITALIANA-Italian Journal of Engineering Science 2020, 64, 186 -192.

AMA Style

Stefano Aneli, Roberta Arena, Antonio Gagliano. Transient Analysis of Photovoltaic Module Integrated with Phase Change Material (PCM). TECNICA ITALIANA-Italian Journal of Engineering Science. 2020; 64 (2-4):186-192.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefano Aneli; Roberta Arena; Antonio Gagliano. 2020. "Transient Analysis of Photovoltaic Module Integrated with Phase Change Material (PCM)." TECNICA ITALIANA-Italian Journal of Engineering Science 64, no. 2-4: 186-192.

Journal article
Published: 19 June 2020 in Energy Conversion and Management
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The technology of photovoltaic-thermal solar collectors offers an attractive option for the simultaneous production of electrical and thermal energies. This technology finds interesting applications in the fields of desalination, sensitive heating/cooling and other related industrial processes. In this paper, we study the performance of a photovoltaic-thermal solar power plant operating in a Mediterranean city (Catania, Italy). A novel numerical model for a solar plant, constituted by uncovered photovoltaic-thermal solar collectors, the hydronic and electric circuits, and thermal solar tank, is presented and validated with experimental data. The developed model, based on energy balance equations for each Photovoltaic-Thermal Solar plant component, allows determining the state and dynamic behaviour of the system. The set of equations attained is resolved via the Runge-Kutta (RK4) numerical method in MATLAB software. Moreover, the built model allows considering the effects of solar radiation, outdoor temperature, wind velocity, the temperature in the thermal storage, flow rate and features of the photovoltaic-thermal solar panel, on the electrical and thermal energy production. The performances of the photovoltaic-thermal solar power plant have been evaluated and analysed. In particular, hourly temperatures achieved in the solar tank as well as the voltage in open circuit condition are calculated and compared with the observed experimental data. Furthermore, such analysis highlights a very good correlation between experimental and simulated results with a coefficient of determination higher than 0.96 and a root mean square error lower than 7%. During the period of survey, the investigated Photovoltaic-Thermal Solar plant provide an average daily energy production of 0.83 kWh/m2 of electrical energy and 0.53 kWh/m2 of thermal energy.

ACS Style

C. El Fouas; B. Hajji; A. Gagliano; G.M. Tina; S. Aneli. Numerical model and experimental validation of the electrical and thermal performances of photovoltaic/thermal plant. Energy Conversion and Management 2020, 220, 112939 .

AMA Style

C. El Fouas, B. Hajji, A. Gagliano, G.M. Tina, S. Aneli. Numerical model and experimental validation of the electrical and thermal performances of photovoltaic/thermal plant. Energy Conversion and Management. 2020; 220 ():112939.

Chicago/Turabian Style

C. El Fouas; B. Hajji; A. Gagliano; G.M. Tina; S. Aneli. 2020. "Numerical model and experimental validation of the electrical and thermal performances of photovoltaic/thermal plant." Energy Conversion and Management 220, no. : 112939.

Journal article
Published: 05 June 2020 in Solar Energy
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Nowadays, there is continuing worrying about energy efficiency and the reduction of GHG emissions in the building sector. It has been claimed that ventilated building envelopes help to reduce energy use in buildings and improve occupant comfort. This study proposes a comprehensive comparison of the thermal behaviour between an Opaque Ventilated Façade (OVF) and a conventional unventilated Façade (UF) considering two reference days for the winter and summer period. The analysis is developed investigating different façade orientations and two states of windiness, which are a state of calm wind and a state with wind velocity higher than zero (i.e. 5.0 m/s at 10 m of height) are taken into account. These analyses were developed utilizing fluid-dynamic calculation under dynamic conditions. Thus for the two façades were calculated: (I) the hourly surface temperatures of the most external, (II) the temperature profiles for all the facade’s layers; (III) the airflow profiles inside the cavity and near the façade; (IV) the hourly thermal fluxes that cross the façade. Finally, the daily energy fluxes and the energy-saving, achievable through the adoption of the OVF, is calculated for the different façade exposures and the conditions of windiness. The outcomes of this study highlight that the OVF guarantees an energy-saving ranging from 20 to 55%, with the highest rate during the summer day for the façade facing East/West.

ACS Style

A. Gagliano; S. Aneli. Analysis of the energy performance of an Opaque Ventilated Façade under winter and summer weather conditions. Solar Energy 2020, 205, 531 -544.

