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This study explored the association between renewable energy uptake and digitalization in the sector by reviewing relevant literature (published 2010–2022), with the aim of identifying the existing utilization of digital technologies within the sector, challenges to adoption, and future prospects. Different search engines (SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) were used to locate relevant papers and documents. The results revealed the high significance of digital technologies in supporting the renewable energy sector, with high costs and security risks representing the key challenges. Most papers reviewed had a positive outlook, but recommended further research and development for effective energy transition and resilient infrastructure. The current drivers of the integration of digital technologies to support the diffusion of renewable energy sources appear to extend beyond energy demand and involve many aspects of sustainability and sustainable development. Compared with previous reviews, this work has unique scope and novelty since it considers the bigger picture of the coupling between digitalization and the renewable energy sector, with a greater focus on critical areas in these two interconnected bodies that need to be addressed. The relatively small sample of relevant papers (69 from 836 hits) located in the literature review confirms the need for more research covering the subject in greater depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU has set the ambitious target of raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 32% by 2030, with a target of climate neutrality by 2050. The aim of this paper is to assess the role of biomass usage in the context of these targets. The paper identifies the progress made between 2013 and 2022 by focusing on a selection of EU countries. The largest bioenergy increments of 130, 77, and 60 PJ were reported for Poland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. This study evaluates the crucial role of co-generation and heat in EU regions, with biomass usage between 55 and 80% of the combined heat and power (CHP) energy in Nordic countries. The future perspectives for bioenergy based on EU policies, biomass resources, and technical issues were addressed. The EU possesses around 9% of the global biomass supply, ensuring a certain level of biomass resource dependence. Thus, the biomass usage demand in energy production, non-energy sectors, and transport is expected to rise, leading to increments of 13–76% on biomass imports. It appears that bioenergy development is mostly limited by economic issues and uneven support for bioenergy in different EU countries as well as environmental issues. The study shows a promising and sustainable potential of bioenergy in the EU as a renewable energy source while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and the economy. By 2050, liquid biofuels are likely to be increasingly used in the transport sector. Non-energy sector usage of biomass is still in an early stage of development, except for the pulp and paper industry, and significant use of biomass in non-energy sectors seems unlikely in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low or even zero carbon dioxide emissions will be an essential requirement for energy supplies in the near future. Besides transport and electricity generation, industry is another large carbon emitter. Hydrogen produced by renewable energy provides a flexible way of utilizing that energy. Hydrogen, as an energy carrier, could be stored in a large capacity compared to electricity. In Sweden, hydrogen will be used to replace coal for steel production. This paper discusses how the need for electricity to produce hydrogen will affect the electricity supply and power flow in the Swedish power grid, and whether it will result in increased emissions in other regions. Data of the Swedish system will be used to study the feasibility of implementing the hydrogen system from the power system viewpoint, and discuss the electricity price and emission issues caused by the hydrogen production in different scenarios. This paper concludes that the Swedish power grid is feasible for accommodating the additional electricity capacity requirement of producing green hydrogen for the steel industry. The obtained results could be references for decision makers, investors, and power system operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reliable prediction of solar energy production and surplus is crucial for the stability of the electricity grid and effective energy distribution, particularly during peak consumption periods. Encouraging solar adoption by customers is also important despite fluctuations in solar energy generation. This paper addresses the need for an intelligent surplus solar energy prediction model, referred to as the Green Model, which aims to accurately predict surplus electrical energy that can be returned to the distribution grid. The Green Model utilizes a combination of a developed long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network and a novel optimization technique called deterministic selection network by gain sharing knowledge (DSN-GSK). The DSN-GSK optimizes the structure of LSTM by determining the optimal number of hidden layers, nodes in each layer, biases, weights, and activation functions based on the most important features that represent the relationship between generated solar energy and weather factors. The Green Model was evaluated and analysed, demonstrating high accuracy in the short-term prediction of surplus electrical energy with a minimal percentage of error. The model shows promising prospects for the development of returned electrical energy prediction. The main novelty of this paper lies in the development of the Green Model, which combines LSTM and DSN-GSK to enhance the accuracy of surplus solar energy prediction. The benefits of the Green Model include improved stability and efficiency of the electricity grid, effective utilization of renewable energy sources, and the reduction of negative environmental impacts. The contributions of this paper include advancing the field of intelligent energy prediction, optimizing the structure of LSTM, and providing valuable insights for the integration of renewable energy into the existing energy infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing penetration of renewable energy resources, their variable, intermittent and unpredictable characteristics bring new challenges to the power system. These challenges require micro-meteorological data and techniques to provide more support for the power systems, including planning, dispatching, operation, and so on. This paper aims to provide readers with insights into the effects of micro-meteorology on power systems, as well as the actual improvement brought by micro-meteorology in some power system scenarios. This paper provides a review including the relevant micro-meteorological techniques such as observation, assimilation and numerical techniques, as well as artificial intelligence, presenting a relatively complete overview of the most recent and relevant micro-meteorology-related literature associated with power systems. The impact of micro-meteorology on power systems is analyzed in six different forms of power generation and three typical scenarios of different stages in the power system, as well as integrated energy systems and disaster prevention and reduction. Finally, a case study in China is provided. This case takes wind power prediction as an example in a power system to compare the performance when applying micro-meteorological data or not. The experimental results demonstrated that using the micro-meteorological reanalysis dataset with high spatial--temporal resolution for wind power prediction performed better, verifying the improvement of micro-meteorology to the power system to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Static-voltage stability has become one of the most significant risks faced by large-scale renewable energy integration. However, traditional methods for static-voltage-stability analysis are often overly complex. This paper constructs an equivalent impedance model for renewable energy-integrated distribution power systems, proposing a static-voltage analysis method for renewable energy-integrated distribution power systems based on an impedance model index. This method has been verified to be applicable not only to a renewable energy single-infeed system but also to a multi-infeed system. Furthermore, an analysis is conducted on the influence of the integration capacity, location of renewable energy, and the topology of networks on the impedance model index, indicating that a higher impedance model index corresponds to greater static-voltage-stability margins in the system. Hence, during the planning of renewable energy integration, the plan with the highest impedance model index should be selected. Finally, the accuracy of the analysis method and conclusions in this paper was validated based on the IEEE 14-node system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper presents a comprehensive study on the implementation of photovoltaic (PV) energy systems at Al-Abrar Mosque in Saudi Arabia. The primary objective was to explore optimal regional solar power strategies. By synergistically integrating technical evaluations of the PV system with economic analyses, including the payback period and levelized cost of energy (LCOE), alongside an investigation of net metering and net