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The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is imperative to mitigate climate change and achieve sustainable development goals (SGDs). Hydrogen, as a clean energy carrier, holds great potential for decarbonizing various sectors, yet its production remains predominantly reliant on fossil fuels. This study explores a novel approach to sustainable hydrogen production by integrating offshore wind energy with reverse osmosis (RO) desalination technology. The proposed configuration harnesses offshore wind power to energize both a RO desalination system and water electrolysis unit. Initially, the wind energy powers the RO desalination process, purifying seawater, and then desalinated water is directed to water electrolysis system for generating green hydrogen directly from seawater. The resulting renewable hydrogen holds potential for diverse applications, including marine industries, and can be transported onshore as needed. The RO system is configured to treat 20 kg s−1 of seawater with a salinity of 35 000 ppm, aiming for a high recovery ratio and reduced freshwater salinity. A pressure exchanger (PX) is integrated to recover energy from high‐pressure brine stream and transfer it to the low‐pressure feed water, thus reducing the overall energy consumption of the RO process. The concentrated brine extracted from RO desalination is proposed to be utilized for the production of sodium hydroxide that can further pretreat incoming seawater and enhance the effectiveness of the filtration process by mitigating membrane fouling. This pressure exchanger increases the energy efficiency of the RO system from 63.1% to 64.0% and exergetic efficiency from 13.9% to 18.2% increasing the overall first and second law efficiencies to 37.9% and 33.5%. By leveraging offshore wind power to drive RO desalination systems, this research not only addresses freshwater scarcity but also facilitates green hydrogen generation, contributing to the advancement of renewable energy solutions and fostering environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexities of high PV penetration in the electricity grid in Slovenia based on targets proposed in national energy and climate plan were explored. Scenarios modeled an increase in installation power from 1800 MW in 2030 to 8000 MW in 2050. They were analyzed using energy modeling and life cycle assessment to assess the technical and environmental aspects of high PV grid penetration. The results showed that the increase in PV production from 2200 GWh (2030) to 11,090 GWh (2050) showed an unfavorable course of excess electricity in the system, resulting in the need for short-term and long-term storage strategies and exports of electricity. LCA analysis showed that penetration of a high share of PV results in a decrease in the impact category of global warming, which is higher in 2050 green scenarios that phase out coal and lignite electricity sources (80.5% decrease) compared to the 2020 baseline scenario. The increase in mineral resource scarcity can be observed with an increase in PV share when comparing the 2030 (50%) and 2050 (150%) BAU scenarios with the baseline scenario (2020). Factors such as environmental impacts, technical challenges, and the impact on the grid must be considered when implementing a decarbonization strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable energy systems (SESs) occupy a prominent position in the modern global energy landscape. The purpose of this study is to explore the application of fuzzy control and neural network control in photovoltaic systems to improve the power generation efficiency and stability of the system. By establishing the mathematical model of a photovoltaic system, the nonlinear and uncertain characteristics of photovoltaic system are considered. Fuzzy control and neural network control are used to control the system, and their performance is verified by experiments. The experimental results show that under the conditions of low light and moderate temperature, the fuzzy neural network control achieves a 3.33% improvement in power generation efficiency compared with the single control strategy. Meanwhile, the system can still maintain relatively stable operation under different environmental conditions under this comprehensive control. This shows that fuzzy neural network control has significant advantages in improving power generation efficiency and provides beneficial technical support and guidance for the commercial development of SESs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a bi-level approach to support retailers in making investment decisions in renewable-based systems to provide clean electricity. The proposed model captures the strategic nature of the problem and combines capacity sizing decisions for installed technologies with pricing decisions regarding the electricity tariffs to offer to a reference end-user, representative of a class of residential prosumers. The interaction between retailer and end-user is modeled using the Stackelberg game framework, with the former acting as a leader and the latter as follower. The reaction of the follower to the electricity tariff affects the retailer’s profit, which is calculated as the difference between the revenue generated from selling electricity and the total investment, operation and management costs. To account for uncertainty in wholesale electricity prices, renewable resource availability and electricity request, the upper-level problem is formulated as a two-stage stochastic programming model. First-stage decisions refer to the sizing of installed technologies and electricity tariffs, whereas second-stage decisions refer to the operation and management of the designed system. The model also incorporates a safety measure to control the average profit that can be achieved in a given percentage of worst-case situations, thus providing a contingency against unforeseen changes. At the lower level, the follower reacts to the offered tariffs by defining the procurement plan in terms of energy to purchase from the retailer or potential competitors, with the final aim of minimizing the expected value of the electricity bill. A tailored approach that exploits the specific problem structure is designed to solve the proposed formulation and extensively tested on a realistic case study. The numerical results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach and validate the significance of explicitly dealing with the uncertainty and the importance of incorporating a safety measure.

