SET2024

Flow cells are those in which a flowable storage medium (hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, liquid electrolytes) allows decoupling power and energy. This talk will show that flow cells are scalable, safe, and particularly flexible in storage duration and site selections. Therefore, flow cells will become game-changing technologies to facilitate the widespread deployment of renewables. In particular, we will show that common scientific issues and practical challenges pertaining to flow cell technologies can be addressed by an interdisciplinary approach combining electrochemistry and engineering thermophysics.

Mon 12 Aug, 09:30-10:10

In response to the climate emergency, cities and towns around the world have declared approaches to support the Paris Climate Agreement. As a resident of the City of Southampton and a signatory to its Green City Charter, the University of Southampton launched its Sustainability Strategy in 2020, which outlined targets to reduce its carbon emissions and integrate sustainability into all its operations. The strategy is based on six goals: the first three deal with emissions and the other three address operational sustainability in teaching, research and investment. This keynote outlines the history, the planning and the ongoing execution of that strategy and provides initial results for its six goals.

Mon 12 Aug, 10:40-11:20 · Chair: Professor Ruzhu Wang

The world's major economies, including China, have set targets to achieve carbon neutrality by the middle of this century, and the Hong Kong SAR Government has announced that it would achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. This study focuses on how to use renewable energy and hybrid storage technologies in Hong Kong to achieve that target. A net-zero carbon energy supply and possible storage mix strategy for a typical high-density coastal city is proposed, and a transient simulation optimisation model of mixed energy fuel and storage systems is developed.

Mon 12 Aug, 11:20-12:00

Silicon is the second most abundant element in the earth's crust. It is chemically and mechanically stable and nontoxic, and it has been widely used in semiconductor and photovoltaic industries. This talk presents applications of silicon in photovoltaics, lithium based electrochemical batteries, phase change thermal energy storage, and hydrogen electrolyser and fuel cell stacks.

Tue 13 Aug, 08:40-09:20 · Chair: Professor Xudong Zhao

Heat pumps can efficiently convert electricity and low temperature heat into high temperature heat, and research has shown that comprehensive application can achieve a reduction in carbon emissions for the whole of society. Because they pump heat, they can conveniently improve the thermal energy grade, reducing the dependence on the phase change temperature of thermal storage materials and so allowing low-cost, high-safety, high-density storage configurations. China has a world leading heat pump industry, and its heat storage industry has also begun to rise.

Tue 13 Aug, 09:20-10:00

China has made it national policy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The building sector accounts for a third of society's carbon emissions, so it has an obligation to help. This talk proposes new indoor environment strategies to meet the needs of health, comfort and low carbon, reforming both the supply side and the use side of building energy: full electrification, renewable and natural energy, waste heat recovery, lower demand, and technologies that provide personalised and precise service to indoor targets.

Tue 13 Aug, 10:30-11:10 · Chair: Professor Yanping Yuan

Thermal energy storage is the temporary storage of high or low temperature energy for later use, bridging the gap between when energy is available and when it is wanted. For heating, cooling and refrigeration, water and water ice are the principal media, but phase change materials between 4C and 90C open new options for load shifting, waste energy recovery and free energy applications. The talk presents practical application examples from around the world in a form that helps engineers and consultants design low energy systems.

Tue 13 Aug, 11:10-11:40

Buildings and construction play a significant role in the fight against climate change and in achieving carbon neutrality. The existing building stock is renovated by only about one to two per cent a year, so it is where the effectiveness lies. The European Union calls for major carbon emission reductions in the building sector through deep renovation, which can cut a large share of the CO2 emissions of buildings' energy use in a cost neutral way. Integrating variable renewable energy is one of the key questions in future carbon-free energy systems.

Wed 14 Aug, 08:40-09:20 · Chair: Professor Zhongzhu Qiu

Curved shapes are common in architectural design, so how to apply building-integrated photovoltaics to a curved building is worth studying. Flexible photovoltaic cells bend to specific curved shapes and can be applied to curved installations. This talk introduces the concept, presents the achievements of flexible photovoltaic cells in China, investigates photoelectric performance under the non-uniform irradiance distribution across curved cells, and proposes curved building-integrated photovoltaic and thermal systems for roofs and facades.

Wed 14 Aug, 09:20-10:00

Wed 14 Aug, 10:30-11:10 · Chair: Professor Jie Ji

Thermal energy storage matters to the reliability of solar thermal technologies for industrial process heat. This talk covers the design and development of solar energy systems with thermal energy storage for industrial and agricultural process heat applications, including desalination for potable water and wastewater treatment, ceramic industrial process heat, and jaggery production, with thermo-economic and environmental analyses of each.

Wed 14 Aug, 11:10-11:50