AMA Style

A. Gagliano, S. Aneli. Analysis of the energy performance of an Opaque Ventilated Façade under winter and summer weather conditions. Solar Energy. 2020; 205 ():531-544.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. Gagliano; S. Aneli. 2020. "Analysis of the energy performance of an Opaque Ventilated Façade under winter and summer weather conditions." Solar Energy 205, no. : 531-544.

Original research article
Published: 17 April 2020 in Frontiers in Chemistry
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Carbon-based top electrodes for hole-transporting-layer-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs) were made by hot press (HP) transfer of a free-standing carbon-aluminum foil at 100°C and at a pressure of 0.1 MPa on a methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) layer. Under these conditions, the perovskite surface was preserved from interaction with the solvent. Over a timescale of 90 days, HP-PSCs were systematically compared to reference cells with carbon-based top electrodes deposited by doctor blading (DB). We found that all the photovoltaic parameters recorded in HP-PSCs during time under ambient conditions settled on values systematically higher than those measured in the reference DB-PSCs, with efficiency stabilized at around 6% within the first few measurements. On the other hand, in DB-PSCs, a long-lasting (~14 days) degrading transient of the performances was observed, with a loss of efficiency from an initial ~8% to ~3%. Moreover, in HP-PSCs, a systematic day-by-day recovery of the efficiency after operation was observed (Δ~2%) by leaving the cell under open circuit, a nitrogen environment, and dark conditions. Noteworthily, a full recovery of all the parameters was observed at the end of the experiment, while DB-PSCs showed only a partial recovery under the same conditions. Hence, the complete release of solvent from the carbon contact, before an interface is established with the perovskite layer, offers a definite advantage through the long period of operation in preventing irreversible degradation. Our findings indeed highlight the crucial role of the interfaces and their feasible preservation under nitrogen atmosphere.

ACS Style

Salvatore Valastro; Emanuele Smecca; Salvatore Sanzaro; Ioannis Deretzis; Antonino La Magna; Youhei Numata; Ajay Jena; Tsutomu Miyasaka; Antonio Gagliano; Alessandra Alberti. Full Efficiency Recovery in Hole-Transporting Layer-Free Perovskite Solar Cells With Free-Standing Dry-Carbon Top-Contacts. Frontiers in Chemistry 2020, 8, 1 .

AMA Style

Salvatore Valastro, Emanuele Smecca, Salvatore Sanzaro, Ioannis Deretzis, Antonino La Magna, Youhei Numata, Ajay Jena, Tsutomu Miyasaka, Antonio Gagliano, Alessandra Alberti. Full Efficiency Recovery in Hole-Transporting Layer-Free Perovskite Solar Cells With Free-Standing Dry-Carbon Top-Contacts. Frontiers in Chemistry. 2020; 8 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Salvatore Valastro; Emanuele Smecca; Salvatore Sanzaro; Ioannis Deretzis; Antonino La Magna; Youhei Numata; Ajay Jena; Tsutomu Miyasaka; Antonio Gagliano; Alessandra Alberti. 2020. "Full Efficiency Recovery in Hole-Transporting Layer-Free Perovskite Solar Cells With Free-Standing Dry-Carbon Top-Contacts." Frontiers in Chemistry 8, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 13 April 2020 in IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics
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This article aims to present a novel mono-dimensional multilayer mathematical model apt to estimate the temperature of photovoltaic (PV) cells for both monofacial and bifacial PV modules. A dynamic three-layer model (3L-NM) has been developed, in which the contribution of solar radiation that hits the back of the PV module is included. The model is constituted by energy balance equations, one for each layer of the PV module. The input data of the proposed model are the environmental weather conditions as well as the withdrawal electrical power. The outputs are the average temperature of each layer, so it is possible to determine the PV cell temperatures that typically cannot be directly measured. With the purpose to investigate the reliability of the proposed model, the numerical results have been compared with experimental data. Finally, a sensitivity analysis has been performed to evaluate the impact of solar radiation in the back of the PV module considering the different wind speed, as well as the operating electrical points (open circuit and maximum power point). From the statistical analysis, correlation values of 0.993 and 0.990 were obtained, PE values equal to 0.718% and 0.161%, respectively, for the monofacial and bifacial module. The sensitivity study shows that the solar radiation on the backside of the module has a greater impact on the bifacial module, infact, when the contribution of back is included in a model, temperature differences up to 5.2 °C for bifacial and 1.0 °C for monofacial module at 1000 W/m2 were observed.