billing scenarios, we delineated a pathway toward achieving net zero billing for the mosque's energy requirements. This study examined two scenarios: Scenario I involved net metering, while Scenario II explored net billing. Our theoretical and simulation results, derived from detailed analyses conducted using PVsyst software, unequivocally demonstrated the superiority of net metering for this specific application. With net metering, the mosque's energy needs can be efficiently met using minimal infrastructure—comprising only 34 photovoltaic modules and a single inverter. In contrast, net billing requires significantly higher resource demands, underscoring the economic and spatial advantages of net metering. Additionally, the payback period for Scenario I is 7.9 years, while for Scenario II, it extends to 87 years. Through rigorous simulations, this study reaffirmed the practicality and feasibility of the net metering approach within the context of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, our research provides actionable insights for implementing sustainable solutions at specific sites, such as the Al-Abrar Mosque, and contributes to advancing renewable energy knowledge in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a significant share of renewable power generation integrated into the power supply, it is crucial to timely adjust the regulating peak load for coal-fired power plants equipped with CO2 capture to ensure the stable operation of the multi-energy supply system. In this paper, the effects of varying boiler loads on the techno-economic performance of the retrofitted power plant were studied. Furthermore, the potential for reducing the cost of CO2 capture was investigated, and early opportunities for demonstration were discussed. Results showed that when the boiler load decreased from 100% turbine heat acceptance condition to 50% turbine heat acceptance condition, the cost of CO2 capture increased from 37.0 $/t CO2 to 57.0 $/t CO2, cost contribution of energy penalty and extra capital investment also increased from 20.6 $/t-CO2 to 25.7 $/t-CO2, and from 16.4 $/t-CO2 to 31.3 $/t-CO2, respectively. Furthermore, by improving separation efficiency from 0.15 to 0.5, a 25% to 30% reduction in CO2 capture cost can be achieved. The cost of CO2 capture could decrease by 42.2–50.5% when the cumulative capacity reaches 250 GW under the high investment learning rate scenario. According to the distribution of coal prices and renewable energy sources in China, the early demonstration projects of multi-energy supply systems should prioritize the northern region. The results of this work can provide informative references for making roadmaps and policies for CO2 emission reduction toward carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve a more ecologically friendly energy transition by the year 2050 under the European "green" accord, hydrogen has recently gained significant scientific interest due to its efficiency as an energy carrier. This paper focuses on large-scale hydrogen production systems based on marine renewable-energy-based wind turbines and tidal turbines. The paper reviews the different technologies of hydrogen production using water electrolyzers, energy storage unit base hydrogen vectors, and fuel cells (FC). The focus is on large-scale hydrogen production systems using marine renewable energies. This study compares electrolyzers, energy storage units, and FC technologies, with the main factors considered being cost, sustainability, and efficiency. Furthermore, a review of aging models of electrolyzers and FCs based on electrical circuit models is drawn from the literature and presented, including characterization methods of the model components and the parameters extraction methods, using a dynamic current profile. In addition, industrial projects for producing hydrogen from renewable energies that have already been completed or are now in progress are examined. The paper is concluded through a summary of recent hydrogen production and energy storage advances, as well as some applications. Perspectives on enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of hydrogen production systems are also proposed and discussed. This paper provides a review of behavioral aging models of electrolyzers and FCs when integrated into hydrogen production systems, as this is crucial for their successful deployment in an ever-changing energy context. We also review the EU's potential for renewable energy analysis. In summary, this study provides valuable information for research and industry stakeholders aiming to promote a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a new underwater pumped storage hydropower concept (U.PSH) that can store electric energy by using the high water pressure on the seabed or in deep lakes to accomplish the energy transition from fossil to renewable sources. Conventional PSH basically consists of two storage reservoirs (upper and lower lake) at different topographical heights. It needs special topographic conditions, which are only limitedly available in mountain regions. Furthermore, due to the lack of acceptance and the environmental impact, new conventional PSH projects are very unlikely to be built in larger numbers in Europe in the near future. The presented solution solves these issues by placing the storage system on the seabed, thus having other geographical requirements. It operates as follows: in contrast to well-known conventional PSH plants, which use two separated water reservoirs of different heights, the U.PSH concept uses the static pressure of the water column in deep waters by installing a hollow concrete sphere in deep water. Storage of electricity is achieved by using a reversible pump in the hollow sphere. Upon opening a valve, water flows into the sphere, driving a turbine/generator, thereby discharging the storage device. In order to re-charge, the water is pumped out of the sphere against the pressure of the surrounding water. The power and energy, respectively, are proportional to the surrounding water pressure at the seabed. The amount of energy stored depends on the water depth and the volume of the spheres. The spheres need a cable connection to the shore or to a close-by floating transformer station (e.g., an offshore wind plant). No other connections such as pipes are needed. The functional principle of this energy storage technology, its state of the art, its storage capacity and the shape and size of the required spheres are discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, solar thermal energy has been considered the main type of renewable energy used widely to provide heat energy and produce electrical power. Evacuated tube solar collectors (ETSCs) are used in various weather circumstances such as clear, cloudy, windy, hot, and cold weather, and their efficient system supplies latent heat storage fluid with higher temperature and lower heat energy loss compared to the flat-plate solar collectors (FPSCs). This review paper is considered an investigation on adding nanofluid particles to the evacuated tube solar collector-PCM, indicating future evacuated tube solar collector designs and predicting the suitable high- or low-temperature PCM for various types of applications. Also, three main types of ETSCs, heat pipe, Thermosyphon, and U-pipe, with their applications are reviewed, and the factors that influence the collector performance and efficiency are discussed. Moreover, the properties that affect the selection of the PCM and the usage of various types, sizes, and volumetric concentrations of nanofluid as a working fluid for each ETSC are investigated with their enhancements for each type. Lastly, this paper provides future ideas for using additive nanofluid materials as a working fluid to improve the performance and efficiency of ETSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilevel inverters (MIs) are widely used in voltage source inverter applications due to their advantages of high-quality output voltage waveform, low power loss and low voltage stress. Compared with multiple DC source MI (MDCS-MI), single DC source MI (SDCS-MI) needs one DC source. This makes SDCS-MI more simplified and avoid voltage unevenness among multiple sources, which are advantageous in renewable energy (RE) applications. In order to understand SDCS-MI, this paper classifies and compares existing SDCS-MIs according to classical topologies based on isolated and non-isolated construction, summarizes the advantages and limitations of each type of topologies, and briefly introduces various control strategies of SDCS-MI. Finally, this paper discusses the SDCS-MI in RE systems. In addition, the development trend of SDCS-MI is also analyzed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the issues of global energy crisis and climate change are becoming increasingly prominent in the world, urban microgrids have received widespread attention as an effective way to improve energy utilization efficiency and reduce environmental pollution. Among them, the cogeneration of heat and power (CHP) system is considered as one of the key technologies to improve the energy efficiency of urban microgrids because it can provide both electricity and heat. However, how to optimize the energy flow scheduling for CHP systems, especially in the context of increasing renewable energy sources, has become a hot topic of current research. Existing studies usually rely on the traditional dualtime-scale scheduling strategies, namely day-ahead scheduling and real-time scheduling, but both have obvious limitations in