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The solar light radiation causes some of the heat to be trapped inside the solar cell that raises the solar cell’s temperature, then reduces the electrical efficiency of the overall system. The thermal radiation from solar light causes overheating on the solar cell surface and degrades its functionality. In this study, the thermal insulation coating has been proposed to prevent interior trapped heat. Different nanocoating systems have been developed using nano-Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) namely T1B2 and T2B2, nano-Zinc Oxide (ZnO) namely Z1B2 and Z2B2 and nano-Tin Oxide (SnO) namely S1B2 and S2B2. All the nanoparticles have been synthesized at various weight percentages which are 20wt.% and 60wt.% in the B2 binder system, Methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) / nitric acid (HNO3). The incorporation of nanoparticles increases the hydrophobicity of binder coating in which the Water Contact Angle (WCA) of coating improves up to 105°. The embedded nanoparticles increase the surface roughness, then reduce the contact of water to the substrate’s surface. Apart from that, the coating is also capable to halt the drastic increment in surface temperature. The result has shown that the B2 binder coating increases the surface temperature of solar cell by 2.54°C after 1hr of Xe 1000 W/m2 irradiation. The raise in temperature is due to the strong oxidation of nitric acid. However, the incorporation of nano-ZnO and nano-SnO in B2 binder matrix capable to reduce the temperature of the solar cell. The wide bandgap of both nanoparticles induces good stability of coating at high operating temperature. The Z1B2 and S2B2 has reduced the temperature of solar cell by 7°C and 3°C, indicating their great thermal insulation property for solar cell application.

Energy storage systems play a pivotal role in modern society by addressing the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources and enhancing grid stability. Among these systems, rechargeable batteries stand out as a key technology to provide efficient and portable energy storage solutions. As a buffer to balance variations in supply and demand, rechargeable batteries store electrical energy during times of surplus generation or low demand and release it when needed. These batteries are made up of electrochemical cells, which store and release electrical energy through reversible processes. A common type of rechargeable battery is lithium-ion battery (LIB) which is widely utilized in portable electronics and electric vehicles. But the expense and scarcity of lithium supplies forced scientists to investigate other materials, which brought them to study sodium-ion chemistry, reflecting a pursuit for development of alternative sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). The advent of SIBs represents a paradigm change in the field of energy storage, showcasing creativity and flexibility in response to the changing needs of a more sustainable and easily obtainable energy supply. Here, electrodes act as crucial element in SIBs and therefore, electrodes must be developed with high compatibility and stability to ensure good performance in SIBs. Recently, transition metal oxides, Prussian blue analogues, polyanionic compounds and organic materials have been investigated as cathode materials for SIBs. In unison, latest progressions have been done to fabricate many anode materials such as carbon-based materials, alloy-based compounds, MXenes, metal oxides and sulfides and organic compounds. Concurrently, many modifications have been made to enhance the performance and stability of electrode materials in the battery systems. Apart from that, many electrolytes have been widely investigated for SIBs to enhance the performance, efficiency and safety features. To give insights into the structures and morphologies of the electrode materials as well as the electrochemical performance of the systems, various advanced characterization techniques have also been reviewed. In this article, we have outlined and exchanged views on the research materials that have been explored and proposed future perspectives for SIBs. This review offers crucial insights into practical and scientific problems related to the evolution of SIBs.

Poor transmission of sunlight through the top glass cover is one of the major hindrances in realizing better performance from a PV module. Adoption of appropriate cleaning technique might enhance glass transmissivity to a good extent. In the present study, the effect of manual cleaning with nylon sponge, microfiber cloth and nylon brush on optical and mechanical properties of PV glass have been investigated for several samples of borosilicate and soda lime glasses. Examination of transmittance of the samples using UV-VIS NIR scanning spectrophotometer confirmed enhanced transmissivity. Borosilicate glass exhibited better performance in terms of transmissivity as compared to soda lime glass. Cleaning with nylon sponge shows the highest transmittance of 91.98% for borosilicate glass at 630 nm wavelength and that of 91.094% with soda lime at 525 nm wavelength.

