The Photovoltaic (PV) system has attracted significant research attention because of its renewable attributes, quiet operation, and simple installation. Nonetheless, the whole potential of PV technology remains unrealised due to many external obstacles. This requires a comprehensive evaluation to determine the effects of external factors on PV and external technological solutions, which could guide future research endeavours. This review integrates three essential dimensions: the impact of environmental factors on PV systems, advanced technological solutions—including biomimetic approaches—for improving energy efficiency, and a critical evaluation of PV sustainability in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The review offers a comprehensive examination of natural elements, including wind, humidity, temperature, and Earth's rotation, which may impair PV performance, alongside the beneficial and detrimental environmental effects of PV systems. In addition, the review investigates advanced technological alternatives for enhancing energy performance in conjunction with nature-inspired advances. Further, the study reviewed PV system sustainability challenges, assessed SDGs alignment, and explored sustainable methods to reduce environmental consequences. The PV systems exert positive impacts on the environment by diminishing fossil fuel consumption while also presenting adverse consequences such as deforestation, environmental disruption, and the utilization of hazardous chemicals in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the nature-inspired methods, along with superior external approaches, improved the energy performance of PV modules. Moreover, the PV system is pivotal in attaining SDGs, enabling secure and sustainable future energy. Therefore, in future, sustainability strategy frameworks for PV systems must be established to address sustainability concerns.
Zeshan Abbas, Hafiza Yousra Bibi, Usman Khalid
et al.
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have potential in wastewater treatment, biogas production and clean energy generation. MFCs provide an interdisciplinary research approach incorporating engineering and natural sciences. This study explores MFCs’ capabilities to produce electricity and biogas from wastewater and field soil substrates with different compositions. A two-chamber MFC system was operated anaerobically. Household sewage water used as the organic substrate with different soil amounts. Six different process feed compositions, labeled MFC-1–6, were investigated. MFC-1 exhibited the highest biogas generation volume of 245 cm³ and 42 mW/cm² power density. MFC-5 and −6 yielded 100 cm³ and 130 cm³, respectively. Wastewater treatment was effective on day 20, with pH, conductivity, turbidity, and total dissolved solids decreased to 7.3, 2.6 mS, 326 NTUs, and 1114 mg/L, respectively. Since, MFC-1 autonomously generated −800 mV, an external battery supplied an additional 600 mV to meet the methane generation voltage requirements. MFCs’ effectiveness in addressing wastewater treatment and renewable energy production was highlighted.
Production of electric energy or power. Powerplants. Central stations, Renewable energy sources
Background: Leachate-induced clogging in landfill drainage systems significantly impairs operational efficiency while posing substantial environmental risks. The complex interactions among leachate components (e.g., organic matter, heavy metals, and inorganic salts), microbial communities, and inorganic precipitates lead to clogging that reduces hydraulic conductivity. Traditional control methods often fail to address these underlying processes, necessitating a deeper understanding of clogging mechanisms and effective mitigation strategies. Significance: This study provides an in-depth analysis combining a review of existing literature and experimental insights into the role of microbial communities in clogging formation and the effectiveness of aged refuse layers as a mitigation measure.To provide a comprehensive assessment, a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework is employed to analyze the environmental impacts of various clogging control methods.This study contributes to theoretical advancements by integrating a comprehensive review of LCA frameworks in the context of landfill management, addressing a gap in current literature. The integration also provides a nuanced analysis of the environmental trade-offs and their implications for sustainable landfill practices.By integrating LCA, this research offers a dual perspective that addresses both technical challenges and environmental trade-offs, contributing to more sustainable landfill management practices. Results: Laboratory experiments demonstrated that microbial activity significantly promoted calcium carbonate precipitation, leading to reduced hydraulic conductivity in landfill drainage systems. Partially saturated aged refuse layers reduced clogging potential by up to 40% by stabilizing leachate chemistry and inhibiting biofilm formation. However, life cycle assessment (LCA) results indicate that while aged refuse layers mitigate clogging, they also increase the global warming potential (GWP) by 10% compared to conventional methods, highlighting the need to balance technical efficacy with environmental sustainability. Conclusion: This study provides critical insights into microbial contributions to landfill leachate-induced clogging and emphasizes the importance of incorporating environmental considerations into landfill management. Although aged refuse layers are effective in reducing clogging, their environmental trade-offs should be carefully evaluated. Future research should explore alternative materials and configurations to optimize both clogging control and environmental performance, promoting more sustainable landfill drainage management strategies.
