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Water and energy are the key drivers of agricultural production while the world is facing severe energy and water crisis. Increasing crop production per unit area for the increasing population of the world is dire need of time. Thus, sustainable approaches are required to ensure food security and energy security. One of the sustainable development approach is solar photovoltaic water pumping system (SPVWPS). It is a promising alternative to the conventional pumping systems and a cost-effective application especially in remote off-grid areas of developing countries. In recent years, through continuous improvement, the photovoltaic pump system has been widely used in agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors. Present paper intends to review and summarize the recent research and development performed in SPVWPS. The study focuses on components of the photovoltaic pump system, factors affecting system efficiency, performance assessment, optimization of the system, and possibility of combination with other green technologies. An update on the research and current situation of SPVWPS is presented. SPVWPS is found to be feasible in comparison to the conventional pumping systems. Application of PV pumping in different regions of the world are also discussed. This paper aims to provide a broad outlook on SPVWPS for the researchers, engineers, manufacturers, and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar home systems (SHSs) are the real hope for electrification of the off-grid areas in Bangladesh by utilizing the solar energy in renewable and sustainable basis. This paper demonstrates the solar energy prospect, the present status and dissemination schemes of SHSs in off-grid and coastal areas of Bangladesh by several government and Non-government organizations (NGOs). The country has an average daily solar radiation ranges between 4–6.5 kWh/m 2 . Currently, more than 3.8 million SHSs of capacity range 10–135 Wp (watt peak) with a total capacity of 150 MW have been disseminated in rural and isolated areas in Bangladesh. In this paper, ten case studies of capacity 20 Wp, 30 Wp and 42 Wp were investigated to evaluate economic viability at two randomly selected villages in Sirajgonj district and Jessore district, Bangladesh. The analysis showed that the SHSs for small business enterprise and household with small income generation are economically viable rather than only household lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canary Islands are still largely dependent on expensive imported fossil fuels, are stressed by the increasing touristic impact and are extremely vulnerable to climate change due to water scarcity. Water desalinisation is an energy-demanding process and is essential to the sustainable development of these islands. The aim of this study is to explore the potential advantages of a hybrid installation, exploiting two different renewable energy sources, specifically waves and solar, to supply a large desalination plant in Tenerife. The paper ultimately provides a generally applicable procedure for the design of hybrid installations, including three steps: the assessment of available renewable energy sources, the optimal combination of these sources and finally the economic assessment. The wave and solar resources are assessed first, then the hybrid installation is conceptually designed, proposing a criterion for the optimal mixing of the renewable energy sources that can be applied to other resources and other sites. The basic idea is to maximise the exploitation of the renewable power, minimizing the need of the fossil-based back-up system. The costs of the hybrid installation are finally assessed considering the sensitivity to government incentives, showing that the project parity point is reached within the lifetime of typical desalination plants (i.e. 40 years) and can be significantly more attractive in case of Feed-In-Tariffs available in other European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Presenting of the solar PV potential in Turkey and its future prospects. • Performing the PESTLE analysis to study the solar energy potential in Turkey. • A comparative analysis of the solar energy potential using the PVsyst program. Renewable energy sources have a tremendous amount of potential in Turkey. In the previous year, 43.2% of the country's electricity was generated from renewable energy sources. Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy accounted for 4.7% of the electricity generation and the installed capacity was 9.425 GW with 9353 solar power plants of various types. This paper provides an overview of the current state of solar PV potential in Turkey, evaluates its capacity to meet the country's energy demand, and discusses its future prospects. The PESTLE analysis is performed based on political (P), economic (E), social (S), technological (T), legal (L), and environmental (E) factors to study the sustainable development of solar energy potential in Turkey. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the solar energy potential between the Konya and Diyarbakır regions which are recognized as promising areas for harnessing the country's abundant solar resources has been conducted using the PVsyst software. The electricity consumption in Turkey will be 380.2 TWh in 2025, 455.3 TWh in 2030, and 510.5 TWh in 2035, according to the Turkey National Energy Plan. Hence, it is essential to maximize the use of solar energy capacity in the production of electricity to meet the increased energy demand. The main objective of this study is to help strategic and systematic evaluation of the solar energy resource potential affecting large and small-scale solar power projects in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Australia is behind in the race of solar power generation. • The usual energy payback period of a solar panel is about 10–15 years. • Large portions of energy are wasted because of the low quality invertor. • A selection procedure should be followed to choose BIPV systems. • Reducing initial capital costs and raising public awareness are necessary. Buildings consume a large quantity of energy. In May 2010, the European Union (EU) reported that around 40% of their energy consumption was related to building sectors, which is similar to the proportion of 39% in the United States. In Australia, buildings count 20% of its total energy consumption. Experts across the globe have been working in the development of new technologies, which not only reduce the building energy consumption but also harness energy from renewable sources. Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system is one of the most popular techniques towards constructing a net-zero energy building through the utilisation of solar energy. In this review, we focus on the BIPV applications in Australia, where BIPV has not been prevailed as widely as might be expected despite the high solar irradiation in the country. This paper discusses recent advancements in BIPV systems and challenges that Australia is facing in order to adopt this technology. In addition, the current carbon emission issues in Australia are presented to build awareness among people, which will contribute towards adopting this technology. A range of experimental and numerical studies have been reviewed to identify the effectiveness of BIPV on building performances. This study also reports on the sustainability and economic feasibility of BIPV systems in terms of energy payback time and economical payback time, respectively. Based on this review, it is argued that BIPV is technically and economically feasible for Australia and its implementation might be started with solar roof tiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Energy is indispensible in modern society and is one of the most important components of socio-economic development. Nepal is one of the least developed countries with more than 80% of its population residing in rural communities. Per capita energy usage – often viewed as a key index of the development – in the country is far less than the global average per capita energy usage. The energy sector is dominated by the traditional energy sources such as fuel woods, crop residues and animal dung mainly for domestic usage contributing to about 86% of the national energy consumption. Currently 40% of the population has access to electricity, and the rural electrification accounts for only 29%. The majority of rural populations are meeting their energy needs by burning biomass in traditional stoves which has several environmental and public health issues. Nearly all fossil-derived fuels consumed in the country are imported in a refined form, and the perpetual increase in petroleum imports has adversely impacted the existing fragile economy of the country. Despite a huge potential in harnessing various renewable energy resources such as hydropower, solar power, wind energy and biofuels/bioenergy, these resources have not been sustainably captured due to geographical, technical, political and economical reasons. This paper presents a brief account of Nepal''s renewable energy resources and the current status of various renewable energy technologies (RETs) such as micro-hydro, solar power, wind energy, biofuel/bioenergy, improved cook stoves, and improved water mill. It also highlights the opportunities and barriers for the development of RETs. Finally this paper presents some recommendations for the promotion, development and implementation of RETs in the country. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy is directly related to the most critical social issues which affect sustainable development. Today there is a great incentive for countries to exploit renewable energies in order to slow down the changes in environment and to guard against future trends. This paper presents a review of the assessed potential of renewable resources and practical limitations to their considerable use in the perspective of present scenarios and future projections of the national energy for Oman. Solar and wind are likely to play an important role in the future energy in Oman provided that clear policies are established by the higher authority for using renewable energy resources. Comparison of different solar energy technologies revealed that Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) technology may constitute a more appropriate choice for large solar power plants implementation in Oman. Moreover, Oman will not be alone in the region in this regard as similar moves are carried out in other Middle Eastern countries. The status of energy conservation and demand-side management are also discussed in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Diversification of fuel sources is imperative to address the energy security, climate change, and sustainable development issues; therefore, it is essential to address the energy crisis through the extensive utilization of abundant renewable energy resources, such as biomass energy, solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy. Improving energy services for poor households in developing countries remains one of the most