The dish stirling technology holds great promise as a renewable energy solution for remote and off-grid electric regions, particularly in the southern areas of North Africa. In this research, we conducted simulations of a 100 kw Dish Stirling system to evaluate its feasibility in comparison to photovoltaic technology at five distinct locations in southern Algeria: Adrar (Bordj Badji Mokhtar), Illizi (Djanet), Tamanrasset (Ain Mertoutek), Tindouf, and Bechar. Our findings underscore the substantial potential of Dish Stirling Solar Power technology, with the Sahara region standing out as particularly promising. In this region, the Dish Stirling system consistently outperforms a 100 kw photovoltaic system across all selected locations. The Dish Stirling system achieves an average annual electricity generation of 256 mwh while simultaneously mitigating CO2 emissions by 177 tons annually. Among these locations, Djanet Illizi emerges as the most favorable, with the Dish Stirling system producing an impressive 288.43 mwh annually. This capacity is sufficient to meet the annual energy needs of 230 households, all while maintaining a competitive LCOE of 0.0378 USD/kwh. Comparative analysis with previous research illuminates the remarkable cost-effectiveness of Dish Stirling technology in southern Algeria, primarily due to its abundant direct normal irradiance levels. These findings underscore the immense potential of Dish Stirling systems as a clean and highly efficient energy solution, well-suited for demanding to address the energy needs of remote environments, such as those found in the southern border regions of Algeria.

Wind power intermittency makes it imperative to conduct transient modeling to highlight and address the challenges related to longer-term dynamics prior to demonstration projects. This paper presents the transient modeling and simulation of offshore wind energy integrated with a "green hydrogen" and "green ammonia" synthesis system. Since the transmission of electricity produced from far offshore sites to onshore points is challenging and submarine power cables are a significant cost, a fully off-grid offshore location is proposed for green ammonia production (power-to-ammonia) in contrast to previous studies that have examined grid-tied approaches. This approach can utilize the massive unexploited potential of remote offshore locations where wind velocities and capacity factors are comparatively higher, with produced green ammonia transported to onshore demand points via pipelines or ships. The offshore wind energy can directly be converted into ammonia using water and air as input materials, starting with the generated wind power used in the water electrolysis system to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Nitrogen is separated by an air separation unit and mixed with the hydrogen to produce ammonia through an all-electric ammonia synthesis system. The transient analysis results include ammonia production at each hour of the year and an integrated hydrogen storage system to buffer production for nominally steady ammonia ouput throughout the year. An economic analysis is also conducted that reveals offshore wind and electrolysis as the leading cost drivers. • Transient modeling of an offshore wind energy based green ammonia production system. • A fully off-grid offshore location is hypothesized for green ammonia production (power-to-ammonia). • Utilization of the massive unexploited potential of remote offshore locations. • The economic analysis also predicted that the offshore wind farm and electrolyser dominate the overall costs with 45% and 29% respectively. • A hydrogen storage system of 80,000 kg capacity was found to be required to help meet a steady green ammonia demand of 554 kg/h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is a cornerstone of the global effort to transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy systems. This paper explores the pivotal role of PV technology in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combatting the pressing issue of climate change. At the heart of its efficacy lies the efficiency of PV materials, which dictates the extent to which sunlight is transformed into electricity. Over the last decade, substantial advancements in PV efficiency have propelled the widespread adoption of solar PV technology on a global scale. The efficiency of PV materials is a critical factor, determining how effectively sunlight is transformed into electricity. Enhanced efficiency, achieved through a decade of progress, has driven the global expansion of solar PV. Multi-junction photovoltaic materials have now exceeded 40% efficiency in lab tests. China leads the world in solar PV installations, boasting over 253 GW of installed capacity by the end of 2021. Other prominent countries in this sector are the United States, Japan, Germany, and India. Photovoltaic (PV) cell technologies are rapidly improving, with efficiencies reaching up to 30% and costs falling below $0.50/W, making PV a competitive source of energy in many countries around the world. Solar PV technology holds immense potential for creating a cleaner, reliable, scalable, and cost-effective electricity system. To expedite its deployment and foster a more sustainable energy future, continued investment in research and development along with supportive policies and market mechanisms is essential. This paper underscores the pivotal role of solar PV technology in the global energy transition and advocates for a concerted effort to unlock its full potential in achieving a more sustainable and resilient energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexities of high PV penetration in the electricity grid in Slovenia based on targets proposed in national energy and climate plan were explored. Scenarios modeled an increase in installation power from 1800 MW in 2030 to 8000 MW in 2050. They were analyzed using energy modeling and life cycle assessment to assess the technical and environmental aspects of high PV grid penetration. The results showed that the increase in PV production from 2200 GWh (2030) to 11,090 GWh (2050) showed an unfavorable course of excess electricity in the system, resulting in the need for short-term and long-term storage strategies and exports of electricity. LCA analysis showed that penetration of a high share of PV results in a decrease in the impact category of global warming, which is higher in 2050 green scenarios that phase out coal and lignite electricity sources (80.5% decrease) compared to the 2020 baseline scenario. The increase in mineral resource scarcity can be observed with an increase in PV share when comparing the 2030 (50%) and 2050 (150%) BAU scenarios with the baseline scenario (2020). Factors such as environmental impacts, technical challenges, and the impact on the grid must be considered when implementing a decarbonization strategy.

