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This paper focuses on the design and use of a control system for a renewable energy production plant based on hydrogen. The proposed control system aims at ensuring the stability and smooth functionality of the plant, which consists of a (i) photovoltaic system connected to an electrolyzer through a battery, (ii) a DC/DC step down transformer, and (iii) an electrolyzer heat exchange system. In this study, solar irradiance is the main system input, and hydrogen production the main output. Since the system utilizes solar energy as input, it depends on the random input of solar irradiance, ambient temperature, and wind flow. Furthermore, the electrolyzer's functionality is subject to several operational variables including cell voltage, current, temperature, and pressure. The electrolyzer heat exchange system operates at specified water temperatures and flow rates. The DC/DC output voltage, and therefore the voltage supplied to the electrolyzer, is regulated by changing its duty cycle. To regulate hydrogen production in the renewable energy production plant, an efficient control system is required. Accordingly, in this work, a control system is designed accounting for three different electrolyzer technologies, alkaline, PEM (proton exchange membrane), and E-TAC (electrochemical - thermally activated chemical water splitting). Subsequently, the effectiveness of the control system is analyzed using Matlab and Simulink models. The main results indicate that the battery is a crucial element in the whole system as it supplies the necessary energy to the electrolyzer. By regulating the appropriate components, the proposed control system proved capable of minimizing power fluctuations and increasing system efficiency up to 20% depending on ambient conditions. Additionally, the results indicate E-TAC and PEM efficiencies 13% and 7% higher than alkaline, respectively. [Display omitted] • Design of a control system for three different electrolyzer technologies. • Use of control systems for electrolyzer voltage and heat exchange. • Photovoltaic system connected to an electrolytic one through a battery. • Proposed control system increases system efficiency up to 20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new Free-Drift Solar Power Satellite concept is proposed. • Large amount of fuel is saved because of the free-drift orbit and attitude. • Symmetric layout is adopted to reduce attitude disturbance. • Two transmitting antennas are used to reduce the total length of cables. Solar power satellite is known as a promising source of clean energy from space in the future. One of the key problems of current solar power satellite concepts is the huge cost because of the excessively large mass and fuel consumption. The objective of this paper is to propose a new Free-Drift Solar Power Satellite concept that reduce mass and fuel consumption. Firstly, Sun-frozen orbit in geosynchronous Laplace plane and quasi-Sun-pointing attitude are designed to significantly save orbital and attitude control fuel. To this end, an orbit-attitude coupled modelling method considering space perturbations is proposed for multibody systems. Orbital and attitude dynamics and control are studied to substantiate the orbit and attitude design. Secondly, two transmitting antennas and three solar arrays are adopted and allocated elaborately to reduce structural deformations and attitude disturbance. The mass of the transmitting cables from solar arrays to transmitting antennas is also reduced by the proposed layout. Finite element analysis is performed to validate the design of supporting structures. Finally, other subsystems are briefly introduced and the system parameters are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of hydrogen is still a major challenge, due to the high costs and often also environmental burdens it generates. It is possible to produce hydrogen in emission-free way: e.g. using a process of electrolysis powered by renewable energy. The paper presents the concept of a research, experimental stand for the storage of renewable energy in the form of hydrogen chemical energy with the measurement methodology. The research involves the use of proton exchange membrane electrolysis technology, which is characterized by high efficiency and flexibility of energy extraction for the process of electrolysis from renewable sources. The system consist of PV panel, PEM electrolyzer, battery, programmable logic controller system and optional a wind turbine. Preliminary experimental tests results have shown that the electrolyzer can produce in average 158.1 cc/min of hydrogen with the average efficiency 69.87%. • Zero-emission hydrogen production is possible. • Hydrogen production using a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer for Polish conditions. • Proposal for experimental studies on hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy attracts increasing attention from both industry and academia under the context of carbon neutrality. For wind and solar energy, the strong dependence on natural processes results in the imbalance between energy production and real demands. Energy storage technologies, e.g., Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), are promising solutions to increase the renewable energy penetration. However, the CAES system is a multi-component structure with multiple energy forms involved in the process subject to high temperature and high-pressure working conditions. The CAES system is a complex process flowsheet consisting of charging and discharging process. The process should be optimized to achieve the best thermodynamic and economic performance. Under the optimal design conditions, it might lead to severe consequences once a failure occurs, e.g., harm to humans, the environment, and assets. Limited attention and scarce available information have been paid to the CAES system risk management yet. Hence, this paper applies the System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), which is a top-down method based on system theory, to identify the CAES system safety hazards. The results are expected to provide a preliminary guideline for practitioners regarding the safety and reliability of the CAES system. As a result, a more reliable CAES system can contribute to a more flexible energy system with more efficient and economic utilization of fluctuating renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and scarcity of energy sources have put developing countries in a situation that demands emergency future planning for matured renewable technologies in order to continue sustainable progress and provide clean and cheap energy to masses. This paper provides a comprehensive structure of site suitability for utility scale solar PV and wind energy projects considering criteria critical to each technology while only using criteria with absolute necessity for varying scenarios incorporating Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) along with Geographic Information System (GIS). A novel approach is also considered for far-off areas potentially deprived of electricity access for small scale solar PV implementation. A total of eight sub-criteria were considered in site selection process regarding wind and solar energy, analyzed using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in order to rank criteria depending on their importance to selection process. Resulting methodology was applied to case study of Pakistan, a developing country with growing climate change emergency and ongoing power crisis. End results showed 25.28% area suitable for utility scale solar PV farms, 5.93% area suitable for utility scale wind farms and 40.02% suitable area for small scale solar PV farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of biomass and solar energy in the combined cooling heating and power (CCHP) system is conducive to reducing carbon dioxide emissions of the system. To improve the system's economic performance under the punishment of carbon tax, this paper optimizes the system from system design and operation strategies. A hybrid renewable energy CCHP system with shaft power distribution structure of an internal combustion engine (ICE) is proposed. By optimizing the shaft power distribution of ICE, the direct drive heat pump is realized, and the efficiency of the shaft power of ICE is improved. A double-layer optimization method considering the long and short-term benefits is proposed based on the system, fully improving the system economy in design and operation. The case study shows that the CCHP system reduces the annual cost by 40.37% and the CO 2 emission by 88.93% compared with the separate production system. Compared with the non-shaft power distribution system, the maximum daily operation cost is saved by 557.11CNY. Compared with the hourly optimization method, the proposed optimization method based on total daily benefit reduces the annual cost by 7.73% and CO 2 emission by 35.87%, and the utilization rate of the energy storage device is higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper presents a detailed review about the recent advances concerned with the heat pipe-evacuated tube solar collectors. The reviewed papers covered various subjects related with this type of the collectors such as enhancement techniques, its structure designing and the methods used to modify it. Moreover, the effects of integration of (CPCs), types of working fluids and using of storage systems on the performance of this collector were reviewed and summarized in different tables. Depending on the reviewed papers, various conclusions and recommendations were outlined to be very useful to the readers and give them a clear road map to produce more future papers about the heat pipe- solar collector systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Areas with the potential of Brackish water resources were identified. • To identify the type of water sources, the soil type investigation method was used. • The energy required for RO water desalination devices is supplied by sunlight. • The potential of solar power plant in Iran was calculated to generate electricity. • Four factors were used to identify suitable areas. Iran has 985,798 square kilometers of desert areas, equivalent to 59.8 percent of the country's total area. This factor causes the creation of salt marshes and, accordingly, the salinization of surface and groundwater. For the first time in this paper, an indirect method is presented to identify areas of Brackish water sources with 3000–10000 mg/L TDS in the entire country of Iran and simultaneously identify the area's potential in terms of the solar energy to provide energy for desalination by reverse osmosis devices. Other types of sources of water, such as seawater, which has more salinity than Brackish water (about 35000 mg/liter) are not investigated in this research, because the primary purpose of this article is to use water that exists in the form of ponds, wells, or surface water that water cannot be used for residential or agricultural purposes, at the same time, this water is not seawater. Simultaneously 16 data layers that include economic, environmental, technical, and geological parameters have been considered.The proposed methodology provides a structured decision aid, which can be used in other countries to identify the mentioned areas and produce fresh water using reverse osmosis devices. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to generate layers of data and to apply the elimination criteria and constraints. Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is then used to rank and sort the grids via the identified evaluation criteria. This research can also have two other applications. The first is for professionals who want to identify areas with saline water potential, and the second is for organizations that want to launch reverse osmosis desalination plants that work with solar renewable energy. Technically, there are about 160 cities in Iran that have an area of about 144440685120.498077 square meters, have saline water sources, and simultaneously have the potential to use solar energy as one of the renewable energy sources to power reverse osmosis desalination devices. Most of these areas are located in the east of Iran and these areas have high water stress. In this research, the city of Khansar with an area of 95917147.16 square meters, which is located in the province of Isfahan and in the central part of Iran, has surface and underground saline water resources that both technically and operationally, has the highest potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper a techno-economic hydrogen production and transportation costs to export from Colombia to Europe and Asia were determined using the open-source Python tools, such as WindPowerLIB, PVLIB, ERA5 weather data, and the Hydrogen-2-Central (H2C) model. Calculations were performed as well for Chile, for comparison as a regional competitor. In addition, a detailed overview of Colombia's energy system and national efforts for a market ramp-up of renewable energy and hydrogen is provided. The application of the model in different scenarios shows Colombia's potential to produce green hydrogen using renewable energies. The prices estimated are 1.5 and 1.02 USD/kgH 2 for 2030 and 2050 with wind power, and 3.24 and 1.65 USD/kgH 2 for 2030 and 2050 using solar energy. Colombia can become one of the most promising hydrogen suppliers to Asian and European countries with one of the lowest prices in the production and transportation of green hydrogen. [Display omitted] • Open-source models were used to obtain costs of H 2 production and transportation. • LCOH of green H 2 using wind energy is 1.63 and 1.11 USD/kgH2 by 2030 and 2050. • LCOH of green H 2 using solar energy is 3.72 and 1.89 USD/kgH2 by 2030 and 2050. • Exporting H 2 to Asia by 2030 and 2050 costs 3.47 and 2.9 USD/kg, respectively. • Exporting H 2 to Europe by 2030 and 2050 costs 3.1 and 2.55 USD/kg, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The study makes the following main contributions: • 1) A mathematical layout is developed to include renewable resources for load scheduling in digital twin-based microgrids. • 2) Uncertainty modelling of PV production employing Beta PDF for load scheduling is utilized in digital twin environment. • 3) The load scheduling algorithm employing RL for minimizing the energy bills regarding a renewable resource is developed. Utility companies recognize the importance and necessity of demand response (DR) programs for reducing the increased production costs associated with rising energy demand. The advent of smart information and communication systems has made DR programs on the basis of cost a viable option to control load in smart microgrids. Small domestic consumers are rapidly using stochastic renewable energy resources such as photovoltaic (PV). The study examines an integrated layout for residential load scheduling or load commitment problems (LCP) with renewable energy resources no matter what kind of tariff is applied. Uncertainty-based decision-making problems are effectively solved using reinforcement learning (RL). The paper proposes an RL-enabled solution to the LCP in smart microgrids. An innovative aspect of the study is the development of an integrated layout containing an implementable solution that takes into account user satisfaction, stochastic renewable power, and tariffs. In simulation tests, the suggested layout is tested for its effectiveness and flexibility. An analysis of the algorithm's efficiency using a household user with schedule-able and non-schedulable devices, together with a PV resource, has been presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reviews the green hydrogen uptake policies in the United States and the European Union. While the EU has a rather broad public support strategy that envisages the entire hydrogen value chain, the U.S. policies are more focused on hydrogen research hubs and subsidies having electric vehicle applications. From the experience of the solar and wind power rollout of the past three decades, we know that the subsidization schemes of the end product play an important role in the transition to renewables. These kinds of subsidization schemes are still lacking for clean hydrogen both in the EU and the U.S. This paper provides a brief overview of selected subsidization schemes from other renewables markets, which are then applied to define an exemplary subsidization path to empower large-scale growth in a market for green hydrogen. Here is proposed a long-term subsidization scheme – deemed as an adequate strategy for the expansion of clean hydrogen in an electricity mix. The suggested exemplary subsidization path recommends shifting from feed-in tariffs to direct marketing with market premiums once a certain threshold is reached, while both can be flanked by the issuance of a Guarantee of Origin for green hydrogen so that there is one market for hydrogen and another market for the certificates. • -A long-term subsidization scheme for the rollout of green hydrogen in the electricity mixes is proposed. • -An exemplary subsidization path to empower large-scale growth in a market for green hydrogen is drafted. • -U.S. and EU are used as case studies to capture lessons for subsidization of green hydrogen economy uptake. • -The U.S. has more centralized green hydrogen rollout policies, whereas the EU has a wider policy toolkit. • -Shifting from FIT to direct marketing with market premiums is key once a certain pre-defined threshold is reached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reliable supply of electricity and freshwater is linked to the living quality of local residents in remote islands. A renewable driven standalone combined power and water supply system with cascade electricity and heat storage is proposed in this paper. The hybrid wind-solar power system acts as the energy source and the humidification dehumidification (HDH) desalination is employed for freshwater production. The underwater compressed air energy storage (UW-CAES) is introduced to smooth the renewable fluctuations, whereas the heat storage system for heat addition purpose of HDH desalination is utilized to reduce dumped power during UW-CAES charging. The simulated results show that the suggested system can satisfy electricity and freshwater demand well. The lower loss of power supply probability (LPSP) or loss of water supply probability (LWSP) requires larger renewable installed capacity. At same threshold situation, the renewable configuration of LWSP is larger than that of LPSP. The performance comparison among different system structures implies that this system has lower renewable configuration and total dumped energy. Moreover, the coefficient of performance of heat pump (COP), the heat storage system capacity, the basic freshwater demand, the flexible energy bag volume and the humidifier seawater inlet temperature have obvious effect on system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The numerous benefits of solar drying over open sun drying have resulted in extensive research in the field of solar dryers. This research paper describes the development and analysis of a 100 kg capacity greenhouse solar dryer designed to produce high-quality dried products. The greenhouse is effective in raising the temperature within it to 10–14 °C higher than ambient temperature and the tested products dry at a much shorter duration when compared to drying in the open sun. Detailed economic analysis was conducted through annualized cost, life cycle savings, and payback period methods. According to annualized cost method calculations, the cost of drying products by using a solar dryer is much lesser than when an electric dryer is used. Calculations also reveal potential savings of up to 10 times the value of current-day investment within the dryer lifetime, depending on the product to be dried. The dryer also has a short payback period of 1.5–2.1 years for the considered agricultural products. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present review paper aims to shed lights on the concept of fully green energy system which includes both the source of energy and the storage system. The objective is to propose an energy label "Green to Green" (G2G) that identifies systems involving simultaneously green source and green storage, as an efficient solution to achieve a significant reduction in the dangerous level of pollution that most countries have reached today. Green sources include mainly renewable energy systems such as solar, wind, geothermal and wave energy systems. In its turns green storage includes pumped hydroelectric, flywheel, hydrogen and compressed air. Moreover, and as a case investigation on G2G concept, the paper reviews the main solar-hydrogen coupling systems, that are categorized within four categories parabolic trough-hydrogen, solar tower-hydrogen, photovoltaic-hydrogen and solar chimney-hydrogen. • Green to Green (G2G) is presented as a label to promote pollution-free systems. • Green storage includes Hydrogen, flywheel, compressed air and pumped hydro. • As a case study on (G2G) concept, the paper highlights solar – hydrogen coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the effect of environmental policy stringency on green innovation in renewable energy technology and whether the green innovation response differs with varying degrees of environmental policy. Based on panel data of 33 countries over the period 1990–2015, we show that a stringent environmental policy does encourage green innovation in renewable energy technology, and this impact is more pronounced in OECD countries and high-income countries. More specifically, a stringent non-market-based environmental policy induces more patents in renewable energy generation. The findings also show that a stringent environmental policy yields green innovation for geothermal energy, hydro energy, and marine energy, but not for wind energy and solar energy. Heterogeneity analysis suggests that innovation capacity and environmental pressure enhance the impact of environmental policy stringency on green innovation in the renewable energy field. Finally, the paper presents that clean energy investment plays the role of a mechanism through which environmental policy stringency spurs green innovation in the renewable energy field, offering insights into the influence of environmental policy stringency on green innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is an essential commodity for society, and alternate resources such as seawater and wastewater are vital for the future. There are various desalination technologies that can provide sufficient and sustainable water sources. Renewable energy-based desalination technologies like solar-based interfacial evaporation are very efficient and sustainable desalination methods. Solar-based interfacial evaporation has been a focus due to its efficient and easy-to-use methods. Still, research is needed for fouling resistance, scalable and low-cost materials, and devices for solar interfacial evaporation. Recent research focuses on the materials for evaporation devices, but various other aspects of device design and fabrication methods are also necessary to improve device performance. In this article, all the evaporator device configurations and strategies for efficient evaporator devices are compiled and summarized. The evaporator devices have been classified into eight main categories: monolayer, bilayer, tree-like design, low-temperature designs, 3D-Origami-based designs, latent heat recovery design, design with storage/batch process, and contactless design. It was found that a good absorber, well-engineered air-water interface, and bottom-layer insulation are necessary for the best systems. The current research focuses on the vapor production output of the devices but not on the water production from devices. So, the focus on device-based water production and the associated cost of the water produced is essential. This article articulates the strategies and various scalable and efficient devices for evaporation-based solar-driven desalination. This article will be helpful for the researchers in improving devices output and coming up with a sustainable desalination and water treatment. [Display omitted] • The paper discusses the outlook and challenges for Solar driven interfacial evaporation devices. • The article lays the path for efficiency improvement for interfacial evaporation Devices. • Floatable devices with tree-like designs have better performance. • The absorber and condenser designs are equally essential for ISDE water production devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia is one of the leading producers and exporters of oil palm, and the industry contributes significantly to the growth of the national economy. Nonetheless, the consequential oil palm biomass (OPB) with a potential yield of ∼97 million tonnes annually presents both challenges and opportunities, demanding innovative waste management solutions. This paper explores the feasibility of converting OPB into valuable commodities by employing concentrated solar-driven pyrolysis. A detailed overview of the biomass produced from oil palm plantations and mills is provided, along with a discussion of the industry stakeholders and associated biomass management challenges. The pyrolysis of OPB is explored, emphasizing benefits, potential barriers, and techniques. The focus then shifts to Malaysia's solar potential, which ranges from 1470 to 1900 kWh/m2 annually. The potentials of solar pyrolysis are explored, encompassing discussions on solar concentrator types, reactors, and the distribution of solar and OPB resources throughout Malaysia. The paper then recommends Tawau in Sabah, as an ideal location for OPB solar pyrolysis, due to its solar availability (up to 1873 kWh/m2), potential OPB resources from 19 mills and 241 plantations, and supportive infrastructure. The paper proposes solar-driven pyrolysis as a sustainable solution for Malaysia's OPB management, offers insights for policy initiatives and technological innovations in optimizing OPB and solar energy utilization. • Analyzes oil palm biomass potential for solar pyrolysis in Malaysia. • Explores solar resources in Malaysia for solar-driven pyrolysis. • Examines solar concentrators and reactors for pyrolysis. • Identifies potential city, as the optimal location for solar pyrolysis. • Discusses commercialization challenges of solar-driven pyrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the first application of a split-range control technique on a concentrating solar collector to improve an absorption plant production. Solar absorption plants have solar power availability in phase with cooling demand under design conditions. Thus, it is a powerful cooling technology in the context of renewable energy and energy efficiency. These plants need control systems to cope with solar irradiance intermittency, reject irradiation disturbances, manage fossil fuels backup systems and dump closed-loop thermal-hydraulic oscillations. In this work, control techniques are proposed and simulated in an absorption plant in Spain. The plant consists of a concentrating Fresnel solar collector connected to an absorption chiller. The objectives are to operate with 100% renewable solar energy and avoid safety defocus events while reducing temperature oscillations and control actuators effort. Firstly, the current available plant controllers are defined, then two modifications are proposed. The first modification is a split-range controller capable of manipulating both flow and defocus of the Fresnel collector, the second modification is a PI controller to substitute the original chiller on-off controller. The results compare, through validated models, the different control systems and indicate that using both proposed controllers reduces 94% of the sum of actuators effort and 43% of the integral of absolute set-point tracking error compared to the plant's factory pre-set controllers. The suggested controllers increase 66% of energy production and 63% of exergy production. Besides, the split-range technique can be extended to any concentrating solar collector control. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local energy sharing (LES) is a concept that enables sharing between distribution system participants such as consumers, producers, and prosumers at the local level in a transparent and cooperative manner. It can improve local supply-demand balancing, reduce voltage deviations, and improve social welfare. However, the feasibility of such an approach is highly dependent on the regulatory framework and implementation requires investment in an adequate information and communication infrastructure. This paper examines components for the implementation of LES within energy communities in the EU, with a focus on price-forming methods that can be integrated into a net-billing system and adopted for different regulatory set-ups. Further, a method for the assessment of impacts on market participants is provided. The approach is applied for the assessment of the opportunities for LES in the city of Križevci, considering local generation, flexibility options, and real-life regulatory requirements. It is shown that LES under appropriate regulatory provisions can be an effective market-based mechanism for stimulating local generation and flexibility activation, and that way support decarbonization and local self-sufficiency. All members can benefit from participating in the energy community, but the distribution of the benefits notably depends on the applied LES price-forming method. On the other hand, subject to regulatory setup, the trade-offs are reflected on reduced revenues for market participants that generate income based on transmission fees, taxes, and/or