dealing with the uncertainty and volatility of new energy sources. To address the above problems, this paper proposes a thermodynamic analysis-based scheduling method for optimizing the energy flow in the CHP system of urban microgrids. First, this paper introduces the concepts of rolling schedule and real-time schedule to improve the traditional time-scale scheduling method, so as to enhance the system's adaptability to new energy power fluctuations. Second, for the absorption CHP system, this paper proposes a thermal cycle performance optimization strategy, which significantly improves the utilization efficiency of thermal energy through the cascaded recycling of system waste heat. Through these two innovations, this study not only realizes a more accurate and efficient energy management, but also provides a new strategy for the sustainable development of urban microgrids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a thorough review and analysis of solar photovoltaic (PV) home systems in Malaysia, offering a comprehensive exploration of their implementation, challenges, benefits, and future potential. As a nation striving to embrace sustainable and renewable energy solutions, Malaysia's adoption of solar PV systems at the residential level is of paramount importance. The study delves into the current state of solar PV deployment, government initiatives, and policy frameworks that influence adoption trends. It examines the economic, environmental, and societal advantages of solar PV home systems, outlining their contribution to reducing electricity costs, carbon emissions, and energy dependence. Addressing barriers to wider acceptance, the paper scrutinizes challenges encompassing cost, awareness, intermittency, and regulatory constraints. Furthermore, the study evaluates the socio-economic implications of solar PV home systems, including potential job creation and energy independence. Technological advancements, such as enhanced efficiency and smart grid integration, are also explored for their role in surmounting obstacles. Drawing insights from practical case studies, the paper underscores successful installations and the lessons they offer. In examining policy and regulatory frameworks, it analyzes existing incentives while suggesting improvements to accelerate adoption. Finally, the paper offers a visionary perspective on the future trajectory of solar PV home systems in Malaysia, envisioning increased affordability, advanced energy storage solutions, and seamless integration with emerging technologies. This holistic analysis contributes valuable insights to propel Malaysia's sustainable energy transition and inform strategic decision making for stakeholders across sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ageing of coal-fired power stations in South Africa has led to regular power outages. Therefore, the country will need to urgently increase its electricity capacity to meet further energy demand from growing urbanization and population growth. This challenge has increased interest in alternative energy sources, such as renewable energy (RE). South Africa is gradually implementing appropriate renewable energy practices, reducing carbon emissions, cleansing the air, and assuring a more sustainable future. This paper summarizes the availability, current state, and future potential of renewable energy choices in South Africa. This paper also evaluates specific policy measures and government actions aimed at eliminating barriers and increasing renewable energy deployment in the future. It also considers the South African network's specialized techno-economic analysis. The findings show that South Africa is still heavily reliant on coal, with 78% of the current installed capacity coming from coal power in 2022, compared to 9.3% for solar and wind energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities for green energy and environment transition in South Asia, a region that faces the dilemma of meeting its growing energy demand while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and environmental vulnerability. The region has rich renewable energy sources and potential for energy efficiency improvement, but it also relies heavily on fossil fuels and suffers from various barriers and constraints that hinder its green energy development. The region needs policies that can achieve economic growth, social welfare, and environmental sustainability coherently and effectively. Utilizing the thematic literature review approach, this paper examines the literature on four main topics: (1) the estimation of green energy resources potential and scenarios in South Asia; (2) the comparison of green energy targets and policies in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries; (3) the evaluation of green energy deployment and performance in different sectors; and (4) the identification of green energy transition challenges and opportunities in South Asia. This paper fills some research gaps in the literature by providing a comprehensive, comparative, holistic, and integrated analysis of green energy and environment policies in South Asia, using various data sources, methods, frameworks, criteria, indicators, scenarios, impacts, trade-offs, drivers, barriers, best practices, lessons learned, and policy recommendations. This paper also develops a conceptual model for the green energy transition in South Asia, which consists of five key variables: green energy potential, green energy policies, green energy deployment, green energy performance, and green energy transition. The main findings and implications of this paper are that South Asia has a huge opportunity to pursue a green energy and environment transition that can address its multiple challenges and aspirations, but this requires overcoming various obstacles and constraints that hinder its progress. This paper suggests some policy options and strategies to enhance the green energy and environment policies in South Asia, such as developing a clear and consistent policy framework, enhancing regional cooperation and collaboration, leveraging information technology and data analytics, emphasizing sustainability and resilience, and engaging with other stakeholders and partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes a cursory look at the problem of inadequate power supply in the rural healthcare centres of a developing country, specifically Nigeria, and proffers strategies to address this issue through the design of hybrid renewable energy systems combined with the existing unreliable grid in order to meet the healthcare load demand, thus ensuring higher reliability of available energy sources. The simulations, analysis and results presented in this paper are based on meteorological data and the load profiles of six selected locations in Nigeria, using which hybrid grid-connected systems integrating diesel, solar and wind energy sources are designed with configurations to give optimum output. The optimised design configurations in the considered case study, Ejioku, Okuru-Ama, Damare-Polo, Agbalaenyi, Kadassaka and Doso, produce very low energy costs of of 0.0791 $/kWh, 0.115 $/kWh, 0.0874 $/kWh, 0.0754 $/kWh, 0.0667 $/kWh and 0.0588 $/kWh, respectively, leveraging solar and wind energy sources which make higher percentage contributions at all sites. The load-following-dispatch strategy is adopted at all sites, ensuring that at every point in time, there is sufficient power to meet the needs of the healthcare centres. Further works on this topic could consider other strategies to optimise general energy usage on the demand side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the application of the method of affinely adjustable robust optimization to a planning model of an energy system under uncertain parameters is presented, and the total scheduling costs in comparison with the deterministic model are evaluated. First, the basics of optimization under uncertain data are recapped, and it is described how these methods can be used in different applications for energy systems. This is followed by the methodology of adjustable robust optimization by defining the affinely adjustable robust counterpart. Finally, a numerical case study is conducted to compare the adjustable robust method with a rolling deterministic scheduling method. Both are implemented on a model of an energy system and compared with each other by simulation using real-world data. By calculating the total operating costs for both methods, it can be concluded that the adjustable robust optimization provides a significantly more cost-effective solution to the scheduling problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing renewable energy (RE) sources can provide a realistic answer to the problem of many nations' energy needs. This paper reviews the current status of using RE to produce electricity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The primary aim of the review is to identify and analyze the solar- and wind-energy utilization, problems, and future trends in KSA while taking into account all relevant aspects, associated development hurdles, and suggested solutions. All involved parties will receive useful results and conclusions from a thorough examination and analysis of the pertinent literature that can assist them in understanding the potential of solar and wind energy, considering all the linked issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous expansion of the scale of power generated by grid-connected renewable energy, the form and operation characteristics of power grids have