ACS Style

Giuseppe Marco Tina; Fausto Bontempo Scavo; Antonio Gagliano. Multilayer Thermal Model for Evaluating the Performances of Monofacial and Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics 2020, 10, 1035 -1043.

AMA Style

Giuseppe Marco Tina, Fausto Bontempo Scavo, Antonio Gagliano. Multilayer Thermal Model for Evaluating the Performances of Monofacial and Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics. 2020; 10 (4):1035-1043.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giuseppe Marco Tina; Fausto Bontempo Scavo; Antonio Gagliano. 2020. "Multilayer Thermal Model for Evaluating the Performances of Monofacial and Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules." IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics 10, no. 4: 1035-1043.

Journal article
Published: 11 February 2020 in Sustainability
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In rural and marginal landscapes, the architectural heritage carries an inestimable value. It distinguishes these places from the standardization of contemporary society and it makes them authentic and rooted in the territory. Investigating the real potential of building heritage and understanding what actions should be taken to raise it to the needs of contemporary society is one way to preserve this authenticity. The article presents an innovative multidisciplinary tool, based on GIS methodology, for rapid evaluation of the features of traditional rural architecture. With it, it is possible to carry out a complex analysis, by considering architectural, energy and structural items. It can also guide the design activities in order to optimize the revitalization actions, emphasizing the holistic approach. The potentiality of this procedure will be shown for a test site, namely, the Isle of Filicudi (Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy).

ACS Style

Simona Calvagna; Antonio Gagliano; Sebastiano Greco; Gianluca Rodonò; Vincenzo Sapienza. Innovative Multidisciplinary Methodology for the Analysis of Traditional Marginal Architecture. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1285 .

AMA Style

Simona Calvagna, Antonio Gagliano, Sebastiano Greco, Gianluca Rodonò, Vincenzo Sapienza. Innovative Multidisciplinary Methodology for the Analysis of Traditional Marginal Architecture. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (4):1285.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simona Calvagna; Antonio Gagliano; Sebastiano Greco; Gianluca Rodonò; Vincenzo Sapienza. 2020. "Innovative Multidisciplinary Methodology for the Analysis of Traditional Marginal Architecture." Sustainability 12, no. 4: 1285.

Special issue research article
Published: 05 February 2020 in International Journal of Energy Research
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Under the general topic of the impact of floating photovoltaics (FPVs) systems on water basins, the present study aims to model and analyze the effect of FPVs on the evaporation rate of water surfaces. The estimation of the evaporation of the water surface of a basin is usually calculated using mathematical evaporation models that require knowledge of some parameters (ie, solar radiation, humidity, air temperature, water temperature, and wind velocity). Thus, in the first section of this study, some evaporative models (EVM) for free water basin have been examined to evaluate which are the environmental variables used. On the basis of this analysis, new numerical models for the calculation of the daily evaporation rate have been developed using the design of experiments (DoE) method (three models) and the linear regression method (two models). The results of the developed models have been compared with the experimental measurements carried out by an evaporimeter; such comparison has highlighted the robustness of the proposed numerical models. Moreover, for estimating the evaporation rate in water basins partially covered by FPVs, further three numerical methods are proposed. Finally, the evaporation rates, arising by the installation of different typology of FPVs on water basins, have been evaluated as function of the energy balance on the water surface. It is possible to highlight that the amount of evaporated water depends not only on the percentage of surface covered but also on the characteristics of floating systems. Covering only 30% of the surface of a basin, it is possible to obtain up to 49% reduction in evaporation.

ACS Style

Fausto Bontempo Scavo; Giuseppe Marco Tina; Antonio Gagliano; Sandro Nižetić. An assessment study of evaporation rate models on a water basin with floating photovoltaic plants. International Journal of Energy Research 2020, 45, 167 -188.

AMA Style

Fausto Bontempo Scavo, Giuseppe Marco Tina, Antonio Gagliano, Sandro Nižetić. An assessment study of evaporation rate models on a water basin with floating photovoltaic plants. International Journal of Energy Research. 2020; 45 (1):167-188.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fausto Bontempo Scavo; Giuseppe Marco Tina; Antonio Gagliano; Sandro Nižetić. 2020. "An assessment study of evaporation rate models on a water basin with floating photovoltaic plants." International Journal of Energy Research 45, no. 1: 167-188.