surcharges. • Components for local energy sharing (LES) implementation within energy communities. • Framework for feasibility evaluation of LES under different regulatory set-ups. • MILP LES market-clearing model with energy sharing compensation price method. • LES price-forming methods integrated into a net-billing system. • Simulation of LES as a market with a local energy sharing coordinator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The realization of dc-dc converters performs a vital function in exploiting renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic (PV) and fuel cell applications. This paper demonstrates a single-switch unidirectional buck-boost dc-dc converter for continuous power flow control, excluding the hybrid switched-capacitor. The proposed converter utilizes a limited number of passive components, only four diodes and three inductors required, in addition to six capacitors. The converter can operate at a wide input voltage range with continues input current. The converter has experimented under real-time conditions with 660 W PV system. The obtained efficiency ranges from 93% to 98%. Furthermore, the converter has interfaced with 550 W fuel cell operated under different fuel pressure. The realized efficiency ranges from 91% to 97%. The maximum measured inductance current ripple is limited to under 0.70 A in both scenarios, whereas 0.16 V is the maximum output voltage ripple. • A Boost-buck DC-DC converter with a single switch is proposed. • The proposed converter is integrable with fuel cell and photovoltaic systems. • The converter has a minimum inductance current ripple and power losses. • The proposed converter efficiency ranges from 91% to 98%. • The converter performance is compared with classical methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar thermal energy is one of the important sources of renewable energy. The solar thermal energy gives clean energy which can be utilized for industrial applications. Industrial heaters which require heat energy for many industrial uses can be attained using these solar thermal absorbers. The solar thermal absorber is designed using a layer design that consists of material compositions of Titanium (Ti) and Stannic selenide (SnSe 2) for ground and substrate sections respectively. A graphene layer which has the good properties to be used in solar absorbers is added between the Aluminum and SnSe 2 material. A thin graphene section is inserted above the SnSe 2 substrate and below the Ti resonator. To catch the good absorption in the current design, the best four wavelengths (micrometer) have been attached such as 0.22, 0.8, 2.46, and 2.85. This design's contribution can be studied in 4-atm regimes (from UV, V to NIR, and MIR). According to the wavelength and bandwidth ranges, the current absorption explores more than 97% (97.4%) in between 2.4 and 3 μm (600 nm) bandwidth and exceeds 95% (95.2%) from 0.2 to 1 μm (800 nm) respectively. To the overall range of design, it extracts 90.3% for the 2800 nm band between 0.2 and 3 wavelength regime. The flow of the presentation of the proposed paper is (i) Introduction (ii) Design and Parameters, and (iii) Results and Discussions. The explored absorber can be effective in water heating and swimming pool heating for homes. Moreover, it can also be applied in large industries as a solar thermal absorber for heating applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a multi-operator differential evolution algorithm (MODE) is proposed to solve the Optimal Power Flow problem, called MODE-OPF. The MODE-OPF utilizes the strengths of more than one differential evolution operator in a single algorithmic framework. Additionally, an adaptive method is proposed to update the number of solutions evolved by each DE operator based on both the diversity of the population and the quality of solutions. This adaptive method has the ability to maintain diversity at the early stages of the optimization process and boost convergence at the later ones. The performance of the proposed MODE-OPF is tested by solving OPF problems for both small and large IEEE bus systems (i.e., IEEE-30 and IEEE-118) while considering intermittent solar and wind power generation. To prove the suitability of this proposed algorithm, its performance has been compared against several state-of-the-art optimization algorithms, where MODE-OPF outperforms other algorithms in all experimental results thereby improving a network's performance with lower cost. MODE-OPF decreases the total generation cost up to 24.08%, the real power loss up to 6.80% and the total generation cost with emission up to 8.56%. • Development of an adaptive method (AM) for optimizing diversity and solution quality. • Innovative constraint handling approach, progressively adding constraints for improved performance. • Incorporation of intermittent renewable energy models for realistic problem solving. • Extensive validation on IEEE 30-bus and IEEE 118-bus networks, outperforming state-of-the-art algorithms in cost, loss, and environmental impact reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper reviews the thermal system configurations for solar applications. • The solar energy collection techniques as an input for TEG systems are discussed. • Utilization of rejected heat from TEG for secondary usage is discussed. • Storage and reuse of TEG rejected heat for night-time operations are discussed. • PV-TEG hybrid systems and solar desalination with TEG are discussed. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) have become a notable topic for research in the last three decades. TEG is a promising element in the field of renewable energy in this age of ever-increasing energy demands. A TEG is a compact, quiet, highly reliable and environment friendly device with no moving parts. Although TEG finds its place in various applications, enhancing its efficiency is a focus in the field of thermoelectrics. Various solar thermal system configurations increase the efficiency of TEG for a given thermoelectric material. This review work predominantly focuses on these configurations for the solar applications of TEG as a vital tool in the field of solar energy. The paper thus, summarizes earlier literature works done to improve the efficiency of TEG through thermal system configurations, provides an outlook of present trends in the applications of TEG in a solar thermal system configuration with an outline of future research in TEG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Current approaches in CO 2 conversion and enhancing strategies for solar fuel generation via artificial photosynthesis. • Strategies for improving the photocatalytic activity in solar fuel generations. • Application of biochar-based photocatalysts (BSPs) in CO 2 conversion and H 2 production. • Investigating the Biochar's role in biochar-based photocatalysts. • Challenges and prospects for the future of biochar-based photocatalysts in environmental applications. The imperative of solar-driven methodologies, harnessing the virtually boundless power of sunlight, cannot be overstated in our battle against climate change and the imperative to propel clean fuel production. Photocatalytic innovation, which employs catalysts to initiate eco-friendly chemical reactions, stands out as one of these effective techniques. Biochar, a carbon-rich material derived from organic substances, enhances photocatalytic activity through its porous structure and functional groups. Using biochar as a photocatalyst support reduces electron-hole pair recombination rates, narrows band gaps, improves charge separation, and enhances electron transport. This study explores four main objectives: 1) Current approaches in CO 2 conversion and strategies, including the management perspective of light, the utilization of solar concentrators, and thermal methods for enhancing solar fuel generation via artificial photosynthesis. 2) Critical role of photocatalysis and analyzing the metals and nonmetals doping and the strategic deployment of carbon materials to increase the efficacy in solar fuel generation. 3) Methods and parameters that affect the synthesis of biochar. 4) The role of biochar as a support for improving photocatalytic activity in CO 2 conversion and H 2 production for solar fuel generation. This paper outlines a vision for advancing biochar-based photocatalysts, emphasizing the need to enhance their efficiency and stability. It also highlights the potential for innovative design concepts and the exploration of scalable production techniques. Ultimately, this vision aims to drive progress in solar fuel generation technology for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the worldwide carbon neutralization targets, concentrating solar power (CSP) is arousing great attention. With the thermal energy storage (TES), CSP is friendly to the power system operation by supplying controllable renewable energy. The capacities of its solar field and TES are essential parameters for maximizing the profit of a CSP plant. This paper formulates an explicit expression of the CSP plant's profit instead of using a simulation-based method. Then, an unconstrained optimization model is proposed to calculate its optimal configuration directly. This model provides insights into the optimal configuration of CSP with different penetrations of wind power in the case study. The results show that to obtain a better profit for the CSP plant, large solar multiple (more than 3.0) and TES (more than 13 h) are preferred to collaborate with high penetration of wind and photovoltaic plants. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified compared to the enumeration searching method. The economy and feasibility of installing an electric heater (EH) in CSP are also demonstrated. Generally, the optimal investment in EH is linearly correlated to the penetration of variable energy resources. [Display omitted] • A flexible operation model of CSP with EH is proposed. • An explicit model of CSP's profit based on the solar radiation curve and prices is constructed. • The configuration of the CSP plant is optimized through the first-order optimality conditions on the profit function. • The optimal configuration of CSP with high renewable energy is provided in the case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The State of Illinois is examining prospects to increase the development of in-state renewable energy resources on public lands. In response, this research develops a scalable decision-support tool for identifying suitable areas for solar energy generation in the state. This paper provides guidance for state agency-driven solar development by evaluating the suitability of potential generation areas in terms of environmental impact, socioeconomic costs, and energy productivity, and providing a forum for critical decision-making. More specifically, geospatial technologies are combined with a suitability analysis to reveal the potential for solar energy generation on public lands. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the resulting information for supporting both regional and local decision-making as a Planning Support System (PSS). Our analysis suggests that the large-scale analysis using fine resolution data is useful for comparison and site-specific decision making - with site verification protocols in terms of physical implementation. We find that planning decisions for solar development should use a fine-grained suitability approach at a large scale and a feasibility analysis at a specific scale. We present our findings in statewide application along with a scalable PSS tool to optimize and support solar decision-making process and democratize the information for engaging a broader audience. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The depletion of fossil fuel and their impact on the environment due to continual usage for our ever-increasing power needs has forced us to look pro-actively towards other renewable forms of clean energy like wind, solar, ocean energy, etc. Amongst all renewable sources of energy, solar energy is abundantly available throughout the world and can meet the energy needs of our planet if appropriately harnessed. Solar thermal collectors are used to collect solar thermal energy, and then it is transferred to the fluid. The fluid may be air, water, oil, etc. depending on the application. Many researchers are working towards performance enhancement of solar thermal collectors. This article concentrates on solar air collectors and different types of modifications made in the recent past to improve its efficiency. This study is an attempt to summarize and present solar air heaters and various modifications for performance enhancement. The effect of modifications on the Nusselt number, friction factor, and thermohydraulic performance of the solar thermal collector is reported. The present article also discusses the effect of impingement of air on the device thermal efficiency and the geometric modifications. This paper will enable researchers working in this field to get a summary of important work done related to solar thermal collectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review details the most recent advancement in solar electricity production devices, in order to offer a reference for the decision-makers in the field of solar plant installation worldwide. These technologies can be classified into three main categories, namely Photovoltaics, Thermal, and Hybrid (thermal/photovoltaic). Hence, this paper begins by laying out the methodology that is used for conducting this research. Next, solar electricity production technologies are investigated and their sub-classifications are detailed to determine their resource requirements and characteristics. Subsequently, a thorough discussion is carried out. Followed by an assessment of the environmental and financial performances of each technology. Moreover, a statistical study is undertaken to highlight the efficiency and performances of each solar technology, as well as to determine their rankings in terms of electricity production worldwide. Finally, research trends related to the development of solar electricity plants are provided. • Provides thorough investigation of the solar PV, CSP and hybrid technologies. • Recent advances in hybrid solar power technologies are analyzed. • GIS based maps and summary of the installed solar power plants worldwide are given. • Updated economic and environmental analyses of solar technologies is carried out. • Presents future research trends in solar technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to electricity has been linked to improved livelihood, education, health, economic growth and overall poverty reduction. Yet, most people living without electricity or with unreliable electricity access are in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Whilst the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria suffers from severe power outages, forcing many residents to seek self-generation options. By far the most adopted option has been diesel generators which have a relatively low initial investment cost but carry health and environmental risks. Solar photovoltaic systems are a viable alternative, but the higher initial investment is a barrier for many Nigerians. This paper addresses making cleaner electricity through solar PV more attainable, increasing access to more reliable power, and reducing or eliminating the use of diesel generators. It proposes a pathway for securing residential solar PV systems at no additional cost through fuel savings and effective policy. Leveraging real data from a monitoring campaign in Lagos, the commercial hub of Nigeria, results show an opportunity to reduce or eliminate the use of diesel generators. Furthermore, financial analysis of the home solar PV option shows a cost savings of 60–65% over the project life compared to the traditional use of diesel generators for backup power generation. • Solar PV can greatly reduce or eliminate the use of diesel generators in Nigeria. • Financing based on fuel savings is a practical and implementable approach. • Replacing diesel generators with solar PV leads to savings as high as 65%. • Effective government policy is key to the adoption and diffusion of solar PV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal management for solar energy systems requires quality data to build accurate models for predicting the behavior of solar radiation. Solar irradiance and environmental data are provided by satellite and in-situ measurements. It is usual that satellite measurements present high temporal resolution with limited spatial resolution, and in-situ measurements provide high accuracy but significant missing data. This paper proposes a methodology based on machine learning algorithms that: i) takes the best of both data sources to obtain an improved spatio-temporal resolution, known as site-adaptation; and ii) provides highly accurate forecasting solar-radiation models based on deep learning on the improved data. Through a study case with real data, we show the benefits of using the proposed methodology based on machine and deep learning techniques to integrate data from different sources and to construct precise solar radiation forecasting models in regions where solar energy systems are required. Results show that machine learning models for site-adaptation performed up to 38% better than traditional methods. • Site-adaptation models of solar radiation with machine learning. • Machine learning and deep learning for solar radiation forecasting. • Improvement of satellite data and ground data. • Improvement of spatial-temporal resolution of a database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper analyzes the framing of community in community solar projects from a geographic perspective. Through an extensive literature review of academic articles, policy documents and research theses, along with analysis of web-based literature from solar developers, utilities, goverment and non-government agencies, this paper provides a critical perspective for enhancing limited research of an emerging community energy framework. We argue the concept of community has not been adequately defined in relation to community solar. Consequently, the concept of community has been misrepresentated through what we define as 'community washing'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical energy becomes necessary for human being. Generation of electrical energy mostly depends on fossils fuel, they are limited in nature and also responsible for environmental pollution. Renewable energy resources provides a better alternative for future,In comparison to conventional energy resources economical aspect is a major issue of renewable energy sources with the feasibility and efficiency. These limitations are tried to overcome by deployment hybrid renewable energy resources. There are certain criteria to analyze and implement the sized, optimized and cost efficient system. This paper focus on hybrid energy systems based on solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind resources. This paper shed lights on various parameters of economic feasibility, sizing strategies with logical advancements to enhance their utilization, future prospects, and their arrangement. Strategies to develop an effective storage system is also presented here.A brief review on developments in optimization techniques, reliability index and cost analyzing techniques for hybrid renewable energy systems are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the barriers that inhibit the deployment of renewable energy technologies to achieve long-term reductions in carbon emissions from the use of fossil fuels is paramount to Barbados. Although there are targets towards renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass, geothermal) uptake, the share of these technologies in the energy mix does not