undergone significant changes, and the power electronic characteristics of power systems are prominent, resulting in the frequent occurrence of wide-band oscillation problems when renewable energy power generation equipment is connected to a power grid. Oscillation has the characteristics of nonlinearity and has an oscillation frequency ranging from a few hertz to several thousand hertz or more, which seriously threatens the stable operation of power grids. This paper summarizes the wide-band oscillation events that occur worldwide under the background of renewable energy access to power grids, classifies the wide-band oscillation events according to the distribution of oscillation frequency bands, and sorts out the characteristics of various oscillations. From the perspectives of the source side and network side, the existing oscillation suppression measures are classified and prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geothermal energy exploration, development, and research have been ongoing in Canada for several decades. The country's cold climate and the push to develop renewable energy sources have driven interest in geothermal energy. Despite this drive, regulatory complexities and competition with other relatively inexpensive energy sources with existing infrastructure have hindered development. As such, interest has grown and waned with changes in the energy economy over several decades, leaving many projects at a standstill. As of January 2023, there are currently no operational geothermal power projects in Canada. Many hot spring pool and spa complexes remain active, and Canada is a leading country in the installation of ground source heat pumps (GSHPs; also called geo-exchange systems). However, in the last decade, the interest in deep geothermal systems has renewed, with many new projects starting up across several provinces and territories. Moreover, projects that had shown limited progress for many years—such as Mount Meager in British Columbia—have begun to renew their development efforts. Research is also expanding within prominent research groups and universities. The areas of focus include both building upon previous studies (such as thermal gradients and the heat flow in sedimentary basins) and researching new methods and resources (such as GSHPs, closed-loop systems, integrated geothermal operations, and hybrid systems, including heat storage). The development is supported by federal, provincial, and territorial governments through grants and the development of regulatory frameworks. Although challenges still remain for Canada to develop its geothermal energy resources, several power, thermal, and co-production projects, ongoing research, funding, and regulatory acts are all moving forward to support geothermal development. This paper aims to study Canada's geothermal energy update in 2023 regarding the aspects mentioned above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous increase in global energy demand and growing environmental awareness, the utilization of renewable energy has become a worldwide consensus. In order to address the challenges posed by the intermittent and unpredictable nature of renewable energy in distributed power distribution networks, as well as to improve the economic and operational stability of distribution systems, this paper proposes the establishment of an active distribution network capable of accommodating renewable energy. The objective is to enhance the efficiency of new energy utilization. This study investigates optimal scheduling models for energy storage technologies and economic-operation dispatching techniques in distributed power distribution networks. Additionally, it develops a comprehensive demand response model, with real-time pricing and incentive policies aiming to minimize load peak–valley differentials. The control mechanism incorporates time-of-use pricing and integrates a chaos particle swarm algorithm for a holistic approach to solution finding. By coordinating and optimizing the control of distributed power sources, energy storage systems, and flexible loads, the active distribution network achieves minimal operational costs while meeting demand-side power requirements, striving to smooth out load curves as much as possible. Case studies demonstrate significant enhancements during off-peak periods, with an approximately 60% increase in the load power overall elevation of load factors during regular periods, as well as a reduction in grid loads during evening peak hours, with a maximum decrease of nearly 65 kW. This approach mitigates grid operational pressures and user expense, effectively enhancing the stability and economic efficiency in distribution network operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global energy landscape transitions towards a more sustainable future, hydrogen has emerged as a promising energy carrier due to its potential to decarbonize various sectors. However, the economic competitiveness of hydrogen production by water electrolysis strongly depends on renewable energy source (RES) availability. Thus, it is necessary to overcome the challenges related to the intermittent nature of RESs. This paper presents a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of complementing green hydrogen production with grid electricity. An evaluation model for the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) is proposed, considering both CO2 emissions and the influence of RES fluctuations on electrolyzers. A minimum load restriction is required to avoid crossover gas. Moreover, a new operation strategy is developed for hydrogen production plants to determine optimal bidding in the grid electricity market to minimize the LCOH. We evaluate the feasibility of the proposed approach with a case study based on data from the Kyushu area in Japan. The results show that the proposed method can reduce the LCOH by 11% to 33%, and increase hydrogen productivity by 86% to 140%, without significantly increasing CO2 emission levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper utilizes social network analysis to examine the structural characteristics and trade dynamics of the renewable energy (hydropower, wind energy, and solar energy) trade network within the RCEP region from 2011 to 2020. The findings reveal: (1) The renewable energy trade network within the RCEP exhibits dynamism, heterogeneity, and an uneven development. The solar energy network is the most balanced and stable, while the wind energy network lags and shows marked fluctuations, with the hydropower network falling between these two. This demonstrates the diversity of energy trade within the region. (2) China, Singapore, and Japan are identified as the key exporting and importing countries, with Vietnam showing substantial growth potential. Individual analyses shed light on the stark disparities in trade status among nations, reflecting the diverse roles and future potential of member countries. (3) The QAP regression analysis reveals a significant influence of environmental pressure, particularly carbon dioxide emissions, on the renewable energy trade network. This study contributes to promoting environmental sustainability and energy security in the RCEP region and provides empirical evidence for global renewable energy trade strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional wisdom often posits that financial innovations are the primary drivers of energy transitions, facilitating the shift from traditional fossil fuels to renewable sources. However, a nuanced examination of this relationship suggests a reciprocal dynamic where innovations in the energy sector can significantly propel financial transformations. The global pivot towards renewable energy sources necessitates substantial financial investments, thus catalyzing the emergence of novel financial instruments, green bonds, and innovative financing models dedicated to supporting the renewable energy sector. This interdependence between energy transitions and financial innovation reflects the adaptability of financial institutions to the evolving demands of sustainable energy initiatives. As societies increasingly embrace cleaner energy solutions, the financial sector responds by devising inventive strategies to underwrite these transitions. Highlighting the growing academic interest in this symbiotic relationship, the number of publications on energy transitions and financial innovations indexed in the Web of Science database has witnessed a remarkable increase from a mere 10 in 2015 to 113 in 2023, indicating a rapidly increasing field of academic research. This paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the existing research literature on the interplay between energy transition and financial innovations. Utilizing a network analysis approach and the VOSviewer software - a tool renowned for its efficacy in uncovering prevailing trends and patterns in interdisciplinary research - the study aims to map out the intellectual landscape of this domain. Our findings elucidate that energy transitions do not merely benefit from financial innovations but can also act as potent drivers of financial change, as evidenced by numerous recent and historical examples. This reciprocal influence underscores the critical role of energy sector advancements in shaping financial practices and instruments. The study's insights contribute significantly to the understanding of how energy transitions and financial innovations mutually reinforce each other, providing valuable implications for policymakers, investors, and researchers