Solar power plants have received much attention in recent years due to the use of renewable energy sources, no production of polluting gases, high concentration ratio, and proper thermal efficiency. But solar radiation's absence at night prevents the uniform and continuous production of electricity. Also, the challenge of the ever-increasing accumulation of municipal waste has caused the waste fuel-based power plants to attract the attention of many industrialized and developing countries. In the present research, a practical solution is proposed to solve the challenge of not producing electricity in solar tower power plants during the night by using waste as the input fuel of the power plant. The results obtained from the case study of the investigated cogeneration system show that the electric powers produced by the subsystems of the air Brayton cycle, the reheat Rankine cycle, and the organic Rankine cycle are equal to 4502.6 KW, 2640.3 KW, and 118 KW, respectively. The central receiver of the solar tower has the highest rate of irreversibility, accounting for 34% of the total exergy destruction rate. Based on the parametric study results, the irreversibility of the entire cogeneration system has a direct relationship with the inlet temperature of the turbine. Increasing the moisture of the waste also leads to a decrease in the temperature and percentage of syngas produced, and causes a decrease in the overall performance of the system. The net power of the cogeneration system increases first and then decreases with the increase in the temperature of the gasification process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed at comparing the exergetic sustainability and exergoenvironmental performance of subcritical (SUBORC) and supercritical (SUPERORC) organic Rankine cycle (ORC) plants for waste heat recovery from a marine vessel engine. A liquid-gas shell-and-tube heat exchanger was employed to recover the engine exhaust gases' thermal energy. The hot exhaust gases flowing through the gas side heat the Therminol 66 heat transfer fluid employed on the liquid side, which in turn heats the ORC working fluid (R600a). Zero-dimensional mass, energy, and exergy balance equations defined by the Laws of Thermodynamics were implemented in MATLAB for the design of the two ORC configurations. Results showed that the evaporator and the preheater are the most sustainable components with exergetic sustainability index (ESI) values of 7.7 and 39.4 for the SUBORC and the SUPERORC, respectively. Additionally, the condenser was obtained in both cases with the worst environmental performance with exergoenvironmental impact of electricity (EIE) values of 12 and 13 eco-indicator points per 1 MW of electricity produced by the SUBORC and the SUPERORC, respectively. Moreover, results showed that a switch from the SUBORC to the SUPERORC would have an insignificant effect on the ESI at the system level; it would reduce the recoverability ratio by about 4%, from about 0.47 in the SUBORC to around 0.45 in the SUPERORC; and it would reduce the EIE by 1.4 Pt/MW. In sum, a supercritical ORC system would exhibit better exergetic environmental sustainability than a subcritical one for waste heat recovery from a marine vessel engine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this article is the design and development of the optimal hybrid renewable energy (HRE) system for rural communities through village‐owned resources. The optimal performance and economic analysis is carried out with a suitable multi‐energy generation configuration model simulation. Based on the simulation outcomes the feasibility report of the proposed HRE system is to be considered for the investor's decision‐making process. The complete analysis has been planned with three important phases such as pre assessment stage, simulation and optimization stage, and evaluation stages. This real conducted case study has expressed many interesting facts about the integration of renewable resources toward meeting the rural energy requirements with economical and smooth manners. The proposed configuration is capable to generate net annual energy of 89,822 kWh/year with CoE (cost of energy) of Rs. 8.102. In addition, the proposed HRE system is reducing the CO2 impact on the environment by nearly 3.5% with an excess energy capacity of 6688 kWh/year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes environmental attitude, willingness, and behavior using a relatively broad range of survey items from the four Environment Modules of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) in Germany. The ISSP Environment Module is a repeated cross-sectional large-scale survey in Germany covering a period of nearly 30 years with four survey waves (1993, 2000, 2010, and 2020). We find that environmental attitude, willingness, and behavior are relatively stable between 1993 and 2010 in Germany. However, in the fourth wave, we find a significant upward trend in attitude and willingness compared to 2010—even though the COVID-19 pandemic was omnipresent at the time of the survey. This could indicate that climate change and environmental issues have gained such significance that they cannot easily be fully displaced by other major events, such as a pandemic. Moreover, we detect systematic heterogeneity in environmental attitude, willingness, and behavior predominantly with respect to respondents' education, residential region, and political orientation but also some heterogeneity regarding gender, age, and income. Finally, we reveal that the dynamic of environmental attitude, willingness, and behavior also depends on certain socio-demographic characteristics, such as residential region, or political orientation. Our findings are essential for a better understanding of the social feasibility of transformation pathways towards a sustainable energy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present times, sustainability is to be demanded to attain high economic growth in longer run. Thus, countries are obliged to scrutinize the factors which balance the economic growth and prove to be efficient indicator of environment. This study, knowing the significance of such indicators, the study formulates a framework in which a role of sustainable energy system, creativity, and green finance on the environmental efficiency and sustainable economic development intends to be examined in the context of high carbon emission economies such as Iran, Canada, China, Indonesia, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United States, Russia, and South Korea. In order to tackle the abovementioned issue, the study used the data extracted from world development indicators (WDI) covering the period from 2010 to 2020. The study employed Random fixed model to test the proposed hypotheses. Obtained results expose that sustainable energy systems, creativity and green finance share negative association with carbon emissions, hence, revealing this point that the indicators are useful to increase sustainable economic development and environmental efficiency. Thereby, in order to achieve sustainable economic growth, governments are liable to implement policies with a long-term approach. The outcomes are also helpful for the upcoming researchers and regulators while formulating the policies about environmental efficiency.