pressing challenges facing the development community. Earlier studies suggest in South Asia the households are likely to follow the energy ladder comprising fuels like dung, crop residue, firewood, kerosene, gobar gas, LPG, and electricity for cooking purposes. Evidence suggests that while it is possible to observe such transition in urban and semi-urban areas, the change is very slow in rural areas. In rural Pakistan, the access to commercial energy resources is limited, the majority of the households still heavily rely on traditional methods of using wood, animal waste and crop waste for domestic fuel needs. Efficiencies of use are very low and most of the potential is wasted because of non-scientific conventional technologies. Consequently there is an obligatory need to develop modern bio-energy technologies since renewable resources may serve to supplement the long-term energy needs of Pakistan to a significant level. Though the bio-resource base of Pakistan is substantial, its contribution to useful energy is low. In this paper we called attention to issues and challenges in biomass utilization for energy in Pakistan in context of sustainable development. This paper has identified areas in Pakistan where there is considerable scope to modernize biomass energy production delivery systems to provide varied energy carriers such as electricity, industrial and domestic fuel and gases. Barriers are examined over the whole biomass energy spectrum and policy issue and institutional roles and responsibilities are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: On the remote and geographically fragmented atolls of Kiribati (Republic of), imported petroleum products are the main sources of energy. The other sources of energy utilised include biomass, solar energy and wind power. Of these three renewable energy sources, biomass is the most, and wind power is the least, exploited in terms of the contribution it makes to the total primary energy supply. Solar energy makes a very insignificant contribution to the total primary energy supply in Kiribati. Petroleum products, biomass and solar energy contribute approximately 75%, 25% and less than 1%, respectively to the total primary energy supply annually. Solar energy has been exploited mostly in the form of photovoltaic (PV) technologies for the provision of lighting. The geographical, social, economic and political situation in Kiribati is considered in this paper to give an overview of the country. The current energy situation in Kiribati is presented with emphasis on the application of PV technologies. Some recommendations that will promote sustainable development of the rural and remote communities on the outer atolls of Kiribati, through the use of PV technologies, are also presented in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Sun is the primary energy source for all life on Earth. Solar energy is clean and is available all over the world. The total energy produced, in 2016, was 7236 MWh, while the total consumed was 6660 MWh. The average photovoltaic energy generated was 255 MWh, which accounts for 3.5% of the total production and 8.2% of the RES (3096 MWh). Investments in renewable energy in Romania began in late 2008, when Green Certificates were granted by Law no. 220. In this paper, we review the photovoltaic system development in Romania, from 2011, when the market began to develop, to the present day. The climate change and air pollution have to be slowed down and reduced by implementing renewable and sustainable solutions in order to generate electricity. The photovoltaic industry has an important role in Romania's development, both economically and environmentally and by having the “unlimited resource” advantage, it is a good alternative to fossil fuels. Now, the largest solar park in Romania, with 332,000 operational PV units, located in Ucea de Sus, Brasov County and commissioned in 2013, has an installed capacity of 82 MW, and covers a land surface of 200 ha. 178 years ago, French physicist Edmond Becquerel discovered the photoelectric effect, in 1839. At the moment, the typical power of solar PV modules is less than 500 W, depending on efficiency and temperature sensitivity. Currently, long-term research on photovoltaic cells focus on increasing the power output, increasing the efficiency and reducing the temperature sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade the demand of power in India has increased manifold, therefore Government has announced the National Solar Mission of generating 100 GW of solar power up to 2022. Around 60% of the total National Solar Mission target is allotted to the national/international large-scale solar power developers/investors. Hence, it becomes important to know the ground reality of large-scale solar PV developers/investors. This paper deeply analyzes the key barriers and bottlenecks faced by solar power developers in achieving the target and their growth. This article also suggests some motivational factors of solar energy which play an important role in attracting large solar players around the world to invest in Indian subcontinent. It concludes by highlighting some key policies of the Government that can help in addressing some identified barriers in order to ensure a secured sustainable energy future of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deployments of renewable energy technologies in the current century represent a critical approach to sustainable development. Renewable energy can be generated from sources with the backdrop to restock themselves based on timescale. The most important sources of