focused on fostering sustainable energy ecosystems and financial market resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing trend of energy generation and management systems towards decentralized structures such as using renewable energy resources makes it necessary to use digital and smart platforms for exchanging information and even conducting financial transactions in a decentralized manner, known as the peer‐to‐peer model. The decentralized transaction verification of cryptocurrencies makes it possible to use these encrypted currencies and decentralized blockchain networks in energy management systems and carry out financial transactions related to carbon trading. Carbon and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trading systems reduce the competitiveness of fossil fuel projects in the market and accelerate investment in low‐carbon energy sources such as wind and photovoltaic power generation units. This market mechanism allows large entities such as countries and companies that emit GHGs into the atmosphere to buy and sell these gases. This paper reviews the blockchain solutions developed for carbon markets. Studies related to the design of smart contracts in the platform of blockchain are investigated. Special cryptocurrencies that are used in the field of green energy transactions and carbon trading are introduced. In addition, the application of artificial intelligence and game theory in energy trading is stated. The study of different blockchain frameworks for carbon trading shows that the use of decentralized platforms in carbon trading can have a significant impact on the trend towards low‐carbon measures and achieving the goals of the Kyoto Treaty, increasing the value of green cryptocurrencies and the volume of transactions. These technologies offer a promising avenue for creating a more decentralized, efficient, and environmentally conscious energy ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real options analysis is an adequate tool with which to value companies and projects under investment uncertainty. Nevertheless, the estimation of the volatility to be employed in the valuation procedure is a challenging task. The volatility parameter not only affects the investment value, but is also important in strategic decision-making. The aim of this paper is to provide a suitable methodology for the estimation of volatility in real option project valuation, with a focus on renewable energy projects. Our procedure is a straightforward extension of the implied volatility methodology employed for financial options; however, our proposal considers the debt-to-equity ratio instead of the moneyness or strike price. Thus, the volatility of the project is the implied volatility obtained from the volatility surface of comparable firms for a certain valuation date and the given debt-to-equity relation of a renewable project. Furthermore, the natural spline model is utilized to calibrate the volatility surface for real option valuation purposes. The empirical results demonstrate that the implied volatility ranges from 3.37% to 113.78%, with median values between 16.42% and 47.10%, in the period from January 2014 to December 2020, for our research study. Finally, we consider that our proposal is a natural and straightforward manner in which to estimate the implied volatility for projects under investment uncertainty, since real option valuation is based on the same idea and tools used in financial option pricing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper designs a multi-variable hybrid islanding-detection method (HIDM) using signal-processing techniques. The signals of current captured on a test system where the renewable energy (RE) penetration level is between 50% and 100% are processed by the application of the Stockwell transform (ST) to compute the Stockwell islanding-detection factor (SIDF) and the co-variance islanding-detection factor (CIDF). The signals of current are processed by the application of the Hilbert transform (HT), and the Hilbert islanding-detection factor (HIDF) is computed. The signals of current are also processed by the application of the Alienation Coefficient (ALC), and the Alienation Islanding Detection Factor (AIDF) is computed. A hybrid islanding-detection indicator (HIDI) is derived by multiplying the SIDF, CIDF, AIDF, and an islanding weight factor (IWF) element by element. Two thresholds, designated as the hybrid islanding-detection indicator threshold (HIDIT) and the hybrid islanding-detection indicator fault threshold (HIDIFT), are selected to detect events of islanding and also to discriminate such events from fault events and operational events. The HIDM is effectively tested using an IEEE-13 bus power network, where solar generation plants (SGPs) and wind generation plants (WGPs) are integrated. The HIDM effectively identified and discriminated against events such as islanding, faults, and operational. The HIDM is also effective at identifying islanding events on a real-time distribution feeder. The HIDM is also effective at detecting islanding events in the scenario of a 20 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). It is established that the HIDM has a small non-detection zone (NDZ). The effectiveness of the HIDM is better relative to the islanding-detection method (IDM) supported by the discrete wavelet transform (DWT), an IDM using a hybridization of the slantlet transform, and the Ridgelet probabilistic neural network (RPNN). An IDM using wavelet transform multi-resolution (WT-MRA)-based image data and an IDM based on the use of a deep neural network (DNN) were used. The study was performed using the MATLAB software (2017a) and validated in real-time using the data collected from a practical distribution power system network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mozambique is experiencing the consequences of a severe energy crisis with economic and social impacts. Its strict dependence on hydroelectric sources is being severely tested by recent droughts that have drastically reduced water levels in dams. However, Mozambique is addressing energy poverty by exploring renewable energy sources thanks to investments in the sector by the European Union. The research concerns an energy analysis profile of the country and the penetration of renewable energy, presenting an energy upgrading scope through a semi-automatic calculation methodology in a Building Information Modeling (BIM) environment. The building under study, located in Maputo, is the Natural History Museum, which plays an important role in biodiversity conservation. Therefore, this paper proposes a BIM methodology for sizing an environmental control system tailored to serve the museum. The proposed system replaces the previous one and includes a photovoltaic system that not only meets the museum's load but also supplies electricity to the surrounding area. Energy production from renewable sources with a surplus of 30% has been achieved. The proposed digital methodology has identified a maximum gap of 1.5% between the dimensions of the BIM duct and those of a traditional plant design, meeting ASHRAE requirements for environmental control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's energy challenges are multifaceted. Over the past 30–40 years, energy issues have been discussed and published on an extensive scale. The green transition involves concrete actions related to increasing energy efficiency, replacing fossil fuels with alternative fuels, producing energy using renewable resources, creating various means of transport that use electric motors, identifying technical solutions that generate an increased energy yield in the case of buildings, and waste reduction, reuse and recycling. In order to attain a climate-neutral environment, it is mandatory to impose regulations, measures and actions to help decarbonize the energy sector. The analysis of published articles on these issues is the subject of this large and information-dense review. Concretely, the transition to climate neutrality will generate obvious advantages at an economic, social and technological level, for example, the opportunity for economic growth, new business models and new markets, and the generation of new jobs or technological development. At the same time, this paper underscores the need for a multifaceted approach, integrating technological innovation, policy intervention and global cooperation for an effective energy transformation. The review suggests future issues and research directions, focusing on viable strategies for energy transition and its socio-economic environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an event-triggered distributed secondary control, along with an energy management algorithm, was developed to ensure the voltage stability and power management of a DC microgrid containing batteries and renewable energy sources, such as PV systems and wind turbines. The energy management algorithm, employing fuzzy logic control, governs power flow based on the generation status of sources and the charging rate of the battery. Consequently, the control algorithm shields the battery from overcharging and over-discharging situations, simultaneously ensuring energy quality within the microgrid. Sampled-data-based event-triggered control is integrated into the proposed distributed secondary control to alleviate communication burdens between controllers, effectively avoiding Zeno behavior. To demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed control algorithm, several experimental studies were conducted