International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

Thin films deposited on glass substrates by sol-gel containing ZrO2 show photocatalytic activity, which are compared with TiO2 – which is used as a standard photocatalytic material applied in photovoltaics. By modifying ZrO2, coatings on glass surfaces were obtained, which are characterized by high properties, which are a prerequisite for use in photovoltaics. The coatings are dense and nanocrystal line according to SEM and XRD studies and optically transparent according to UV-VIS-NIR spectra

They have been conducted on ellipsometry and contact angles. The contact angles of a surface coating on glasses applied in photovoltaics were measured. This study used a DSA 100-Expert (Krüss GmbH, Germany) to measure contact angles on glass substrates. Contact angles were measured using the DSA 100-Expert tilt table accessory to identify both advancing and receding contact angles. A drop of deionized water is deposited on the glass substrate and then the table is tilted at a constant rate of 5 degrees per minute, to a tilt angle of 90 degrees.

Solar energy has a great potential in Albania. The use of hybrid photovoltaic – thermal (PV/T) systems has shown an impressive progress in recent years. PV/T system can produce electricity and thermal energy simultaneously. In this paper, a 200 W PV/T system is introduced using water as cooling fluid, in order to regulate the temperature increase of the photovoltaic panels. The heat is collected via working fluid in a water tank. This study analyses the energy generation of this experimental setup, and aims to provide some accurate information in future developments and implementation of this technology in Albania. Coupling of PV/T system with heat pumps in buildings to meet the energy requirements could be of great interest for Albania’s energy consumers