Integrating a thermal energy storage system into a solar water heater enables a continuous heat supply to ensure hot water is available for household uses throughout the day. This research emphasizes integrating TES units into solar water heating systems. The overall performance of flat plate solar water heaters for a regular (conventional) solar water heating system and a solar water heating system integrated with TES using phase change material (PCM) are analyzed. This innovative design ensures efficient heat capture from the sun, storing it in the phase change material for later use, guaranteeing a sustainable and cost-effective solution for hot water needs. A split PCM tank is integrated within the solar water heating network for the second scenario and is made of a 25 L filled with a phase change material that acts as the thermal storage medium. The PCM tank has a dual-coiled heat exchanger to aid the heat transfer process with paraffin wax as the phase change material. The parameters that are looked into from the conventional and TES-integrated solar water heating systems include the water temperature profiles throughout the entire solar water heating networks and the PCM's temperature distribution throughout the day. A customized water draw schedule is adapted to represent the average hot water usage of a typical household in Kuala Lumpur. Findings reveal that the TES-integrated solar water heating system can be 21 % more efficient than the conventional system due to the lesser heat losses and prolonged hot water supply. The maximum efficiency obtained is about 82 %, and energy can be saved about 50 % from the electric heater. The maximum energy storage is at the 50 °C temperature controller's setting and is feasible for the existing conventional solar water heaters.

Despite the extensive research conducted on phase change materials (PCM) and their effect on thermal comfort in buildings around the globe, there is still a lack of clarity regarding the direction of development and performance in this field of study. A comprehensive analysis employing bibliometrics and text-mining techniques was conducted to provide a multi dimensional overview on the role of PCMs in building thermal management. The Web of Science database was mined to collect research publication patterns and information across three decades concerning PCM deployment in building thermal management. Vos Viewer, Biblioshiny, Microsoft Excel, and orange data mining were used to analyze the corpus. The publications tally in this domain was comparatively low till 2005 but saw a dramatic uptick from 2016 onwards. China (215), India (71), and Italy (47) have the highest publication count. Finland (234) and New Zealand (166.1) have the highest average article citations. Zhang Zhengguo has authored the most papers in this discipline (17 publications). Still, Farid, Mohammed M (1571) and Luisa F. Cabeza (1405) are highly cited authors. Phase change material is the most used keyword. Additional findings include prominent institutions, authorship networks/collaborations, and the journal with maximum citations. According to the sentiment analysis of abstracts, 97.79 % of researchers are optimistic about building thermal management using PCMs. The research outcomes of this study will deliver significant contributions to the field and serve as a reference point for scholars and decision-makers as they confront the challenge of rising energy consumption and thermal comfort in buildings.

The current century is experiencing a notable and expeditious transition toward environmentally sustainable and renewable energy sources to mitigate the effects of climate change. Solar energy is a widely utilized renewable energy source due to its abundance and cleanliness despite its disparate distribution. Integrating Latent Heat Energy Storage (LHES) components into solar energy storage systems can potentially mitigate anomalies in solar radiation. Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are widely regarded as the most commonly utilized substance for Thermal Energy Storage (TES). The thermal management potential of a TES system is substantially hindered due to the limited thermal conductivity of PCMs. The present study attempts to create a binary eutectic PCM for employment in desalination systems, electronic thermal management, and other medium-temperature applications. The melt blending approach was used to synthesize a Binary Eutectic PCM (BEPCM), mixing paraffin and palmitic acid, and the composite's thermophysical properties were evaluated. The stability of BEPCM was confirmed by using the techniques of Thermogravimetric Analysis and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The synthesized BEPCM's thermal conductivity was 0.256 W⸱m−1⸱K−1(an increase of 11.3 % above palmitic acid). The melting point and latent heat values were found to be 55 °C and 160 J/g. An in-depth morphological and thermophysical analysis following 4000 thermal cycles validated the EPCM's long-term reliability. Thus, a cost-effective, robust, and reliable PW-PA-based BEPCM was manufactured. The composite benefits TES systems operating at moderate temperatures due to their improved thermophysical capabilities.

Leakage current is one of the determinants of potential-induced degradation (PID) of the photovoltaic (PV) module. Effects of different parameters such as module surface temperature, surface wetting, salt and dust accumulation, and aging condition on high-voltage-stress (HVS) leakage current of the crystalline PV module are investigated in the laboratory. In this research, a novel notion on HVS-leakage-current-modulating parameters has been introduced, which is useful to assess the HVS degradation at different climates. The leakage current increases moderately with the increase of module surface temperature, and it increases drastically during the surface wetting condition. The leakage current under 1000-V stress is 5.04, 5.82, and 35.55 μA/m2 at 25 °C (50% relative humidity), 60 °C (8% relative humidity), and 45 °C (wet) conditions, respectively. The presence of salt also increases the leakage current almost linearly. A slight amount of dust (2 g/m2) on the module surface was found to trigger the wet leakage current to a considerable limit. Tiny dust particles have a capability to attach with some ionic compounds, where Na ions are dominant from the coastal area that prompts the leakage current of the PV module. Long-term field operation known as aging of the PV module reduces the electrical resistance of ethylene vinyl acetate; consequently, the leakage current, as well as PID, increases significantly.