This paper focused on the endogenous and exogenous factors that affect China's sustainable energy system (SES). 19 Endogenous factors, from economic sustainability dimension, social sustainability dimension, environmental sustainability dimension and energy security dimension assessed China's SES by entropy method-analytic hierarchy process-criteria importance through intercriteria correlation method (EM-AHP-CRITIC). We used urbanization, foreign direct investment and industrialization as exogenous variables and explored the extent of their long-term and short-term impacts on China's SES by autoregressive distributed lag-error correction (ARDL-ECM) model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The appliances people adopt, and the way they use them, can critically influence the sustainable energy transition. People are often attracted to appliances with many setting options that offer them more control. Yet, operating many setting options can have negative consequences for users (e.g., user frustration) and the management of sustainable energy systems (e.g., unpredictable consumption increasing complexity and uncertainty of systems), which may obstruct sustainability goals. We aim to study how to reduce the preference for many setting options without reducing the perceived attractiveness of the appliance. In line with our theorizing we found that people opt for appliances with fewer setting options when they are asked to reflect on which options they would like to have from a list of possible setting options, while being equally satisfied with the appliance. In addition, we show that this is especially the case when asking people to select which setting options they would like an appliance to have, as this will feel like they gain options, rather than asking them which options they are willing to give up as this feels like losing options that their appliance could have. Our findings offer relatively easy and cost-efficient ways to decrease people's desire for many setting options on appliances, decreasing stress on the user and the energy system, while ensuring satisfaction with and acceptance of the appliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work assesses the role of biomass and municipal solid waste in isolated energy systems. For this, La Réunion, a French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean with a population of about 850,000, serves as a case study. Methodically, the study assesses technical biomass-based potentials based on an island-wide digital landscape model, detailed information on land use, soil, and climate, and a dynamic yield simulation tool, while technical waste-based energy potentials are calculated from local data. In total, 9 crops, 11 waste streams, and forested areas are considered. The potential contribution of biomass and waste to the energy system is studied in three scenarios. In all, unsustainable outcomes are avoided by valorizing only crop residues and applying sustainable harvesting rates to forests. Depending on the scenario, biomass or waste based energy could cover between 19% and 22% of 2019 electricity demand compared to an actual value of 6% (2019). Furthermore, prioritizing the production of secondary energy carriers allows to meet 8% of 2019 energy demand in the transport sector. These results are in good accordance with previous studies and scenarios on Réunion's energy transition. Given its bottom-up approach based on standard geoinformatic data, the proposed method is in principle transferable to other isolated regions, also in developing countries. A first, high-level assessment of four comparable island (states) shows that in three cases similar contributions of biomass and waste as in Réunion can be expected. As a next step, the purely technical assessment shall be complemented by economic considerations. • Method: Application of an innovative bottom-up and spatially resolved biomass potential analysis with local waste potentials. • Result: Exploitation of local energy resource potentials in biomass and waste can cover up to 49% of local electricity demand. • Transfer: The method can be applied to other isolated regions or developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed to investigate the spin-dependent mechanical, electronic, magnetic, optical, and thermal transport properties of rare-earth-based chalcogenides MgPr2X4 (X = S, Se) spinels. The mechanical properties are obtained by employing the modified Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof generalized gradient approximation (PBEsol GGA). Also, the modified Becke and Johnson (mBJ) potential is engaged in examining the electronic, magnetic, optical, and transport properties. Structural stability in the ferromagnetic (FM) phase is confirmed by calculating the energy difference between the FM and non-magnetic states. Besides, the formation energies are computed for thermodynamic stability. The strong hybridization near the Fermi level comes from chalcogenides 2p-states and f-states of rare-earth metals, which results in the total magnetic moments. The in-depth optical properties are evaluated in terms of dielectric constant and refraction. Lastly, electronic thermal coefficients, such as Seebeck coefficient, electrical and thermal conductivity, and power factor, are also probed and suggested studied spinels as promising sustainable energy materials.

