Simulation-Based Shading Loss Analysis of a Shingled String for High-Density Photovoltaic Modules

Shingled photovoltaic (PV) modules with increased output have attracted growing interest compared to conventional PV modules. However, the area per unit solar cell of shingled PV modules is smaller because these modules are manufactured by dividing and bonding solar cells, which means that shingled PV modules can easily have inferior shading characteristics. Therefore, analysis of the extent to which the shadow affects the output loss is essential, and the circuit needs to be designed accordingly. In this study, the loss resulting from the shading of the shingled string used to manufacture the shingled module was analyzed using simulation. A divided cell was modeled using a double-diode model, and a shingled string was formed by connecting the cell in series. The shading pattern was simulated according to the shading ratio of the vertical and horizontal patterns, and in the case of the shingled string, greater losses occurred in the vertical direction than the horizontal direction. In addition, it was modularized and compared with a conventional PV module and a shingled PV module. The results confirmed that the shingled PV module delivered higher shading output than the conventional PV module in less shade, and the result of the shading characteristic simulation of the shingled PV module was confirmed to be accurate within an error of 1%.

COVID-19 and output in Japan

We build a tractable SIR-macro-model with time-varying parameters and use it to explore various policy questions such as when to lift the state of emergency (SOE). An earlier departure from the SOE results in smaller output loss and more deaths in the short run. However, if the SOE is lifted too early, the number of new cases will surge and another SOE may need to be issued in the future, possibly resulting in both larger output loss and more deaths. That is, the tradeoff between output and infection that exists in the short run does not necessarily exist in the long run. Our model-based analysis—updated weekly since January 2021, frequently reported by media, and presented to policymakers on many occasions—has played a unique role in the policy response to the COVID-19 crisis in Japan.

DUTIES OF PARTIES TOWARDS EFFECTIVE HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT DURING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

Building and construction industry in Nigeria has tremendously grown in the recent past owing to its contributions to national economy. Healthy and safety is an important aspect of the industry, yet, it remains unsatisfactory in terms of frequent occurrence of accidents and ill health on construction sites. Moreover, the occurrence of accidents on construction sites usually leads to site closure for investigation, loss of man/machine hours, loss of output, loss of corporate reputation, payment of burial expenses/compensation/insurance claims for the dead. These ugly incidents have necessitated the need for an effective health and safety management in the industry. This paper therefore analyzes the global situations of health and safety in the industry, examines the sources of accidents and ill health during construction and also investigates the health and safety management system and its challenges. The paper further analyzes the duties of parties involved in management of health and safety, communication of health and safety among the parties and assesses the strategies used in communication during design and construction stages.

Assessing the short-run effects of lockdown policies on economic activity, with an application to the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile

This paper develops a methodology for the assessment of the short-run effects of lockdown policies on economic activity. The methodology combines labor market data with simulation of an agent-based model. We apply our methodology to the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile. We recover the model parameters from observed data, taking into account the recurring policy adjustments that characterized the study window. The model is used to build counterfactual scenarios. We estimate an 8 percent output loss in the first 5 months of the pandemic from the policy that was put in place, achieving a 56 percent reduction in the total number of infections. During this period, with an output loss to 10.5 percent of GDP, the infection rate would have decreased 92 percent, significantly delaying the spread of COVID and spike in infections. Our methodology applied to real data provided results that could be valuable in guiding policies in other lockdown situations in times of disaster, pandemics or social upheaval.

Lift the Ban? Initial Employment Restrictions and Refugee Labour Market Outcomes

This article investigates the medium to long-term effects on refugee labour market outcomes of the temporary employment bans being imposed on asylum seekers in many countries. Using a newly collected dataset on employment restrictions together with individual data for refugees entering European countries between 1985 and 2012, our empirical strategy exploits the geographical and temporal variation in employment bans generated by their staggered introduction and removal coupled with frequent changes at the intensive margin. We find that exposure to a ban at arrival reduces refugee employment probability in post-ban years by 15%, an impact driven primarily by lower labour market participation. These effects are not mechanical, increase non-linearly in ban length and last up to 10 years post arrival. The detrimental effects of employment bans are concentrated among less educated refugees, translate into lower occupational quality, and seem not to be driven by selective migration. Our causal estimates are robust to several identification tests accounting for the potential endogeneity of employment ban policies, including placebo analysis of non-refugee migrants and an instrumental variable strategy. We estimate a EUR 37.6 billion output loss from the bans imposed on asylum seekers who arrived in Europe during the so-called 2015 refugee crisis.