exist in Barbados due to the total dependence on fossil fuels. In this paper, a review of potential challenges and the main problems for deployment of alternative energy sources is presented. Through interviews, questionnaires with a focus group of key personnel's, the paper documents the lack of renewable energy sources (with emphasis on solar energy) as one of the main alternatives to meet the carbon emission targets set by the country. The barriers and challenges facing the implementation of solar energy deployment have been clarified. From the results, it is evident that significant policy barriers still exist at the country level, which has reduced the effectiveness of a concerted national effort to deploy renewables. The current policy landscape which benefits from fossil fuel imports, the lack of technical know-how and the lack of research and development in the renewable energy space are amongst the key barriers identified. The paper also outlines the key policy's frameworks, regulatory environment and the lack of incentives, which encompasses the renewable energy sector, and presents a critical analysis of the barriers faced by the industry. A mitigation framework is proposed to bridge the gap of solar energy (renewable energy) deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transnational power cooperation contributes to promoting the large-scale use of renewable energies in Asia, but how to develop the structure of power transmission network deserves careful investigation. This paper thoroughly investigates the structure of power investment and transmission network in China and neighbouring countries, aiming to promote the large-scale use of renewable energies around Asia. Various power-generation and power-transmission technologies are considered in detail, and transnational power interconnection risk cost and carbon emission cost are embedded into a bottom-up optimization model. The future power-generation structures and networks installed under various policy scenarios are analysed in detail, and the corresponding economic, carbon emission reduction and renewable energy consumption benefits are evaluated. The results show that power transmission between China's internal regions and neighbouring countries can save $56.7 billion for the entire power system through the large-scale grid integration of renewable energy. The installed capacities of wind power, solar power, and hydropower renewable energy power generation could be increased by 141 GW, 163 GW, and 58 GW, respectively. The construction of transnational transmission lines from Central Asia to Northwest China, Mongolia to North China, the Russian Far East to Northeast China, and Northeast China to South Korea could effectively promote the utilization of renewable energy in the Russian Far East, Mongolia and Central Asia and further reduce carbon emissions in China, Japan and South Korea. • It examines how to construct a power investment and transmission network in Asia. • Various technologies, risks and costs are considered based on bottom-up model. • Huge benefits exist for power transmission between China and neighbouring countries. • Various power-generation structures and networks installed are analysed in detail. • Suggestions about power investment and transmission are given for Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2060 and is determined to increase wind and solar power to 1200 GW by 2030, even though it already has the world's largest installed capacity of renewables. However, the lack of flexibility in the power system will limit the development of a higher proportion of renewable energy. This paper evaluates the applicability of different types of flexible power sources in China for the first time. Above all, it describes the current situation of China's power industry and the necessity of increasing flexible power sources, establishes an evaluation system from the perspectives of benefit, opportunity, cost & risk, then determines 19 evaluation criteria. The BOCR-ANP-TOPSIS method was used to evaluate the system, where the ANP method determines the weights and the TOPSIS method ranks the alternatives. The result shows that pumped storage hydropower has the highest overall ranking, followed by the flexibility transformation of coal-fired power. Coupled with sensitivity and comparative analysis, valuable findings that will help future energy policymakers are reported. • Evaluating the applicability of different flexible power sources in China for the first time. • The identification of criteria for the selection of flexible power sources was given. • Making recommendations for China's flexible power source development policy. • The BOCR-ANP-TOPSIS method adopted can be extended to select flexible power sources in different regions meticulously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy contributes a major share in sustainable energy-based electricity generation. The solar power transfer system (SPTS) has emerged to integrate solar energy into the distribution network. Moreover, the adverse effects and exhaustible nature of fossil fuels have made the control and design of the SPTS significant. This paper presents a novel grid integration control, named frequency adaptive generalized integral (FAGI) algorithm for a three-phase four-wire SPTS to compensate the reactive power, harmonics and DC offset demands of the sinks connected at the common point, and also eliminates the grid neutral current along with maximum PV array power injection to the grid. The narrow bandwidth bandpass filter property of the FAGI algorithm with adaptive corner frequency improves the fundamental component quality without compromising the response time at adverse operating conditions. The two-stage SPTS uses a DC–DC boost converter for peak power extraction. An enhanced incremental conductance (EIC) algorithm is utilized for its control, which gives simple and dynamic performance over other conventional maximum power point tracking techniques. The system control is developed to meet the load requirements, even at zero irradiance by importing the active power from the grid. Therefore, the major objectives of this work are extracting maximum power, meeting the load demands, and maintaining the grid power quality at any operating conditions. Comparison of FAGI with other common controls, is carried out and the results are produced. The system performances are analyzed at PV-side, load-side, and grid-side disturbances in the MATLAB/Simulink model, and examined the grid power quality compliance with the IEEE-519 standard. An experimental prototype of the system is developed in the laboratory and tested rigorously for multiple dynamic scenarios for validating the reported claims. • Novel frequency adaptive generalized integral control for grid integration. • Compensates load reactive power, unbalanced currents, harmonics and neutral current. • FAGI enhances dynamic response at fluctuating loads and rejects input DC offset. • System has bi-directional power transfer capability at the grid coupling point. • Performance confirmed from experimental results on developed prototype. [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]

There has been tremendous growth in the use of renewable energy sources (RES) over the last few years. Solar systems, because of their unique properties, such as being noiseless, eco-friendly, and free of pollutants, are the most feasible source of energy among all RESs. However, a major drawback of photovoltaic (PV) systems is their low energy conversion efficiency, unstable and intermittent nature. In order to extract electrical energy from solar panels, it is necessary to connect them to the power system through DC-DC converters. As a result, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms are necessary in order to increase the amount of power harvested from solar PV systems. Accordingly, a method is presented in this paper for the design of an MPPT control approach for PV systems using fuzzy gain scheduling for proportional-integral-derivative (FGS-PID) controllers coupled with adaptive scaling factors for fuzzy input signals. The developed adaptive FGS-PID controller uses a two-level control system structure that incorporates the advantages of fuzzy logic and conventional PID control. Additionally, to fine-tune the member functions (MFs) of FGS, an integration of the fuzzy logic controller (FLC) and the modified fluid search optimization (MFSO) algorithm is employed. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the developed control systems, MATLAB software has been chosen for the simulations. The developed approach has proven highly effective in automatically regulating the triangular MFs of inputs and outputs and has shown superior performance. One of the key benefits of the proposed technique is that it enables fast and accurate tracking of the PV system's highest generated power in a short period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is abundant solar potential in the Middle East North Africa region. Yet access to sustainable energy is still a fundamental challenge in many countries of this region. In this paper we seek to understand the success and failure of the development and the diffusion of solar energy technologies by analysing using a Strategic Niche Management framework to compare the niche development of solar thermal energy and solar photovoltaics in Lebanon. This paper has two main questions: (1) How have the solar thermal niche and the solar photovoltaic niche developed in Lebanon, and how do they compare? (2) In which ways does the Strategic Niche Management framework help us to understand the development of solar energy niches in a developing country context? To answer these questions, a cross case analysis of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic systems was conducted. Due to the absence of research using Strategic Niche Management in Middle Eastern developing countries, this study uses an