on a real DC microgrid prototype. The results obtained confirmed the controller's effectiveness. With the proposed control algorithm, autonomous control has been developed to ensure the safe and continuous operation of loads in island-mode microgrids, incorporating PV systems, wind turbines, and batteries, while also minimizing communication overhead. This control system adeptly manages power flow, safeguards the battery against overcharging and over-discharging, and optimizes the efficiency of intermittent energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is aimed at systematically reviewing the literature on the interface of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM), Industry 4.0 and renewable energy. The aims of this review are to ascertain current state of the art in GSCM practices, to critically examine the role of industry 4.0 technologies in GSCM adoption, to examine sustainability and supply chain issues within the renewable energy sector, and to critically discuss tackling these issues using industry 4.0 driven GSCM. A total of 215 review and empirical papers from 2004 to 2023 gathered from three databases (ScienceDirect, Scopus and Web of Science) were reviewed. This research found several GSCM practices and succinctly categorized those based on their respective positions along any given value chain. The practices were categorized as related to: procurement and sourcing, product design, corporate relationship, organizational structure/strategy, logistics and transportation, waste and pollution management and manufacturing. We have found that the ten most mentioned GSCM practices are: Green purchasing, Eco-design, Cooperation with customers, Internal Environmental Management, Reverse logistics, Investment recovery, Green manufacturing, Green design, Collaboration with suppliers and Remanufacturing. Various Industry 4.0 technologies including blockchain, Internet of Things, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence were identified and their role in successful GSCM implementation is highlighted. Sustainability and supply chain related challenges within the renewable energy supply chain were found that include material sourcing and end-of-life management challenges. Finally, a perspective is given on the role of Industry 4.0 driven GSCM in tackling the renewable energy supply chain and sustainability challenges. This article concludes with a presentation of managerial implications and future research directions for managers within different sectors, especially the renewable energy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As renewable energy (RE) costs decrease, private non-subsidized revenue sources, such as power purchase agreements (PPA), will increase in off-grid areas. This paper's objective is to improve policymakers' and utilities' understanding of PPA's role in mitigating private investors' risks in off-grid areas to accelerate the energy transition. The paper built a PPA dataset for the largest off-grid area in the Philippines and developed novel and efficient techniques to evaluate the risk mitigation ability of a PPA. While oil-based technologies are expensive, they are low-capital-intensive, and the fuel, the bulk of the cost, is passed through to consumers and primarily funded by subsidies. In contrast, the most affordable energy source, RE, requires higher upfront capital investments, financed primarily with equity. Investors chose low-capital-intensive technologies (oil), rehabilitated power plants, and utilized old equipment, all investment decisions to mitigate residual PPA risks, i.e., distribution utilities' low creditworthiness and capital recovery uncertainty. Presenting the investment as a PPA residual mitigation tool is one of the paper's contributions to the literature. The distribution utility needs to reduce investors' uncertainty by covering reasonable investors' costs. Policymakers need to level the playing field between fossil fuels and RE by reducing subsidies and strengthening distribution utility creditworthiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar chimney power plants (SCPPs) are encouraging sustainable energy sources due to their low cost, abundance, low maintenance, and eco-friendliness. However, despite significant efforts to optimize SCPP design, their efficiency and power generation capabilities remain limited. Researchers have explored modifications in plant geometry and hybridization to improve efficiency. Despite extensive work in this area, commercialization of SCPPs has not yet been achieved. Most of the research is numerical and may differ from real-world practical use. The number of experimental studies is also relatively small. To facilitate commercialization, further investigation with practical and feasible dimensions is required. This comprehensive review paper aims to provide an in-depth analysis of experimental approaches and advancements in the field of SCPPs. The paper begins with an introduction, highlighting the background, significance, and objectives of the review. It provides an overview of the plants, discussing their principles and operation as innovative renewable energy systems. The historical development and evolution of solar chimneys are explored, shedding light on their progression over time. Case studies of operational hybrid SCPPs are examined to showcase real-world applications and performance. The paper also addresses environmental impacts and sustainability considerations associated with SCPPs. Furthermore, recommendations for future research and development in this field are provided to guide researchers and industry professionals. This study focuses on the possibility of commercialization of both standalone and hybrid SCPPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the development of a floating artificial sustainable energy island at a conceptual design level that would enhance the energy independence of islands focusing on a case study on the island of Crete. This paper provides a baseline assessment showing the immense potential of wind and solar energy in and around Crete integrating the third significant renewable energy source (RES) of ocean waves into the energy island. The selection of the best location for the floating offshore platforms that compose the energy island is addressed through exploiting the great potential of the above-mentioned RES, taking into consideration criteria with regard to several significant human activities. To this end, the concept of an innovative floating modular energy island (FMEI) that integrates different renewable energy resources is proposed; in addition, a case study that focuses on the energy independency of a big island illustrates the concept referring to the substitution of the local thermal power plants that are currently in operation in Crete with sustainable energy power. Although focused on the renewable energy resources around Crete, the work of this paper provides a basis for a systematic offshore renewable energy assessment as it proposes a new methodology that could be used anywhere around the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the penetration of renewable energy sources into a power system increases, the significance of precise short-term forecasts for wind power generation becomes paramount. However, the erratic and non-periodic nature of wind poses challenges in accurately predicting the output. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation into forecasting wind power generation for the following day, using three machine learning models: long short-term memory (LSTM), convolutional neural network-bidirectional LSTM (CNN-biLSTM), and light gradient boosting machine (LGBM). In addition, this paper proposes a method to improve the prediction performance of LGBM by separating data according to the distribution of features, and training and testing each separated dataset with a distinct model. This study includes a comparative analysis of the performance of the proposed models in predicting wind turbine output, offering valuable insights into their respective efficiencies. The results of this investigation were analyzed for two geographically distinct wind farms (Korea and the UK). The findings of this study are expected to facilitate the selection of efficient prediction models within the forecast accuracy auxiliary service market and assist grid operators in ensuring reliable power supply for the grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to present the need and the importance of using efficiently the energy and finding new ways to improve the transport based on renewable energy. The paper is based on a large number of official information sources which are structured and presented in the author's opinion. The main results emphasize that the Danube region is a large river basin and ecological corridor requiring a regional approach to nature conservation, spatial planning and water management. The environmental impact of transport links, tourist constructions or new energy production facilities must also be considered. Transport policy has been given a new direction: achieving a 'sustainable through flexibility' system, which means organizing transport in such a way as to optimize energy consumption. The development of the national transmission system shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of conservation and environmental protection and the rational use of energy. The protection of human life and the environment is a priority in all transport-related relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there are