An Experimental Investigation on Photovoltaic Array Power Output Affected by the Different Partial Shading Conditions

This paper presents an experimental investigation on photovoltaic array (PV array) power output affected by partial shading conditions (PSCs). An experiment setup of a PV array with a series configuration using 2 × 4 photovoltaic modules (PV modules) was built. The power output loss due to the shading effect on the first photovoltaic cells (PV cell) connected with bypass diodes of each photovoltaic module, installed in the PV array in the horizontal direction, was evaluated. Depending on the direction of the sun relative to the PV array configuration, the shading percentage was measured during the test and recorded the current and voltage of the PV array. The performance evaluation of the PV array configurations is referred to with respect to the values of maximum power voltage, the maximum power current, maximum power output, power output losses and fill factor (FF). The experimental results show that 44% shading of the first PV cells affects PV array power output loss by more than 80%.

The lockdown effect: A counterfactual for Sweden

While most countries imposed a lockdown in response to the first wave of COVID-19 infections, Sweden did not. To quantify the lockdown effect, we approximate a counterfactual lockdown scenario for Sweden through the outcome in a synthetic control unit. We find, first, that a 9-week lockdown in the first half of 2020 would have reduced infections and deaths by about 75% and 38%, respectively. Second, the lockdown effect starts to materialize with a delay of 3–4 weeks only. Third, the actual adjustment of mobility patterns in Sweden suggests there has been substantial voluntary social restraint, although the adjustment was less strong than under the lockdown scenario. Lastly, we find that a lockdown would not have caused much additional output loss.

The Updated Okun Method for Estimation of Potential Output with Broad Measures of Labor Underutilization: An Empirical Analysis

This paper extends to different indicators of labor underutilization the Updated Okun Method (UOM) for estimation of potential output proposed in Fontanari et al (2020), which, from a demand-led growth perspective, regards potential output as an empirical approximation to full-employment output, as in A.M.Okun’s (1962) original method. Based on the apparent incapability of the official rate of unemployment to fully account for labor underutilization, in this paper we offer estimates of Okun’s law both with broad unemployment indicators and with an indicator of ‘standardized hours worked’ which we propose as a novel measure of the labor input. The paper reflects on the possible different empirical measures of full employment. The various measures of potential output that we extract from our analysis show greater output gaps than those produced by standard methods, thus highlighting a systematic tendency of the latter to underestimate potential output. Output gaps that underestimate the size of the output loss or that tend to close too soon during recovery, may produce a bias towards untimely restriction.

V–, U–, L– or W–shaped economic recovery after Covid-19: Insights from an Agent Based Model

We discuss the impact of a Covid-19–like shock on a simple model economy, described by the previously developed Mark-0 Agent-Based Model. We consider a mixed supply and demand shock, and show that depending on the shock parameters (amplitude and duration), our model economy can display V-shaped, U-shaped or W-shaped recoveries, and even an L-shaped output curve with permanent output loss. This is due to the economy getting trapped in a self-sustained “bad” state. We then discuss two policies that attempt to moderate the impact of the shock: giving easy credit to firms, and the so-called helicopter money, i.e. injecting new money into the households savings. We find that both policies are effective if strong enough. We highlight the potential danger of terminating these policies too early, although inflation is substantially increased by lax access to credit. Finally, we consider the impact of a second lockdown. While we only discuss a limited number of scenarios, our model is flexible and versatile enough to accommodate a wide variety of situations, thus serving as a useful exploratory tool for a qualitative, scenario-based understanding of post-Covid recovery. The corresponding code is available on-line.