illustrative case from a country in this region to contribute new insights. Moreover, unlike the Strategic Niche Management research that only focuses on single case studies, this paper presents the results of a comparative study of two niches. The main Strategic Niche Management propositions were grouped and compared per item (i.e. on voicing and shaping expectations, social networks, and learning). The results show that the solar thermal niche affected the solar photovoltaic niche to a large extent. This was especially in relation to the learning and coordination processes. This has gradually contributed to establishing a clear vision. However, both niches lacked a niche manager who was able to coordinate, manage and maintain the dynamics of the niche processes. It also lacked horizontal collaboration between key actors involved (i.e. ministries). International donors were found to play a crucial role in initiating and shaping the market with certain constraints of prioritization in the region. The paper ends with conclusions and ideas for future research on solar energy niche development in the context of developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares different strategies to transform the heating sector into a future 100% renewable energy solution. It focuses on the consequences for infrastructures in terms of grids and storage across the electricity, gas and heating sectors. The hypothesis is that these consequences are rarely taken into proper consideration, even though the costs are significant and differ substantially between the alternative pathways. While the smart grid scenarios are based on electricity as an energy carrier, the “smart energy systems” approach is based on a cross-sectoral use of all grids. Using Denmark as a case, this paper shows how the current gas and district heating grids each have twice the capacity of the electricity distribution grid. Moreover, the existing gas and thermal storage capacities are substantially higher and the additional future capacities are more affordable than within the electricity sector. The conclusion is that the “smart grid” pathway requires a 2–4 times expansion of the electricity grid and significant investments in electricity storage capacities, while the “smart energy systems” pathway can be implemented with relatively few investments in affordable minor expansions of existing grids and storage capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of reliable data often prevents new private investments in renewable energy and government programs in this sphere. The paper offers a novel renewable energy resources system of potentials: energy, resource saving and environmental; better designed and more accurate methods for calculating the future exploitable technical potentials of wind and solar PV energy for a wide range of generating equipment in centralized and distributed power systems, taking into account existing social and environmental limitations. The paper also presents the latest assessments of these potentials for Russia and its 85 regions (in terms of fossil fuel saving and substitution, power and heat production and environmental effects), offering solutions to overcome methodological limitations of previous country-level assessments, such as incomplete or unreliable sources, absence of hourly, daily and monthly assessments, etc. Given the limitations of existing network of national meteorological stations and satellite monitoring systems it was decided to use NASA SSE database as a source of meteorological information. The methodology was validated through a comparative analysis of the data obtained in the course of this study and the data of wind monitoring campaign carried out by a German engineering company in one Russia's region for 18 months using 70 m masts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional technologies of carbon capture and storage (CCS) are being focused on capturing CO 2 in large-scale demonstrations, which has been proved to result in the high cost and energy penalty. Meanwhile, typical innovative measures, commonly defined as the second generation CCS technologies, elude conventional ones by integrating with solar energy and thus contributing to a more energy-efficient conversion of CO 2 . However, few reviews pay attention to thermodynamic processes and parameters of these novel technologies, and there is a lack of systematic evaluation and comparison among them. This paper firstly presents a guided tour on the state-of-art of typical and innovative CCS technologies integrated with solar energy. An overview on thermodynamic processes, including chemical reactions, operating conditions and efficiency indexes of five typical technologies is presented so that the current development level can be clarified. Since the high energy requirement and related operating cost are the main barriers to the application of existing CCS technologies, the minimum work and second-law efficiency are applied as the main indicators in the second part of this paper which relates to performance evaluation. In addition, the performance windows for innovative technologies are illustrated for the comparison of technological maturity. The results show that energy requirement of innovative CCS technologies from the flue gas is avg. 100–200 kJ/mol CO 2 and the second-law efficiency of them is only 5–12%. Therefore, the maturity and popularity of these novel technologies are still relatively low. But the well-integrated systems and diversified output of these technologies can benefit existing energy infrastructures in a long period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power grid interconnection has gained attention in Northeast Asia (NEA) as a means to effectively utilize the abundant renewable resources in Mongolia. This paper quantifies the potential economic and environmental benefits of deploying massive wind turbines and solar PV in Mongolia for power exports. The author uses an NEA-wide multi-region power system model formulated as a linear programming problem. The analysis considers power systems characteristics, such as the seasonal and daily electric load curves of the NEA regions. The simulation results show that the large-scale Mongolian renewables contribute to significant CO 2 reductions in NEA. China, in particular, benefits from a significant reduction in coal-fired generation. However, huge investments would be required for the massive renewables and cross-boundary transmission facilities, pushing up electricity supply cost. The relevant planning organizations need to carefully consider these environmental opportunities and economic barriers before implementation. This paper also investigates the economic impacts of transmission route circuity due to avoiding transmission through the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Our results imply modest effects of the circuity on the total system cost; availability of routes through the DPRK would not significantly increase the benefits to the NEA system of integrating massive renewables in Mongolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An asphalt solar collector is simulated by a novel CFD model. • Several experiments are carried out to validate the numerical results. • An artificial neural network model is developed to predict the performance of the system. • Effective parameters in the variation of the outlet water temperature and efficiency are discussed. This paper presents a numerical model, development, and experimental validation of an Asphalt Solar Collector (ASC) which subsequently is modeled by Artificial Neural Network (ANN). In this research, 2 m long galvanized pipes are connected in parallel and embedded into an asphalt slab with 1 m 2 area. The slab is buried in the ground to have thermal heat transfer with adjacent soil and to resemble real conditions. Several experiments are carried out in both warm and cold months of the year with different water flow rates from 9:00 to 17:00. The ASC is modeled with CFD techniques and the desired parameters effect are independently studied based on a reference condition. An ANN model is proposed to expand the parametric study and reduce the high computational cost of numerical modeling. The inputs of the ANN include the design and the operating parameters and the outlet water temperature is considered as the output. These models are capable of evaluating the performance of the ASC at every hour during the day and under different boundary conditions. The parametric study shows that improvement of surface absorptivity and thermal conductivity of asphalt leads to a higher increase of the daily efficiency in August, however, the inlet water temperature has the same effect in November. The maximum water temperature difference and the thermal efficiency of the ASC can reach up to 24 °C and 45% in August and 14 °C and 35% in November respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy/Power is an important element of social and economic development. Without availability of energy at a reasonable price, there is little prospect of developing the country's economy and people's living conditions. A quarter of Pakistani population have no access to electricity, and currently a shortage of 5.0–7.0 GW power supply causes load shedding/blackout problems. In Pakistan, most of the power is generated from non-renewable sources like natural gas etc. Pakistan receives almost 15.525 × 1014 kW-hour of solar energy per year and sunshine duration is normally 8.0–10.0 h per day. Animal/farm wastes are readily available in Pakistan. Residues from these sources produce 103.0 billion m3 of biogas per year that is equivalent to 63.20 TWh. The objective of this study is energy production by using easily available indigenous resources. In this study a 3.0 kW integrated solar/biogas power generation system consist of 2.84 kW solar system and 4.0 m3 biogas system is designed and installed. This paper also present simulation model of system. A hybrid inverter is used to convert DC power of photovoltaic modules and the battery bank in to AC power and combines with the output power of biogas generator. Performance of the hybrid system are analysed from May 1, 2018 to June 15, 2018. During the test maximum power produce by the integrated system is 1.10 kW in morning, 2.14 kW in noon and 1.16 kW in afternoon. • Shortage of 5.0–7.0 GW power supply causes load shedding/blackout problems. • Pakistan receives almost 15.525 × 1014 kW-hour of solar energy per year. • Power produce through integrated system is 1.10 kW in morning, 2.14 kW in noon and 1.16 kW in afternoon. • Study results recommend a promising route without any external bias potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents new results on the assessment of sustainability indicators for renewable energy (RE) systems (solar PV, wind, phosphoric acid fuel cell, and solid oxide fuel cell). Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model and hybrid Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis/Additive Ratio Assessment (SWARA/ARAS) method are used in this study. Five sustainability criteria (resource, environmental, economic, social and technology) and fourteen sub-categories (area, material, energy-construction, energy-fuel, CO 2 -construction, CO 2 -fuel, capital-construction, capital-fuel, delivered cost of energy, current installed capacity, growth rate, capacity factor, system efficiency, and lifetime) are included in this analysis. The extended SWARA and ARAS hybrid method in addition to three energy experts are used in this study for the calculation of sustainability indicators. The final result of this process of ranking the four renewable energy technologies using SWARA-ARAS hybrid method based on the five sustainability criteria and the fourteen subcategories is: (1) wind energy systems (land-based), (2) solid oxide fuel cell, (3) phosphoric acid fuel cell, and (4) solar energy systems (poly-silicon). The MCDM model integrated with the hybrid SWARA/ARAS method is found to be a useful methodology for the sustainability assessment of renewable energy systems, sustainable energy development and decision-making for policy makers. • Sustainability indicators for renewable energy systems: solar PV, wind, and fuel cells. • Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model and hybrid extended SWARA/ARAS method. • Social, environmental, economic, technology and resources criteria were used in this study. • Final ranking of renewable energy systems: (1) wind, (2) fuel cell and (3) solar PV. • Proposed methodology is useful for sustainable energy development and for decision-making for the policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collector is an essential element of Solar Chimney Power Plant (SCPP). It converts the solar energy into heat by increase the internal energy of the air. An optimization of the collector design is required to recover further SCPP efficiency and to reduce the large plant area. In the present paper, a novel collector design with double-pass counter flow mode was proposed. For this purpose, a comparison between three models; conventional collector, double-pass collector with parallel flow and double-pass collector with counter flow was carried out using CFD methodology. The realizable k-ε turbulence model and the discrete ordinates (DO) non-grey radiation model were employed in the present simulations. Numerical results were validated for a reference design using test data gathered from a developed prototype built at the National School of Engineers of Sfax, in Tunisia. The distribution of the local fluid characteristics and the heat transfer modes were proven for the proposed systems. In addition, the global SCPP characteristics such as the efficiency and the driving pressure were compared. The effect of the second roof height on the system performance was analyzed for both double-passes collectors. Results show that the proposed designs are clearly affect the SCPP behavior. In fact, the double-passes counter flow collector presents an efficient solution which increases the collector efficiency by 28% comparing to the conventional collector. • A new design of a solar chimney power plant is proposed. • The effect of the collector with double passages is reported in two fluid flow modes. • The collector effeciency of the counter flow collector increases by 25% comparing to the standard collector. • A SCPP with counter flow collector presents an efficient solution to improve the SCPP performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We proposed a new algorithm for designing a cooling system for PVT systems. • The algorithm allows us to find design parameters of the required cooling system. • To validate the algorithm, CFD simulation is used for four different scenarios. • Solar panel temperature and efficiency for proposed cooling system are presented. Solar energy is an abundant source of energy for generating electricity. One of the main challenges in using solar energy is that solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are typically used in regions where solar radiation is high; consequently, the temperature of the panels will increase, and the efficiency of the panels will decrease. Adding cooling tubes to the PV panel is a possible approach to cool it down. To design such cooling systems, CFD simulations may be used; however, this approach tends to be time-consuming. In this paper, we report a new algorithm for designing straight cooling tubes. The algorithm can be used to determine important design parameters such as tube center-to-center length, diameter of the tube, and the minimum tube length needed to achieve a desired outlet temperature. The accuracy of the algorithm was tested using real-world data (including various ambient temperatures and solar radiations) and the maximum temperature difference between desired outlet temperature and CFD simulation for the designed cooling system was found to be 1.7oK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Asia as a continent has enjoyed nearly 40% of the total installed wind energy capacity, the contribution of some countries in the region is less significant. Turkmenistan as an important oil and gas producing country is a major exporter of electricity in the Central Asia region. The country has an enormous potential for wind and solar energy development overshadowed by its wealth of oil and gas. This paper aims to assess the wind energy potential of Turkmenistan by taking into account the hourly wind speed data of eighteen different locations in a typical meteorological year. The widely utilized and validated two-parameter Weibull distribution function is utilized for calculating the power and energy density of the locations in the country. Fifteen commercially available wind turbines are also employed and compared against each other in terms of annual power output, energy output, and capacity factor for the considered locations. Finally, the economic metric indicator of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is employed to assess the feasibility of the system. The obtained results are expected to be a guideline for investors and policymakers regarding the wind energy development in the country while showing a major opportunity for Central Asia's energy market in the future. • Assessing the wind energy potential of 18 locations in Turkmenistan. • Kazandzhi, Turkmenbashi, Dashhowuz, and Gyzylarbat are the best sites for harvesting wind energy. • Providing insight into the best wind turbine option for implementation. • The results show a major opportunity for Central Asia's energy market in the future. • The cheap electricity generated from wind energy can be exported to other countries facing energy crises in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential consumers in the U.S. have demonstrated a growing interest in rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems, resulting in increased adoption over the last decade. However, this has diminished utility revenues, and policymakers have expressed concerns about inequitable consumer access to publicly-funded rooftop PV adoption incentives. In response to these concerns, policymakers and utility companies are changing their policies to discourage rooftop PV adoption. Alternative renewable energy models, such as utility-provided community solar programs, offer a potential solution. However, when designing such programs, it is important to consider the potential impacts on different system stakeholders, including utilities, policymakers, and solar installers. This paper describes an agent-based model that predicts the performance of different residential distributed solar models with respect to these stakeholders' objectives. In this model, consumer agents residing in an urban utility territory decide in each time-step whether they will adopt a particular renewable energy model, and the impacts of their adoption decisions on stakeholder performance metrics are captured over time. Simulation results suggest that if community solar program premium prices are set appropriately, all stakeholders can benefit: the utility can recover part of its revenue losses even as rooftop PV adoption increases, solar installers' businesses can thrive, and increased renewable energy adoption can be achieved equitably. The proposed modeling methodology can help to inform design decisions of distributed solar energy models that avoid benefiting some stakeholders at the unnecessary expense of others. • An agent-based model is developed to study solar adoption in the residential sector. • Consumer adoption behavior is studied for multiple solar-based energy models. • System-level approach with key energy stakeholders' objectives is considered. • Results show all stakeholders can benefit within a mutually beneficial arrangement. • Empirical examples are provided in support of the simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]