Journal article
Published: 11 October 2019 in Sustainability
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This paper investigates the performance of timber-framed walls insulated with straw bales, and compares them with similar walls containing expanded polystyrene (EPS) instead of straw bales. First, thermal conductivity, initial water content, and density of the straw bales were experimentally measured in a laboratory set-up, and the dependence of the thermal conductivity of the dry material on temperature was described. Then, the two insulation solutions were compared by looking at their steady and periodic thermal transmittance, decrement factor, phase shift, internal areal heat capacity and surface mass. Finally, the acoustic performance of both wall typologies was analyzed by means of in situ measurements in two-story buildings built in Southern Italy. The weighted apparent sound reduction index for the partition wall between two houses and the weighted standardized level difference for the façades were assessed based on ISO Standard 16283. The results indicate that the dry straw bales have an average thermal conductivity of k = 0.0573 W/(m·K), and their density is around 80 kg/m3. In addition, straw bale walls have good steady thermal performance, but they still lack sufficient thermal inertia, as witnessed by the low phase shift and the high periodic thermal transmittance. Finally, according to the on-site measurements, the results underline that the acoustic performance of the straw bale walls is far better than the walls adopting traditional EPS insulation. Overall, the straw bales investigated are a promising natural and sustainable solution for thermal and sound insulation of buildings.

ACS Style

Stefano Cascone; Gianpiero Evola; Antonio Gagliano; Gaetano Sciuto; Chiara Baroetto Parisi. Laboratory and In-Situ Measurements for Thermal and Acoustic Performance of Straw Bales. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5592 .

AMA Style

Stefano Cascone, Gianpiero Evola, Antonio Gagliano, Gaetano Sciuto, Chiara Baroetto Parisi. Laboratory and In-Situ Measurements for Thermal and Acoustic Performance of Straw Bales. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (20):5592.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefano Cascone; Gianpiero Evola; Antonio Gagliano; Gaetano Sciuto; Chiara Baroetto Parisi. 2019. "Laboratory and In-Situ Measurements for Thermal and Acoustic Performance of Straw Bales." Sustainability 11, no. 20: 5592.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2019 in Renewable Energy
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The main objectives of the present paper are to describe a pilot cogenerative PV/T plant and discuss its preliminary electrical and thermal experimental data. The PV/T plant is installed in the campus of the University of Catania, (Catania, Italy) on the eastern coast of Sicily, right in the centre of the Mediterranean area. The operative conditions of the experimental PV/T plant can be modified to implement parallel and series electrical and hydronic connections to the PV/T modules. The electrical and thermal load supplied by the PV/T plant can also be managed in order to simulate different energy demand scenarios. This study reports the main thermal and electrical operating parameters of the PV/T plant on the basis of experimental measurements, with the PV/T modules connected in series. A good level of correspondence was found between the measurements and the simulations obtained from a model of the system, particularly as regards electrical features.

ACS Style

Antonio Gagliano; Giuseppe M. Tina; Francesco Nocera; Alfio Dario Grasso; Stefano Aneli. Description and performance analysis of a flexible photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar system. Renewable Energy 2019, 137, 144 -156.

AMA Style

Antonio Gagliano, Giuseppe M. Tina, Francesco Nocera, Alfio Dario Grasso, Stefano Aneli. Description and performance analysis of a flexible photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar system. Renewable Energy. 2019; 137 ():144-156.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio Gagliano; Giuseppe M. Tina; Francesco Nocera; Alfio Dario Grasso; Stefano Aneli. 2019. "Description and performance analysis of a flexible photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar system." Renewable Energy 137, no. : 144-156.

Journal article
Published: 28 June 2019 in Entropy
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The paper addresses an important long-standing question in regards to the energy efficiency renovation of existing buildings, in this case hotels, towards nearly zero-energy (nZEBs) status. The renovation of existing hotels to achieve a nearly zero-energy (nZEBs) performance is one of the forefront goals of EU’s energy policy for 2050. The achievement of nZEBs target for hotels is necessary not only to comply with changing regulations and legislations, but also to foster competitiveness to secure new funding. Indeed, the nZEB hotel status allows for the reduction of operating costs and the increase of energy security, meeting the market and guests’ expectations. Actually, there is not a set national value of nZEBs for hotels to be attained, despite the fact that hotels are among the most energy-intensive buildings. This paper presents the case study of the energy retrofit of an existing historical hotel located in southern Italy (Syracuse) in order to achieve nZEBs status. Starting from the energy audit, the paper proposes a step-by-step approach to nZEBs performance, with a perspective on the costs, in order to identify the most effective energy solutions. Such an approach allows useful insights regarding energy and economic–financial strategies for achieving nZEBs standards to highlighted. Moreover, the results of this paper provide, to stakeholders, useful information for quantifying the technical convenience and economic profitability to reach an nZEBs target in order to prevent the expenses necessary by future energy retrofit programs.