some issues and concerns about the World Trade Organization dispute settlement system, it remains an effective tool for countries to find reasonable solutions for their trading problems. This paper aims to identify the mechanisms of the settlement process between WTO members and to provide a relevant review of the European Union's trade disputes, in particular for energy sector cases. For this purpose, the paper implies a conceptual and descriptive framework and a qualitative approach regarding the EU's trade disputes, especially for energy sector. The results show that the EU is one of the most frequent members in trade disputes, but most of them are concluded. At the same time, most of the cases in the energy sector remain in the consultation phase, the EU being complained by Argentina, Indonesia, Russia, China and Malaysia for sectors related to biodiesel, renewable energy generation and oil palm-based biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the steady increase in the use of renewable energy sources in the energy sector, new challenges arise, especially the unpredictability of these energy sources. This uncertainty complicates the management, planning, and development of energy systems. An effective solution to these challenges is short-term forecasting of the output of photovoltaic power plants. In this paper, a novel method for short-term production prediction was explored which involves continuous photography of the sky above the photovoltaic power plant. By analyzing a series of sky images, patterns can be identified to help predict future photovoltaic power generation. A hybrid model that integrates both a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) for short-term production forecasting was developed and tested. This model effectively detects spatial and temporal patterns from images and power output data, displaying considerable prediction accuracy. In particular, a 74% correlation was found between the model's predictions and actual future production values, demonstrating the model's efficiency. The results of this paper suggest that the hybrid CNN-LSTM model offers an improvement in prediction accuracy and practicality compared to traditional forecasting methods. This paper highlights the potential of Deep Learning in improving renewable energy practices, particularly in power prediction, contributing to the overall sustainability of power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large-scale integration of renewable energy into the grid has led to a gradual diversification of power generation trading units on the power-side, with varying operational characteristics, costs, and trading needs among diverse power generation trading units. Traditional power system clearing models face challenges. Block order is a bidding type that allows for multiple volume–price combinations. At the same time, the randomness and volatility of renewable energy poses challenges to the safe and stable operation of the system. Building a power system clearing model that meets the diverse and flexible needs of the power system has become an important consideration. Therefore, this paper considers the design of three flexible energy blocks: a sustaining block, flux block, and adjustment block to meet the differential needs of diverse trading units and establishes a flexible block order clearing model. Secondly, it establishes a joint clearing model of electrical energy and frequency modulation (FM) to ensure the stable and reliable operation of the system, and solves the model based on relevant constraints to determine the winning electrical energy price and FM price. The CPLEX and Yalmip algorithms are used to solve the model. Finally, a case study was conducted based on an improved IEEE 14-bus system. The results showed that the model proposed in this paper can satisfy the differential needs of diverse trading units, effectively improve the renewable energy consumption capacity, and reduce the prices of the energy market and frequency modulation market. Also, the standard deviation of the net load of the system is relatively low, which improves the reliability of the power system's operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lingering COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine have wreaked havoc on the global oil supply chain. The current disruption of the oil supply chain and the rapidly growing energy demand created unprecedented oil shortages and raised the oil price beyond the affordable level. As worldwide oil price hikes continue, there is an urgent need for developing alternative energy sources, such as smart rural energy. Despite its enormous potential as a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuel-based energy sources, smart rural energy has never been fully utilized in society. The limited use of smart rural energy may be related to its lack of commercialization, which could have created more eco-friendly and cost-efficient alternative energy sources. This paper assesses the eco-friendliness and cost-efficiency of smart rural energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower for the first time. This paper is also one of the first studies that intends to develop viable strategic plans for commercializing smart rural energy using strategy maps, which subsequently helps increase public awareness of renewable energy by creating visual communication tools that convey the benefits of smart rural energy commercialization to multiple stakeholders, including government entities, business communities, and energy consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microemulsion fuels, also known as surfactant-free fuels, are fuels made from a combination of two immiscible liquids, hydrocarbon fuel, and water, with a trace quantity of a co-solvent. Surfactants are often used in conventional microemulsion fuels, however surfactant-free microemulsion fuels instead depend on the thermodynamic features of the combination to generate a stable emulsion. In this paper, the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model for choosing microemulsion fuel with surfactant-free. Various helpful and harmful criteria were evaluated for ten fuels at varying motor loads, according to performance and emission characteristics. This paper integrated the neutrosophic set with the TOPSIS method. The neutrosophic set is used to deal with uncertain data. The TOPSIS method is used to rank the different fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper focuses on assessing the role of state funding in supporting wind energy projects with a focus on economic efficiency and risk assessment. In particular, we analyze the new program aimed at supporting Russian renewable energy (RE) projects envisaged for the period from 2024–2035 that involves a reduction in investments in such projects and the introduction of large fines for non-compliance with regulatory requirements for localization and export. These strict rules imposed by the regulatory authorities, as well as the withdrawal by foreign manufacturers of equipment for renewable energy from the domestic energy market, put into doubt the economic feasibility of the participation of sector players in state-supported programs. Our paper assesses the economic justification for the practicality of the Russian energy market to implement renewable energy projects under the influence of negative environmental factors and the reduction of state support programs. We employ a case study of wind energy projects carried out in 2018–2020 as a part of the first sector support program. Our methodology is based on the calculations of the classical indicators of economic efficiency of projects (NPV, IRR, and DPP). Our own approach reveals that these indicators are supplemented by taking into account the cost of specific political, environmental, and economic risks of wind energy projects. Our results reveal that, at the moment, Russian wind energy projects in various scenarios retain a sufficient margin of financial strength and are able to withstand a reduction in the amount of financial support from the state. Our findings allow the formulation of some practical recommendations for reducing the share of governmental support for wind energy projects on the local energy market as a measure of cutting costs and increasing overall economic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency is, in principle, a simple idea: an output of human value, for example, vehicle-km traveled, divided by the needed input energy. Efficiency improvements are regarded as an important means of mitigating not only climate change, but also other environmental problems. Despite the vast number of articles published on energy efficiency, a few people question whether it is a useful or accurate measure in its present form; nearly all papers are either engineering studies, or address barriers to efficiency improvements. This review addresses this issue via a critical review of the literature, including not only papers on energy efficiency, but those on adjacent areas of research that can help broaden the scope, both geographically and conceptually. These shortcomings are illustrated in case studies of buildings/cities and road passenger transport. The main findings of this review are that (1) energy efficiency inevitably has an ethical dimension, as well as a technical one, in that feedbacks are more widespread than they have generally considered to be, and (2) that conventional efficiency measures omit important energy input items, particularly those concerned with the mining the materials