Increased penetration of distributed energy resources into conventional power systems increases control challenges. These can be suitably met by microgrids. This paper examines the architecture of microgrids and reviews their classifications and the literatures discussing their control objectives during islanded mode. It finds the use of microgrids enhancing the conventional power system's grid smartness. It also summarizes microgrid control objectives and their most common problems and solutions.

•A comprehensive review of energy management of combined heat and power is provided.•Several combined heat and power systems based on renewable sources are reviewed.•Variables, methods, objectives, and constraints of energy managements are presented.•Future directions of the combined heat and power system are provided.

The thermal properties of Phase Change Material (PCM) can be altered by introducing nanoparticles, and composite formed from the addition of nanoparticles are termed Nano-Enhanced Phase Change Materials (NEPCM). In the present study, the enhancement of thermal conductivity and feasibility study of dispersing multi-walled carbon nano tubes (MWCNTs) and functionalized MWCNT (FMWCNTs) in various mass fractions (AFMW-0.1, AFMW-0.3, AFMW-0.5, AFMW-0.7, AFMW-1.0) into the Plusice A70 PCM were examined. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and TEMPOS thermal analyzer measured the latent heat storage, melting temperature, and thermal conductivity of the nano PCM composite. The thermal conductivity measured for the prepared nanocomposite showed a 109.5% enhancement for 1.0 wt% of non-functionalized MWCNT and 150.7% enhancement for 1.0 wt% of functionalized MWCNT compared to pristine PCM's thermal conductivity. This statement concluded that 50% enhancement for a 1.0 wt% of functionalized MWCNT compared to non-functionalize MWCNT immersed in A70 PCM. The nano composite PCM was thermally stable up to 200 °C and no chemical reaction takes place between the base PCM and nanoparticles. The result shows that the microscopic structure remained stable for the nanocomposite while the optical transmittance reduced noticeably for the nanocomposite relative to pristine A70 PCM. It can be concluded, the prepared nano composite PCM may be useful for solar thermal, photovoltaic thermal system, and low concentrated photovoltaic thermal system applications.

The transition of Malaysia from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources provides significant challenges and opportunities for various energy sectors. Incorporation of H2in the primary energy mix requires a deal of complexity in its relation to production, transportation, and end-use. The Sarawak State Government in Malaysia implemented a hydrogen energy roadmap for the year 2005–2030 on the state-level but despite the great enthusiasm and full support given by the government, the development of hydrogen technology is still far from its goals. This is due to several factors that hinder its progress including (1) inability of hydrogen to be integrated with current primary energy infrastructure, (2) limited technology resources to produce sustainable hydrogen, and (3) lack of technical expertise in the field of hydrogen. In this paper, a potential national roadmap and milestones are presented based on the power-to-gas (P2G) approach combined with its implications on the national natural gas (NG) pipeline network. Besides that, the long-term and short-term strategies and implementation mechanisms are discussed in detail. Furthermore, complete research schemes are formulated to be in-line with the presented vision to further enhance technology development and implementation.

•Recent advancements in CPVT & commercial applications utilizing clean energy.•Advancements in different thermal management techniques are collectively presented.•Discussed economic viability and environmental impact assessment of CPVT systems.•Technical challenges associated with CPVT systems are briefed.

•Accelerated 3000 thermal cycles of Paraffin wax and Paraffin wax/PANI Composite.•Latent Heat of Paraffin Wax/PANI is greater than Paraffin wax after 10 years usage.•Visual changes in paraffin wax is observed through thermal cycling.•FTIR, TGA and SEM analysis of Paraffin wax and Paraffin wax/PANI composite.

Owing to the higher amount and the better quality of power transferred, three-phase multilevel inverters have strengthened their presence in low-power photovoltaic (PV) applications. However, the existing topologies investigated for low-power PV systems are basically meant for medium- and high-power applications, thus making them underutilized for low-power range. In order to address this shortcoming, this paper proposes a three-phase multilevel inverter with a switch-sharing capability and its control solution. It combines the characteristics of the two-level full-bridge topology and the diode-clamped multilevel structure. As a result, the inverter can be used with full capacity and without being underutilized, and significantly improves the output quality. A control strategy that is able to maximize the full potential of the inverter is developed. A digital proportional-integral (PI) controller with a new tuning algorithm is designed to effectively deal with the load changes. The result reveals that the load current is always retained at the intended quality level despite the variations in load. The performance of the inverter is validated from the experimental work conducted on a laboratory prototype under closed-loop conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]