renewable energy include solar photovoltaic conversion technologies, biomass and biofuel energy systems, wind energy turbines, geothermal energy technologies and hydroelectric power systems. Considerable investment in renewable energy in a country can lower the nation's dependency on imported fuels and purchase of energy from foreign market. It also drives technological innovation and generate employment scheme while enhancing clean development mechanism. Consequently, this paper presents the existing renewable energy technologies in the Nigeria and as well makes some critical recommendations to further induce development of renewable and sustainable energy systems based on autonomous energy systems and microgrid (µgrid) technologies. The recommendations are made based on varieties of energy technologies for solar power generation, biomass and bioenergy, wind energy, hydropower generation and the combined generation systems using hybrid energy mechanism. The structure of the study is concluded based on suggestions on how to pursue some impending socio-political, technological, investment policy and legislative issues for effective renewable energy development in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitigation of global energy demands and climate change are the most important factors in the modern days. Development and application of solar energy have been regarded by the government of India and common people, and they thought that solar photo voltaic energy can provide more energy in future compare to other renewable energies. In the last decade, solar photovoltaic energy research and development has supported by the central government and state governments. This paper discusses the progress of current solar photovoltaic energy in India. It highlights the renewable energy trend in India with major achievements, state wise analysis of solar parks and industrial applications. Finally, it discusses the Indian government policies and initiatives to promote solar energy in India. This review on solar photovoltaic energy will help decision makers and various stakeholders to understand the current status, barriers and challenges for better planning and management in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the resource, status and prospect of solar energy in Iran briefly. Among renewable energy sources, Iran has a high solar energy potential. The widespread deployment of solar energy is promising due to recent advancements in solar energy technologies. Therefore, many investors inside and outside the country are interested to invest in solar energy development. Iran’s total area is around 1600,000 km 2 or 1.6×10 12 m 2 with about 300 clear sunny days in a year and an average 2200 kW-h solar radiation per square meter. Considering only 1% of the total area with 10% system efficiency for solar energy harness, about 9 million MW h of energy can be obtained in a day. The government’s goal on 2012 was to install 53,000 MW capacity plants for electricity generation. To reach this goal, it was assumed that the new gas-fired plants along with the hydroelectric and nuclear power generating plants could be financed by independent power producers including those of foreign investment. Based on the fifth 5 year Socio-economic and Cultural Development Plan, the private sector was expected to have a share of at least 270 MW in renewable energy development. The existing small capacity solar energy plants are in Shiraz, Semnan, Taleghan, Yazd, Tehran and Khorasan. Based on the specified available solar trough technology, solar area, average solar hours and average solar direct irradiation, the technical potential of solar electricity was estimated to be 14.7 TWe. Under the current energy policies, the combined solar, wind and geothermal power plants are economically viable. These huge RES’s potential can be realized assuming the availability of technology, investment capital, human expertise and the other resources along with a long-term driven renewable energy policy. Due to high growth rate of electricity demand in Iran, the nominal installed capacity has increased by 8.9% per annum during 2001–2007. In the reference scenario, the share of RES in total installed electricity capacity is expected to be about 2% in 2030. It is expected that the cumulative RES installed capacity will reach 2.8 GW in 2030. This requires more than 2800 million US dollar investment during 2010–2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decentralized power generation can play a significant role in contributing to renewable energy (RE) supply. Accordingly, regions can be important players in the transformation of the energy system. However, only scarce spatial capacities are available for a sustainable RE generation. Knowledge gaps exist concerning data and methods for integrating RE assessment and environmental planning methods. This paper presents a methodology for the integrated assessment of different RE potentials and their land requirements. The potential is contrasted with the actual availability of land for RE-generation considering environmental restrictions. An application in the Hanover region demonstrates that using energy capacity maps supports using the most efficient mixture in RE generation. Generally, a combination of wind and solar energies produces the highest energy yield per ha. Furthermore, relying primarily on generalized environmental restrictions for defining exclusion areas can be only a first step: On the one hand the assessment is probably underrating the potential for environmentally sound RE generation due to the