The dish stirling technology holds great promise as a renewable energy solution for remote and off-grid electric regions, particularly in the southern areas of North Africa. In this research, we conducted simulations of a 100 kw Dish Stirling system to evaluate its feasibility in comparison to photovoltaic technology at five distinct locations in southern Algeria: Adrar (Bordj Badji Mokhtar), Illizi (Djanet), Tamanrasset (Ain Mertoutek), Tindouf, and Bechar. Our findings underscore the substantial potential of Dish Stirling Solar Power technology, with the Sahara region standing out as particularly promising. In this region, the Dish Stirling system consistently outperforms a 100 kw photovoltaic system across all selected locations. The Dish Stirling system achieves an average annual electricity generation of 256 mwh while simultaneously mitigating CO2 emissions by 177 tons annually. Among these locations, Djanet Illizi emerges as the most favorable, with the Dish Stirling system producing an impressive 288.43 mwh annually. This capacity is sufficient to meet the annual energy needs of 230 households, all while maintaining a competitive LCOE of 0.0378 USD/kwh. Comparative analysis with previous research illuminates the remarkable cost-effectiveness of Dish Stirling technology in southern Algeria, primarily due to its abundant direct normal irradiance levels. These findings underscore the immense potential of Dish Stirling systems as a clean and highly efficient energy solution, well-suited for demanding to address the energy needs of remote environments, such as those found in the southern border regions of Algeria., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Many countries worldwide have adopted policies to support the expansion of renewable energy sources aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, combating climate change, and, more generally, establishing a globally sustainable energy system. As a result, energy systems around the world are undergoing a process of fundamental change and transformation that goes far beyond the technological dimension. While energy system models have been developed and used for several decades to support decision makers in governments and companies, these models usually focus on the techno-economic dimension, whereas they fall short in addressing and considering behavioural and societal aspects of decisions related to technology acceptance, adoption, and use. In fact, it is often the societal dimension that comes with the greatest challenges and barriers when it comes to making such a socio-technical transformation happen in reality. This paper therefore provides an overview of state-of-the-art energy system models on the one hand and research studying behavioural aspects in the energy sector on the other hand. We find that these are two well-developed fields of research but that they have not yet been integrated sufficiently well to provide answers to the many questions arising in the context of complex socio-technical transformation processes of energy systems. While some promising approaches integrating these two fields can be identified, the total number is very limited. Based on our findings, research gaps and potentials for improvement of both energy system models and behavioural studies are derived. We conclude that a stronger collaboration across disciplines is required.

Micro-grid can be used as a supplement to power supply of large power grids. Combined with smart park, users can easily manage the micro-grid. In the tourist scenic area, the local distributed new energy is mainly used to provide energy for the system. The micro-grid control system as the core of the system controls the optimal operation of the entire smart park. In order to ensure the efficient operation of the entire system, the energy management system is needed for smart control and automatic scheduling. In the grid-connected mode, the main-grid complements the system energy and charges the park energy storage device. In the island mode, the distributed energy is fully used to provide energy for the smart park system. The energy power fluctuates greatly, and the energy management system needs to schedule the micro-grid energy, energy storage system, electric vehicle load and so on, and power quality needs to be monitored. Use of micro-grid control system in the smart parking deploying photovoltaic power generation, wind power generation, charging and exchanging devices and other devices, real-time monitoring of the park of cars, charging cars automatically complete charging, automatic processing of visitor cars into and out of smart park, and improve work efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Near-wall vertical cable fire experiment was conducted in an analogue nuclear compartment. • Wall confinement and source-ceiling height variation effect was considered. • A new correlation for heat release rate of near-wall vertical cable fire was established. Abstract Nuclear power plant will be significant energy system for sustainable cities. The safety risk of the cable fire is an important issue for managing and operating a nuclear power plant. A simple and useful method to estimate the fire scale is urgently needed for safety management. In this work, experiment was conducted in a typical underground compartment of nuclear power plant, which primarily focused on safety monitoring and management of the vertically arranged cable. The burning characteristic of the cable was firstly measured by cone calorimeter. Then, full-scale experiment was conducted, in which the real-time heat release rate was recorded through mass variation and the real-time temperature beneath the ceiling was simultaneously measured by the thermocouples. A modified model to predict the real-time heat release rate of the vertical cable fire base on measured temperature beneath the ceiling was established and was then validated through the experimental result. It's shown that the predicted heat release rate could well match with that measured in the experiment. The results of this work may provide guidance for the cable fire risk assessment and safety monitoring, and may also provide reference for underground nuclear power plant design and safety management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experimentally characterize the initial presence of lithium in shale rocks and brines. • Experimentally analyze the release mechanism of lithium from solid to fluid. • Numerically model the release, transport, and accumulation of lithium in shale brines. • Evaluate the lithium concentration in shale brines. • Contribute to the diversification and enhancement of sources of lithium supply. In order to mitigate climate change, diversifying the sources of lithium supply is crucial for the decarbonization of energy sector through enhanced renewable electricity generation and electrified transportation. Shale brines have been recently found to be containing significant amount of lithium, but relevant subsurface phenomena regarding its origin, fate, and transport are unknown. Here we present a suite of geochemical experiments to elucidate the initial presence of lithium in shale rocks and its release mechanism from solid phase into fluid, and numerical modeling to estimate the resources of lithium in shale brines by addressing its fate and transport. We find that the majority of lithium is inorganically bound as an interlayer cation of clay in shale rock, while a sparingly small portion is organically bound. Hydrothermal reaction experiments for leaching lithium reveal that calcium ion in fluid has strongest impact on lithium to be released into fluid, while sodium ion has minimal impact. From the numerical modeling combined with the experimental findings, average concentration of lithium in shale brines mimicking Marcellus Shale system is estimated to be about 135 ppm under calcium ion dominancy in pore fluid, which shows excellent match with actually measured values from produced Marcellus Shale brines. This study provides the understanding of fundamental phenomena addressing release, transport, and accumulation of lithium in geologic system, and hence contributes to the enhancement of sources of lithium supply for energy decarbonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing awareness of climate issues and environmental policy has been a key factor behind the continuous transition of energy systems at different levels. This paper aimed to analyse the energy system of Viken county, located in Norway. An energy system model using the energy system analysis tool EnergyPLAN was developed. Based on the reference year 2018, two future scenarios which focus on changes in the transport sector for the year 2030 and 2050 were designed. Besides changes in the transport sector, the integration of renewable energy sources is considered in the future scenarios. The results of the analysis regarding the future scenario shows substantial CO2 reduction as a result of energy-carrier switching within the transport sector. The integration of new energy sources, in this case, solar PV and wind power, helps to offset increased import dependency. The primary energy supply decrease and the share of renewable energy increases significantly.