needed for renewable energy plants. The key conclusions are that present efficiency measures are not adequate, and future research is needed to overcome these shortcomings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the idea of the operation of energy systems (power systems, heating systems) has changed significantly. This paper is an overview of locally balanced energy systems without the use of fossil fuels. The paper justifies the concept of local energy balancing in a new energy system that does not use fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and crude oil), based on European Union guidelines and formal documents as well as the literature on the subject. In this context, the issue of local energy self-sufficiency, utilizing renewable energy sources, as well as the concept of local smart grids based on innovative market mechanisms are raised. Attention is also paid to technical issues with regard to locally balanced energy systems, in particular photovoltaic sources and energy storage. Challenges related to the use of electrical protection in networks with many sources of energy are described. In such networks, the power flow is not in one direction only. Moreover, the selection of protections is problematic due to the distribution of short-circuit currents. Additionally, earth fault currents in such networks may be distorted, and this negatively affects the operation of residual current devices. The basic nomenclature describing locally balanced systems has been sorted out as well. Finally, possible future research paths in the field of creating locally balanced systems without the use of fossil fuels are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional energy resource problems made power system planners apply more renewable energy sources (RESs) in the power system. RESs have a significant impact on fulfilling the world's energy demand, protecting the environment at least in the exploration phase, and providing energy reliability as well as security for the new generation of power grids. In this regard, wind power generation is considered a promising solution. However, by increasing the share of wind power generation units in the power sector, some challenges, such as voltage problems, transient stability, increasing system losses, and line congestions can occur. Consequently, an alternative solution is required to accelerate wind power units' connections to the grid by preventing the problems caused by the penetration of wind power. In this regard, Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems (FACTS) devices can play an important role while they can improve power grid dynamic performance. This paper presents a review of the optimization techniques applied to accelerate the penetration of wind energy by exploiting FACTS devices. The topic identifies the objectives and optimization formulations, as well as schemes and models available in the published literature. This survey gives noteworthy insights to the researchers to cover available solutions in these regards. The literature in the field is summarized in different aspects, such as FACTS technology, objective functions, constraints, optimization methods, planning or operation purposes, and load flow types. At each aspect, a comparison is derived to recognize the most important issues. The result of the review is the finding of future work and contributions which can be done in the field of wind energy integration acceleration using FACTS devices and the output of the paper can be used as a guide for researchers to find a new path for research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the world's experience in developing the solar industry. It discusses the mechanisms of state support for developing renewable energy sources in the cases of five countries that are the most successful in this area—China, the United States, Japan, India, and Germany. Furthermore, it contains a brief review of state policy in producing electricity by renewable energy facilities in Kazakhstan. This paper uses statistical information from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Energy Agency (IEA), British Petroleum (BP), and the Renewable Energy Network (REN21), and peer-reviewed sources. The research methodology includes analytical research and evaluation methods to examine the current state of solar energy policy, its motivators and incentives, as well as the prospects for its development in Kazakhstan and in the world. Research shows that solar energy has a huge development potential worldwide and is sure to take its place in gross electricity production. This paper focuses on the selected economic policies of the top five countries and Kazakhstan, in what may be considered a specific research limitation. Future research suggestions for the expansion of Renewable Energy (RE) in Kazakhstan could include analysing the impact of introducing dedicated policies and incentives for solar systems and exploring the benefits and challenges of implementing large RE zones with government–business collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy has gained prominence because of the increasing global attention received by renewable energies. This shift can be attributed to advancements and innovations in solar cell technology, which include developments of various photovoltaic materials, such as thin film and tandem solar cells, in addition to silicon-based solar cells. The latter is the most widely commercialized type of solar cell because of its exceptional durability, long-term stability, and high photoconversion efficiency; consequently, the demand for Si solar cells has been consistently increasing. PV modules are designed for an operation lifespan of 25–30 years, which has led to a gradual increase in the number of end-of-life PV modules. The appropriate management of both end-of-life and prematurely failed PV modules is critical for the recovery and separation of valuable and hazardous materials. Effective methods for end-of-life PV waste management are necessary to minimize their environmental impact and facilitate transition to a more sustainable and circular economy. This paper offers a comprehensive overview of the separation processes for silicon PV modules and summarizes the attempts to design easily recyclable modules for sustainable solar module development. Based on the studies summarized in this paper, suggestions are provided for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers unique capabilities in terms of design freedom and customization, contributing to sustainable manufacturing. However, energy efficiency remains a challenge in the widespread adoption of AM processes. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of the current research on energy efficiency in AM, addressing challenges, opportunities, and future directions. Our analysis reveals a lack of standardization in the measurement and reporting of energy consumption, making it difficult to evaluate and compare the energy performance of various systems. We propose a holistic framework to address energy efficiency throughout the entire life cycle of the AM process, highlighting the importance of design optimization, material selection, advanced control systems, and energy management strategies. The paper also emphasizes the need for further research on the interactions between process parameters, along with the potential of integrating renewable energy sources into AM systems. This review offers valuable insights for both academics and industry professionals, calling for standardized methodologies and a focus on energy management to optimize energy efficiency in AM processes, ultimately enhancing competitiveness and sustainability in modern manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present energy scenario, wind energy is the fastest-growing renewable energy resource on the globe. However, wind-energy-based generation systems are also associated with increasing demands for power quality and active power control in the power network. With the advancements in power-electronics-based technology and its use in non-conventional energy conversion systems, it has witnessed tremendous growth in wind energy conversion systems (WECSs). At the same time, integrating wind farms into the grid system also results in many power quality issues in the power system that involve these renewable energy sources feeding power networks. This paper reports the effectiveness of grid-connected doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-based WECS with a battery energy storage system (BESS) under variable wind conditions. In this study, a rotor side converter (RSC) is controlled to achieve the optimal torque for a given maximal wind power. The control scheme is simulated using MATLAB for a 2 MW-rated DFIG used in a WECS. Additionally, in this paper, a new fraction order proportional integral derivative (FOPID) controller is introduced into the system's RSC, and its performance is also observed. The BESS technique is used with a DC link to improve the overall performance of the DFIG-based WECS under different wind conditions. To control the BESS, a proportional integral (PI) controller is introduced to increase the charging and discharging rates. Two models are developed in MATLAB/Simulink: one model is a basic model, and other model is equipped with a BESS and a PI controller in the BESS. The results validate the effectiveness of the proposed PI-controller-equipped BESS at improving the overall performance of the WECS system under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]