ACS Style

Francesco Nocera; Salvatore Giuffrida; Maria Rosa Trovato; Antonio Gagliano. Energy and New Economic Approach for Nearly Zero Energy Hotels. Entropy 2019, 21, 639 .

AMA Style

Francesco Nocera, Salvatore Giuffrida, Maria Rosa Trovato, Antonio Gagliano. Energy and New Economic Approach for Nearly Zero Energy Hotels. Entropy. 2019; 21 (7):639.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Nocera; Salvatore Giuffrida; Maria Rosa Trovato; Antonio Gagliano. 2019. "Energy and New Economic Approach for Nearly Zero Energy Hotels." Entropy 21, no. 7: 639.

Research article
Published: 12 December 2018 in Building Simulation
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Green roofing is a sustainable solution for building energy saving, urban heat island mitigation, rainwater management and pollutant absorption. The effectiveness and performance of green roofs depend on layer composition and properties. The uncertainties surrounding green roof performance modeling are mainly related to the vegetation and substrate layer, which are subjected to surrounding climatic conditions. Energy simulation software typically does not use validated models encompassing all possible combinations of vegetation layers and substrates. Therefore, the objective of this research is to investigate different extensive green roof solutions for assessing thermal performance and to provide information on vegetation and substrate layer design. Different simulations executed in EnergyPlus were carried out based on realistic literature data drawn from previous experimental tests conducted on plants and substrates. Several combinations (30 plant-substrate configurations, six vegetative species and five types of substrates) were defined and evaluated. Furthermore, indexes based on the surface temperatures of green roofs were used. Finally, a comprehensive ranking was created based on the scores to identify which extensive green roof combinations offered the highest performance. Greater plant heights, LAI values and leaf reflectivity values improve green roof energy performance in the summer more significantly than substrate modification. During the winter, thermal performance is more heavily dependent on the substrate if succulent vegetation is present, regardless of the substrate used. These results could provide designers with useful data at a preliminary stage for appropriate extensive green roof selection.

ACS Style

Stefano Cascone; Antonio Gagliano; Tiziana Poli; Gaetano Sciuto. Thermal performance assessment of extensive green roofs investigating realistic vegetation-substrate configurations. Building Simulation 2018, 12, 379 -393.

AMA Style

Stefano Cascone, Antonio Gagliano, Tiziana Poli, Gaetano Sciuto. Thermal performance assessment of extensive green roofs investigating realistic vegetation-substrate configurations. Building Simulation. 2018; 12 (3):379-393.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefano Cascone; Antonio Gagliano; Tiziana Poli; Gaetano Sciuto. 2018. "Thermal performance assessment of extensive green roofs investigating realistic vegetation-substrate configurations." Building Simulation 12, no. 3: 379-393.

Review
Published: 12 October 2018 in Building and Environment
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Previous research has shown that most of the green roof benefits are related to the cooling effect. In the literature available, however, it is still not clear how and how much the evapotranspiration affects the performance of a green roof. In order to fill the gap in this research topic, this study carries out a review on the cooling effect due to the evapotranspiration process of green roofs. First of all, an overview of the evapotranspiration phenomenon in green roofs, as well as the equipment and methods used for its measurement are presented. Then, the main experimental results available in literature, the physical-mathematical models and the dynamic simulation software used for the evaluation of the latent heat flux are also analysed and discussed among the available literature. Moreover, this review proposes a classification of the results carried out by previous studies as function of the main parameters affecting the evapotranspiration process (e.g. volumetric water content, stomatal resistance, Leaf Area Index, solar radiation, wind velocity, relative humidity, soil thickness, and substrate composition). Additionally, a sensitivity analysis of the results obtained from the literature allowed underlining the correlation among the main factors affecting the evapotranspiration. Finally, a vision of the world area where green roof studies were performed is provided. From the results, it is possible to emphasize that most of the studies that evaluated the evapotranspiration used high precision load cells. Furthermore, all the heat transfer models of green roofs considered in this review took into account the latent heat flux due to evaporation of water from the substrate and plants transpiration, however, only few of them were experimentally validated.