Micro-grid can be used as a supplement to power supply of large power grids. Combined with smart park, users can easily manage the micro-grid. In the tourist scenic area, the local distributed new energy is mainly used to provide energy for the system. The micro-grid control system as the core of the system controls the optimal operation of the entire smart park. In order to ensure the efficient operation of the entire system, the energy management system is needed for smart control and automatic scheduling. In the grid-connected mode, the main-grid complements the system energy and charges the park energy storage device. In the island mode, the distributed energy is fully used to provide energy for the smart park system. The energy power fluctuates greatly, and the energy management system needs to schedule the micro-grid energy, energy storage system, electric vehicle load and so on, and power quality needs to be monitored. Use of micro-grid control system in the smart parking deploying photovoltaic power generation, wind power generation, charging and exchanging devices and other devices, real-time monitoring of the park of cars, charging cars automatically complete charging, automatic processing of visitor cars into and out of smart park, and improve work efficiency.

The solutions of inverter switch and routing scheme are integrated to develop a mobile controlled energy saving system (MCESS). For the transient response problem of an n‐channel metal‐oxide‐semiconductor field‐effect transistor acting as an invert switch, and a routing scheme is solved for developing the MCESS. It can be claimed that all the mentioned previously schemes are very challenge for addressing the problems in the design of an analogue processing circuit and the implementation of Android applications (or Apps). The developed MCESS is experimentally verified automatically switch for adjusting the energy output appropriately. A control system with a solution of MCESS can replace the traditional sustainable energy systems, and obtain much longer lifetime and a steady state of the storage equipment. Furthermore, the proposed MCESS integrates Apps developed on a smart device using the Android platform with different wireless protocols, such as WiFi, Bluetooth for controlling the system with contactless. Moreover, there much experience in the development of MCESS is provided audiences with useful materials, for example a routing solution that employs wireless local area network with the WiFi protocol is implemented to transmit packets of the regulator circuit and the instant feedback display. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy‐dense supercapacitors (SCs) based on metal oxides@graphene electrode and ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte hold great promise in sustainable energy system. However, these types of SCs suffer from poor cycling stability, especially at high working voltage. Herein, a porous ferric oxide/graphene (P−Fe2O3/G) electrode has been developed, in which Fe2O3 nanoparticles exhibit abundant and suitable mesoporous channels. This structure ensures the high ionic diffusion kinetics of the IL ions during the repeated charging‐discharging processes, thereby providing the P−Fe2O3/G electrode with outastanding capacitance behavior and cycling performance in IL electrolyte. As a result, an ingenious asymmetric electrode concept has been put forward to fabricate energy‐dense SCs based on this P−Fe2O3/G as negative electrode, carbon dodecahedrons/graphene (CDs/G) as positive electrode and IL electrolyte. Remarkably, the fabricated devices exhibit superior high‐voltage cycling stability with 95 % retention after 20 000 cycles, which are much better than that of most previously reported SCs based on metal oxides/graphene electrode and IL electrolyte. On this basis, a sustainable energy system combining wind harvesting with asymmetric SCs has been established, wherein the asymmetric SCs can be effectively recharged by harvesting sustainable wind power and repeatedly supply power without decline of electrochemical performance. Therefore, this work can provide a promising porous electrode for high performance SCs in sustainable energy system. A kind of unique porous Fe2O3@Graphene (P−Fe2O3/G) hybrid electrode with abundant and suitable mesopores has been put forward and applied for ionic liquids based supercapacitors towards sustainable energy storage for the first time. This porous structure ensures the high ionic diffusion kinetics of the IL ions during the repeated charging‐discharging processes, thereby providing outastanding capacitance behavior and cycling performance in IL electrolyte. As a result, an energy‐dense SCs is fabricated by using this P−Fe2O3/G as negative electrode, carbon dodecahedrons@graphene (CDs/G) as positive electrode and IL electrolyte, exhibiting low resistance, high energy density (98.75 W h/kg), and strong high‐voltage durability (95 % retention after 20 000 cycles in 0 to 3.5 V). Such the durable high‐voltage stability are better than that of previously reported SCs based on metal oxides@graphene electrode and IL electrolytes. On this basis, a sustainable energy system combining wind harvesting with ASCs has beenn constructed, wherein the asymmetric SCs can be effectively recharged by harvesting sustainable wind power and repeatedly supply power without decline of electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Power-to-gas can provide energy storage for renewable energy storage. • PtG can play different roles in different energy systems. • PtG can support the transition of energy system toward sustainability. • PtG can be an important source of renewable gases such as hydrogen, methane or SNG. Abstract This paper presents an overview of power-to-gas opportunities. Power-to-gas technology is gaining more and more popularity. It can provide large and long-term storage for increasing share of renewable sources in the energy system. In this paper, we would like to review the role of the power-to-gas system in different energy system architectures. Authors have analyzed the literature in the context of the problems, which could be solved by power-to-gas technology. Additionally, different assessment such as techno-economic, Life Cycle Assessment and Multi-criteria decision analysis for power-to-gas were revised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Article shows how system dynamics modelling (SDM) approach could be used in modelling