undifferentiated exclusion of large areas of a certain protective status. On the other hand, some energy sources, in particular energy crops for bioenergy generation, are malpositioned due to missing spatially explicit information about ecosystem sensitivities and a lack of regulative possibilities. Further research is needed to explore synergistic combinations of energy potentials and their environmentally sound spatial allocation in more detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A developing country such as Bangladesh, where economic development without compromising the eco-friendly environment is a burning issue, needs huge supply of power. Having very limited fossil fuels, sources of renewable energy such as solar, wind, biomass and limited hydro power are the probable alternatives to offset energy crisis in Bangladesh and similar other countries. Over three-quarters (76 percent) of Bangladeshi people are out of on-grid connected electrical power supply. Undeniably, it has limited natural gas being used for a large variety of purposes. Energy demand is estimated to increase exponentially, implying alarming supply and demand gap. Despite prospects of huge renewable energy sources, presently, this country has only 0.3 percent of renewable energy share to the total energy supply. This paper reviews the renewable energy status and its prospective use in Bangladesh as well as renewable energy technologies obtainable in Bangladesh. It also attempts to provide future research directions and show ways to harness renewable energies to meet the future demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Revisiting and uplifting Solar Energy sector is one of the major steps taken by India in its pursuit for sustainable development in the recent past. The present paper, though appreciates this move, makes a case for less focused tail-end solar applications: Solar Off-grid Lighting Systems (SOLS), Solar Lanterns and Solar Home Lighting Systems. Following a critical review of the policies, we present an overview of SOLS-diffusion trend in the past one and a half decades; the pattern of diffusion across states and financial assistance allotted for development and promotion of SOLS. We examine the adoption pattern at household level and factors that determine the same employing a multinomial logit model. Installation of SOLS witnessed a declining trend over the years. States exhibited considerable variation in the installation of the two SOLS and the funds allocated by the central government are not comparable to their respective energy poverty intensity. It is encouraging to note that more than half of the SOLS adopters find it an adequate source of energy. Improvement in the status and increase in the cost of alternative sources of energy adversely influence the household's choice of using SOLS as a complementary source of energy; improvement in the status of SOLS and increase in the financial strength of the household encourages them to adopt one. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Environmental and socioeconomic challenges facing many hydrocarbon-rich nations could help them evolve from hydrocarbon-based (black) into renewables-based (green) economies. In this paper, we present a case study for application of this Black Into Green (BIG) method for Iran. We show that with international cooperation Iran could indefinitely meet its energy and freshwater needs by leveraging large-scale renewable energy harvesting systems integrated with seawater pumped storage hydropower, reverse osmosis desalination, and enhanced distribution systems. This BIG transition could be facilitated by allocating a significant portion of Iran's potential hydrocarbon-based income to acquire, develop, and deploy renewable energy technology that utilizes Iran's immense solar and wind energy potential. Our analysis shows that developing just 1% of identified sites would provide over 30 TWh of annual renewable electricity generation and storage, and 221 million m 3 /day of renewably-powered desalination capacity to meet the freshwater needs of over 85% of its population. In addition to providing renewable energy design and manufacturing technology, the international community could also work with Iran to help evolve its nuclear power program toward small modular reactors for baseload power generation. Such an arrangement would contribute to regional and global security, and greatly reduce the Middle East's carbon emissions of which Iran is the largest emitter. Results from this holistic approach could then serve as a model for the world economy to work with other resource-rich nations to reduce their environmental impact while modernizing their economies and helping them achieve the socioeconomic goals outlined in the UN's Brundtland report. • Presents strategy for a sustainable economy to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. • Case study for Iran with oil (black) exchanged for renewables (green). • Wind and solar energy with coastal pumped storage hydro and reverse osmosis. • 1% of viable sites could supply Iran with 10% of power and 45% of freshwater needs. • Distributed economic and environmental benefits meet UN sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The rise of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology as a driver of rural electrification in the developing world and a contributor to climate change mitigation suggests that innovations enhancing PV efficiency and scalability could make considerable strides in reducing both poverty and greenhouse gas emissions. The nearly global access to the solar resource