ACS Style

Stefano Cascone; Julià Coma; Antonio Gagliano; Gabriel Pérez. The evapotranspiration process in green roofs: A review. Building and Environment 2018, 147, 337 -355.

AMA Style

Stefano Cascone, Julià Coma, Antonio Gagliano, Gabriel Pérez. The evapotranspiration process in green roofs: A review. Building and Environment. 2018; 147 ():337-355.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefano Cascone; Julià Coma; Antonio Gagliano; Gabriel Pérez. 2018. "The evapotranspiration process in green roofs: A review." Building and Environment 147, no. : 337-355.

Journal article
Published: 30 September 2018 in Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems
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ACS Style

Francesco Nocera; Antonio Gagliano; Maurizio DeTommaso. Energy performance of cross-laminated timber panel (X-Lam) buildings: A case study. Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems 2018, 5, 175 -182.

AMA Style

Francesco Nocera, Antonio Gagliano, Maurizio DeTommaso. Energy performance of cross-laminated timber panel (X-Lam) buildings: A case study. Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems. 2018; 5 (3):175-182.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Nocera; Antonio Gagliano; Maurizio DeTommaso. 2018. "Energy performance of cross-laminated timber panel (X-Lam) buildings: A case study." Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems 5, no. 3: 175-182.

Journal article
Published: 30 September 2018 in Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems
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ACS Style

Dario Distefano; Antonio Gagliano; Emanuele Naboni; Vincenzo Sapienza; Nicola Timpanaro. Thermophysical characterization of a cardboard emergency kit-house. Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems 2018, 5, 168 -174.

AMA Style

Dario Distefano, Antonio Gagliano, Emanuele Naboni, Vincenzo Sapienza, Nicola Timpanaro. Thermophysical characterization of a cardboard emergency kit-house. Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems. 2018; 5 (3):168-174.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dario Distefano; Antonio Gagliano; Emanuele Naboni; Vincenzo Sapienza; Nicola Timpanaro. 2018. "Thermophysical characterization of a cardboard emergency kit-house." Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems 5, no. 3: 168-174.

Research article
Published: 23 September 2018 in Energy & Environment
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Currently, the need to address the issues arising from the uncontrolled growth of photovoltaic installations, such as intermittence and unpredictability of the generation that cause loss of balance in the grid, becomes unavoidable. Promising solutions for minimizing grid injection are the combination of photovoltaic generation with electricity energy storage and load management, the latter commonly known as Demand Side Management. These strategies together with incentives for self-consumption or energy independence from the network will allow facilitating the integration of the always-increasing generation of renewable energy. In Europe, the usage of residential energy grid-interactive energy storage systems for buffering of surplus photovoltaic generation is becoming a field of growing interest and market activity, as a consequence of the less attractive photovoltaic feed-in-tariffs in the near future and incentives to promote self-consumption. This study aims to evaluate the energy exchange with the grid and the rate of self-consumption of combined photovoltaic–electricity energy storage systems dedicated to residential and small commercial prosumers. More specifically, several combinations of sizes of photovoltaic plant, annual household consumptions and electricity energy storage capacity were evaluated. This analysis aims to identify which arrangement among photovoltaic power, electricity consumption and battery capacity allows reaching the highest ratio of self-sufficiency and consequently minimizing the energy exchanged with the grid. Moreover, the financial analysis of the photovoltaic–electricity energy storage system has been performed for verifying the economic viability of the photovoltaic–electricity energy storage systems under the Italian current market and economic circumstances.

ACS Style

Antonio Gagliano; Francesco Nocera; Giuseppe Tina. Performances and economic analysis of small photovoltaic–electricity energy storage system for residential applications. Energy & Environment 2018, 31, 155 -175.

AMA Style

Antonio Gagliano, Francesco Nocera, Giuseppe Tina. Performances and economic analysis of small photovoltaic–electricity energy storage system for residential applications. Energy & Environment. 2018; 31 (1):155-175.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio Gagliano; Francesco Nocera; Giuseppe Tina. 2018. "Performances and economic analysis of small photovoltaic–electricity energy storage system for residential applications." Energy & Environment 31, no. 1: 155-175.