the energy transition towards low carbon energy system. SDM can be used to combine the techno-economic and socio-technical analysis. The study considers flexibility issues related to integration of renewable energy sources. Simplified model structure is made to illustrate how flexibility as well as other socio-technical aspects might be modelled. Results of the model correspond to the behavior anticipated from the model structure. Namely, model imitates effects of technological disruption which rises the limits of intermittent power production from renewable sources which can be integrated into power system. The limits are increased stepwise, as a share of intermittent power production reaches certain threshold value, resulting in sequence of S-shaped growth. This study presents flexibility increase of a power system conceptually and more detailed study should uncover leverage points which could stimulate this increase and thus, transition to sustainable energy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable and clean multi-energy systems have been hybrid coordinated in microgrid (MG) to fulfill regional multi-energy users economically, but shortages and surpluses still exist. The growth of win-win energy sharing between MGs attracts attention to smart information center (SIC) concept in MGs' community, which facilitates sustainable solutions across three key objectives: lower carbon emission, sufficient utilization, and long-term cooperation. This paper designs a two-stage decision framework for day-ahead operations of SIC, where the first stage minimizes the total cost (i.e. operational cost and carbon emission cost) by the proposed multi-energy intra-scheduling and inter-sharing model (MIIM) and the second stage implements the smart cost-saving redistribution model (SCRM) to stimulate MGs in long-term joining of energy sharing. The extended alternating direction multipliers method algorithm (E-ADMM) is developed to protect the privacy of MGs' data while approximating the optimal solution of MIIM. The case study proves that a) demand response and energy sharing in MIIM result in cost savings of 2.01% for carbon emissions and 7.25% for total operations; b) renewable energy has been fully utilized and the total multi-energy loss has been avoided nearly 92.22% in MIIM; c) the asymmetric Nash bargaining approach fits the SCRM with incentive cooperation, whereby those who contribute more gain a higher share; d) the optimal gap of E-ADMM is less than 0.2% by iterated insensitive decision result from each MG, which computes in polynomial time when the scale of MG increases; e) the two-stage framework performs better with more heterogeneity of MGs. Furthermore, we provide valuable insights for guidance and models with worldwide generalization potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work-study deals with the economic planning of an island sustainable system that consists of a wind turbine, battery, combined heat and power system, and thermal storage to meet electrical and thermal loads at the same time. The approach attempts to find minimum capital cost, repair and maintenance cost, and operating cost, as well as minimize the pollution of these elements. It is also constrained by the operation-planning model of the mentioned resources and storage, provided that a wind turbine and combined heat and power system have priority in electrical load supply, a combined system of heat and power has priority in thermal load supply, and batteries and storage devices have the task of filling the gap between supply and demand profiles. Uncertainty parameters of the scheme include electrical and thermal load and power output of the wind system. The scheme adopts the unscented transformation method to provide proper modeling of the mentioned uncertainties. Moreover, the essence of the problem is integer nonlinear programming, which uses the combined gray wolf optimization and honey bee mating optimization algorithm to achieve the desired solution. Simultaneous supply of electrical and thermal loads, modeling of uncertainties, and adoption of a combined solver in the proposed scheme are among the contributions. Finally, by implementing this scheme on data from the city of Espoo, Finland, the numerical results indicate a reduction of 10%–11% in the planning cost of the proposed scheme compared to a design that only supplies electricity. • Planning an island sustainable system with WT, CHP, and storages in the Espoo, Finland. • Simultaneous supply of electrical and thermal energy. • Modeling uncertainties of wind speed and load in accordance with the UT method. • Using UT for a reliable solution to power fluctuations in load and WT relative to predictions. • Optimal solution obtained by GWO-HBMO with minimal standard deviation and fast convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal is the most abundant fossil energy, however, coal industry is threatened by its environmental problems caused by the traditional way of utilization. In recent years, China has developed a series of clean coal technologies to transform black-dirty coal into clean fuels and chemicals. Shenhua Group, the largest coal company in China is leading the commercialization of modern clean-coal technologies for value-added chemicals and clean transportation fuels, in which CO 2 is captured in the process and ready for carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). Industrial plants for coal based methanol production and conversion are flourishing in last decade. With the development of renewable H 2 , methanol production could be realized by CO 2 hydrogenation to transform into “Methanol Economy”, the sustainable energy development system. This paper will focus on the overview of research and development of methanol-based coal conversion technologies in China, such as methanol synthesis, methanol to olefins (MTO), chemicals (formaldehyde, acetic acid, aromatics, ethanol, ethylene glycol, etc.), gasoline (MTG), dimethyl ether (DME), polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (DMM n ), methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE), direct combustion (DMFC), and as energy carrier. Commercial and successfully demonstrated units in China on both the synthesis of methanol and its utilization are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deployment of efficient, integrated energy systems can make a substantial contribution to reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Such