coupled to innovation-driven decreases in the costs of PV provides a path for a renewable energy source to accelerate sustainable development. Open-source software development has proven to produce reliable and innovative computer code at lower costs than proprietary software through sharing development responsibility with a large community of invested individuals. Concepts of open-source design have been applied to other fields in an attempt to reap the same benefits realized within software development; however, applying open-source strategies to solar PV research is uncommon. This paper reviews and examines how open-source design can be utilized to catalyze rapid innovation in the PV industry. The results show how successful open design and development methods can be created and utilized by identifying business models that provide PV researchers, turnkey suppliers and solar PV module manufacturers with the opportunity to utilize open-source design principles to accelerate innovation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In Pakistan less or almost no work has been reported, which investigated the response of local people in a physical community regarding the diffusion and acceptance of renewable energy technologies (RETs). In order to identify the ground realities, this research has undertaken this task by conducting a pilot field study, which not only provides the response of physical community for RET but also identified the main hurdles in RET diffusion in Pakistan. This paper is an extension of our earlier research work in which the root causes responsible for dilemmas in Pakistan''s policies were identified for the cause of sustainable development through renewable energy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Some emerging technologies are expected to be pivotal for solving many of the environmental challenges faced today, especially those related to energy. However, many of these technologies may incur significant environmental impacts over their life cycle, while having environmental benefits during their use. This paper presents results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a proposed type of nanophotovoltaic, quantum dot photovoltaic (QDPV) module. The LCA is confined to the stages of raw materials acquisition, manufacturing, and use. The impacts of QDPV are compared with other types of PV modules and energy sources – both renewable and nonrenewable. To provide a comprehensive comparative assessment, QDPV modules were compared with mature as well as emerging PV types for which data are available. Comparative assessment with other types of energy sources includes coal, oil, lignite, natural gas, diesel, nuclear, wind, and hydropower. QDPV modules may have the potential to overcome two current barriers of solar technology: low efficiencies and high manufacturing costs. If higher efficiencies are realized, QDPV modules could pave the way to large scale implementation of solar energy, helping nations move toward greater energy independence. On the other hand, candidate materials as quantum dots for solar cell applications are mostly compound semiconductors such as cadmium selenide, cadmium telluride, and lead sulfide which may be toxic and for which renewable options are limited. Toxic effects of these materials may be exacerbated by their nanoscale features. The LCA was carried out using the software SimaPro, and the Ecoinvent Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) database supplemented with available literature and patent information. Our results indicate that while QDPV modules have shorter Energy PayBack Time (EPBT), lower Global Warming Potential (GWP), SO x and NO x emissions than other types of PV modules, they have higher heavy metal emissions, underscoring the need for investigation of emerging technologies, especially nano-based ones, from a life cycle perspective. QDPV modules are better in all impact categories assessed than carbon-based energy sources but they have longer EPBT than wind and hydropower and higher GWP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The most important renewable sources are hydropower, biomass, geothermal, solar and wind. Turkey''s geographical location has several advantages for extensive use of most of these renewable energy sources. In recently, electricity has demand increased significantly; it is the fastest growing end-use of energy. Therefore, technical, economic and environmental benefits of hydroelectric power make it an important contributor to the future world energy mix. In the world, particularly in the developing countries renewable energy resources appear to be one of the most efficient and effective solutions for sustainable energy development in Turkey. Turkey''s geographical location has several advantages for extensive use of most of the renewable energy sources. This paper deals with policies to meet increasing energy and electricity demand for sustainable energy development in Turkey. Turkey has a total gross hydropower potential of 433GWh/year, but only 125GWh/year of the total hydroelectric potential of Turkey can be economically used. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Offshore aquaculture industry is considered among the fastest growing industries worldwide. However, further expansion of this industry requires larger breeding installations positioned even further from shore. These installations inevitably would require substantial automation powered by appropriate energy sources. Thus, this paper investigates appropriate sustainable renewable energy generation solutions to meet anticipated needs. Firstly, an account of energy requirements of a typical offshore aquaculture installation is presented to realise the scale of energy required. Subsequently, current status of solar, wind, wave and current renewable energy technologies is given and their applicability for Eastern Mediterranean offshore aquaculture is investigated. Finally, further challenges and research milestones to overcome are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, an ammonia–water based Rankine cycle is thermodynamically analyzed for renewable-based power production, e.g. solar, geothermal, biomass, oceanic-thermal, and nuclear as well as industrial waste heat. Due to the nature of the ammonia–water mixture, changes in its concentration allow thermodynamic cycles to adapt to fluctuations in renewable energy sources, which is an important advantage with respect to other working fluids. The non-linearity of the working fluid’s behaviour imposes that each cycle must be optimized based upon several parameters. A model has been developed to optimize the thermodynamic cycle for maximum power output and carry out a parametric study. The lowest temperature state of the system is fixed, and three other parameters are variables of study, namely, maximum system temperature, ammonia concentration and energy ratio, which is a newly introduced parameter. Energy ratio indicates the relative position of the expansion state and is defined in terms of enthalpies. The study is conducted over a concentration range of 0–0.5, the maximum temperature studied varies between 75°C and 350°C for extreme cases, and the energy ratio from saturated liquid to superheated vapour. As a result, the optimal expansion energy ratio is predicted. The cycle efficiencies are drastically affected by the concentrations and temperatures. Depending on the source temperature, the cycle energy efficiency varies between 5% and 35% representing up to 65% of the Carnot limit. The optimal energy ratio has been determined for several concentrations and reported graphically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Because of the needs of sustainable development of the mankind society and natural environment building a renewable energy system is one of the most critical issues that today''s society must address. In the new energy system there is a requirement for a renewable fuel to replace current energy carrier. Hydrogen is an ideal secondary energy. Using solar energy to produce hydrogen in large scale can solve the problems of sustainability, environmental emissions, and energy security and become the focus of the international society in the area of energy science and technology. It has also been set as an important research direction by many international hydrogen programs. The Ministry of Science and Technology of China supported and launched a project of National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) – the Basic Research of Mass Hydrogen Production using Solar Energy in 2003 for R&D in the areas of solar hydrogen production. The current status of solar hydrogen production research is reviewed and some significant results achieved in the project are reported in this paper. The trends of development and the future research directions in the field of solar hydrogen production in China are also briefly discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Turkey''s demand for energy and electricity is increasing rapidly. Turkey is heavily dependent on expensive imported energy resources that place a big burden on the economy and air pollution is becoming a great environmental concern in the country. Turkey''s energy production meets nearly 28% of its total primary energy consumption. As would be expected, the rapid expansion of energy production and consumption has brought with it a wide range of environmental issues at the local, regional and global levels. With respect to global environmental issues, Turkey''s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have grown along with its energy consumption. States have played a leading role in protecting the environment by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). In this regard, renewable energy resources appear to be the one of the most efficient and effective solutions for clean and sustainable energy development in Turkey. Turkey presently has considerable renewable energy sources. The most important renewable sources are hydropower, biomass, geothermal, solar and wind. Turkey''s geographical location has several advantages for extensive use of most of these renewable energy sources. Turkey has a great and ever-intensifying need for power and water supplies and they also have the greatest remaining hydro potential. Hydropower and especially small hydropower are emphasized as Turkey''s renewable energy sources. Turkey''s hydro electric potential can meet 33–46% of its electric energy demand in 2020 and this potential may easily and economically be developed. This paper presents a review of the potential and utilization of the renewable energy sources in Turkey. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Technologies that are used mainly in the seawater desalination industry are reviewed and evaluated in this paper. The utilization principles, applications and problems of solar and nuclear energy in desalination are respectively summarized and discussed with emphasis. Other alternative energies such as wind, hydro-energy and ocean energy are also presented. Applying alternative energy integration technologies in seawater desalination as a key proponent to meet the future challenges of sustainable development and/or energy issue was also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Because of the needs of sustainable development of the mankind society and natural environment building a renewable energy system is one of the most critical issues that today''s society must address. In the new energy system there is a requirement for a renewable fuel to replace current energy carrier. Hydrogen is an ideal secondary energy. Using solar energy to produce hydrogen in large scale can solve the problems of sustainability, environmental emissions, and energy security and become the focus of the international society in the area of energy science and technology. It has also been set as an important research direction by many international hydrogen programs. The Ministry of Science and Technology of China supported and launched a project of National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) – the Basic Research of Mass Hydrogen Production using Solar Energy in 2003 for R&D in the areas of solar hydrogen production. The current status of solar hydrogen production research is reviewed and some significant results achieved in the project are reported in this paper. The trends of development and the future research directions in the field of solar hydrogen production in China are also briefly discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents some of the results of a power system analysis for Chile. The two major Chilean electric systems are roughly modelled and optimized using a linear programming method with the option to integrate renewable energy sources like wind power, solar power, mini-hydropower and biomass-fired power and also “municipal waste”. A total of four different scenarios are outlined: reference system, new production units, gas and coal price variations and a policy measure to encourage power production based on renewable energy. The objective of the scenarios was to illustrate under what conditions integration of the different energy sources in the existing production system is possible. The study shows that even under current conditions, mini-hydro and waste to energy plants are economically viable. Wind power might be interesting alternatives if policy instrument measures are applied. On the other hand, it is hard for the other energy sources to enter the system even when higher price levels of gas and coal are applied. The system is more sensitive to coal price increases than to gas price increases and this mainly encourages CO2 emission reduction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Detailed assessment of Organic Rankine Cycles is presented. • Mixture working fluids achieves higher thermodynamic efficiency. • Biomass and solar energy are still rarely adopted as ORC's heat resources. • USA and Europe have major share in ORC systems. • Studies for reducing the levelized cost of electricity is needed to be carried out. This paper presents state-of-the-art review on organic Rankine cycle (ORC) by assessing the working fluids, thermal resources, cooling utilities, and commercial status with future aspects. It is found that the mixture working fluids achieve higher thermodynamic efficiency. However, the difficulty in obtaining the optimum composition and components limits their applications. The thermal resources with different temperature ranges and cooling utilities are then assessed to investigate their effects on the thermodynamic performance of ORC. The low-temperature ORC utilizing waste heat and geothermal heat is dominant, while biomass and solar energy are still rarely adopted as ORC's heat resources. From the commercial perspective, the USA and Europe are the leaders in conversion of low-grade waste heat into useful power using ORC. Furthermore, the main challenges of ORC are: (a) selection of appropriate working fluid with suitable expander, and (b) reducing the specific cost of the small-scale ORC system to compete with the renewable energy. Finally, several future research directions are identified such as: (1) overall performance of the ORC system including its thermodynamic efficiency, stability and safety needs to be investigated with experimental studies; (2) a general methodology should be developed for the selection of working fluids; (3) studies for reducing the net present cost and levelized cost of electricity with techno-economic optimization are needed to be carried out. This study benchmarks the recent progress on ORC technology and presents an insight into the scientific problems that need to be explored to nexus low-grade heat to power in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Limited fossil resources and severe environmental problems require new sustainable electricity generation options, which utilize renewable energies and are economical in the meantime. Concentrating solar power (CSP) generation is a proven renewable energy technology and has the potential to become cost-effective in the future, for it produces electricity from the solar radiation. In China, the electricity demand is rapidly increasing, while the solar resources and large wasteland areas are widely available in the western and northern part of China. To change the energy-intensive and environment-burdensome economical development way, Chinese government supports the development of this technology strongly. These factors altogether make China a suitable country for utilizing CSP technology. In this paper, the potential of CSP in China was studied and strategies to promote development of this technology were given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]