systems are suitable for the provision of distributed energy supply in remote areas, and offer the advantages of compactness and operational flexibility. Also, the simultaneous production of multiple products provides the opportunity for Process Integration, thus leading to improved fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions. Process Systems Engineering methods can be applied for the synthesis of such sustainable energy systems. For example, process graph (or P-graph) models have previously been developed for synthesizing single-period polygeneration systems based on the Process Network Synthesis framework. In this work, a P-graph model for multi-period optimization of sustainable energy systems is developed. The model is able to synthesize flexible systems that can cope with changes in the availability of raw material supply and variations in product demand. In addition, the P-graph model is also capable of generating near-optimal solutions, which provide insights that may be significant to decision-makers, such as structural features that are common to a range of good solutions. Two case studies are presented to demonstrate the approach developed in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving national energy security has been recognized as one of the most important perspectives of energy policy in Japan. On the other hand, a notion of higher energy resilience has recently become common to make a domestic energy supply system stable since the Great East Japan earthquake occurred in 2011. Therefore, a purpose of this study is to establish frameworks that evaluate energy security and energy resilience quantitatively to design a sustainable energy system. An advanced framework for energy security evaluation is developed in which Resource Diversity, Import Price, Import Region Diversity, Environmental Impact and Energy Efficiency are selected as criteria, where each criterion is normalized between 0 (extremely low security) and 1 (extremely high security). In addition, a multi-objective analysis using the augmented ε-constraint method (AUGMECON) is conducted to determine the best energy resource configuration for a Japanese energy system from the perspective of both energy security and economic feasibility. On the other hand, energy resilience evaluations are conducted in accordance with four steps: identifying risks, assessing risks, building resilience, and evaluating resilience. Energy resilience is evaluated based on two criteria. The first one is Resilience Index which is calculated by a ratio between energy supply and energy demand. The second one is an economic loss incurred by a sudden energy supply interruption. In conclusion, in order to develop a sustainable energy system in Japan, it is important to increase the proportion of renewable energy consumption, which contributes to enhancing both national energy security and regional energy resilience.

• Mathematical modeling of a deep-decarbonized energy system combining nuclear reactors, renewable resources, and energy storage systems. • Development of a novel research framework to assess the impact of resource uncertainty in a nuclear-renewable integrated energy system. • Evaluation and validation of research key findings using two recent nature-based optimization algorithms. Zero-carbon energy infrastructure design has become one of the most consequential pivotal toward sustainable development. This article introduces a novel approach to energy infrastructure innovation that incorporates carbon-free energy generation resources- renewables and Micro Nuclear Reactors (MNRs). The integrated Nuclear-Renewable Microgrid (NRM) has minimal greenhouse gas emissions and the utmost reliability. However, the planning and modeling of NRMs may face challenges due to the variability and uncertainty of renewable resources. Therefore, the study proposes a probabilistic energy modeling approach for NRMs, which provides an outstanding estimation for energy system planning in terms of economics and resiliency. Multiple load-generation scenarios have been formulated based on the probability distribution functions. A recent nature-based optimization technique, Slime Mould Algorithm (SMA), is employed to minimize the total annual cost of the probabilistic model with reliability constraints. The statistical analyses reveal that the probabilistic energy modeling method perfectly evaluates how energy generation resources should be mixed to fulfill energy demand in an optimal manner. The key findings also demonstrate observations on finance, system resiliency, and system components before the commencement of the project. The results are validated by another recent metaheuristic optimization algorithm called Aquila Optimizer (AO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We analyse Gordon's trade-off by adapting Thurow's approach of pure public good using the example of the German energy sector which is in a transition process to a low-carbon sustainable energy system (Energiewende). The income distribution and the energy expenditures of households are interpreted as public goods. Their distribution is measured with the Atkinson index, which determines how the quality of life, as measured in income and energy expenditures, is distributed among society. Methods: We use the disaggregated consumption and income for 39.409 million German households. Our socio-economic analysis focuses on six household types. Results: Our analysis shows that among German households, energy expenditures are more equally distributed than private consumption in general and income. The rather (but by far not completely) equal distribution of energy expenditures confirms Smil's finding that energy is the universal currency (Sen, On Economic Inequality, 1973) for people's welfare and can be seen as an indicator of the basic needs of households irrespective of household income. Nevertheless, low-income households have to spend a higher share of their income on energy to avoid energy poverty. Further price increases could lead to an unequal distribution and rising energy poverty. Conclusions: The socio-economic conditions of society and its energy sector have to be addressed in a transition processes. Energy poverty constitutes an infringement of the sustainability concept. If society does not take distributional effects into account, the transition process itself could be jeopardized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]