Renewable energy sources, Environmental engineering
Biantoro Agung W., Majid R.B. Abdul, Vidayanti D.
et al.
This research presents the design and development of a Smart Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) system integrated into a green building using hybrid energy sources—solar and wind—supported by Internet of Things (IoT) technology. This study used the VDI 2221 engineering design methodology to systematically analyze, select, and develop a suitable RWH system design powered by solar cells and wind energy. The main objective of this research was to conduct a comparative analysis of various RWH tool designs to identify the most efficient and sustainable configuration to be applied in coastal and deltaic environments. This research method employed quantitative analysis and VDI 2221 analysis, a method for engineering product development developed by the Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI), the German Association of Engineers. This method has become an international standard in engineering design, especially in the fields of industrial engineering and in civil systems engineering. The research results indicate that there are three RWH design options for coastal areas, namely Model 1, Model 2, and Model 3. The best choice is Model 1, which utilises sturdy, rust-resistant, and wind-resistant materials and incorporates renewable energy and IoT technology. The wind power plant is capable of producing 32.42 kWh/day of electricity, while the harvested rainwater ranges from 43 mm to 1043 mm per month. A comprehensive design concept that aligns with green building standards and is feasible to implement an innovative and sustainable rainwater harvesting system.
With the increasing penetration of renewable energy sources, there has been a profound structural transformation in electricity markets, particularly in the operational paradigm where demand-side resources participate in market mechanisms. This evolution underscores the critical role of demand-side flexibility in enhancing grid resilience and accelerating low-carbon transition pathways. The traditional supply-side regulation is gradually shifting towards a multi-agent decision-making model dominated by demand-side management, involving complex interactions among government, electricity suppliers, grid operators, and consumers. Evolutionary game theory (EGT), as an important tool for studying multi-agent dynamic games and strategy evolution, demonstrates unique advantages in analyzing demand-side participation in the electricity market. Unlike traditional game theory, EGT accounts for bounded rationality, incomplete information, and dynamic strategy adaptation, enabling effective analysis of market equilibrium and stability under different incentives and policy frameworks. A comprehensive review of the applications of EGT in the electricity market is provided in this paper, focusing on the strategy evolution and equilibrium mechanisms of demand-side participation. It explores how EGT helps to understand and predict strategy adjustments and the impact of policy incentives on market stability in multi-agent games. The paper also looks forward to future research directions. By organizing and analyzing the existing literature, this review offers a theoretical framework and practical reference for policymakers, market regulators, and researchers to facilitate the collaborative evolution and sustainable development of the electricity market under the context of renewable energy.
The high content of alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs) in biomass fuels exacerbates slagging and corrosion during co-combustion with coal, thereby limiting industrial utilization. To address these challenges, this study proposes a green pretreatment combining Fenton and photocatalytic processes. Walnut shells (WS) were treated with g-C3N4-loaded calcium alginate microbeads under simultaneous simulated daylight irradiation and Fenton oxidation. Thermogravimetric analysis was employed to investigate the combustion characteristics of coal blended with pretreated and untreated WS. Results demonstrated a 170 % enhancement in the combustion performance index (S) at a heating rate of 20 °C/min. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis revealed that the pretreatment reduced AAEMs content by 53.5 %, specifically decreasing K₂O and Na₂O concentrations in ash from 5.21 % to 0.87 %. Slagging indices analysis further confirmed mitigated fouling risks, showing a low slagging index of 0.158 and a fouling index of 0.129. Kinetic analysis using model-free methods indicated a 12.8 % increase in activation energy (E = 149.94 kJ/mol for pretreated walnut shells-coal blends compared to 132.91 kJ/mol for untreated blends), indicating a suppression of the catalytic effects of AAEMs on coal degradation. This work establishes a sustainable strategy for optimizing biomass-coal co-combustion systems with improved environmental compatibility and industrial applicability.
Mohamed A. El-Hameed, Mahfouz Saeed, Adnan Kabbani
et al.
Abstract This paper presents the development of an adaptive load frequency controller (LFC) to mitigate frequency deviations in power systems comprising renewable energy sources (RESs) during transient and steady-state conditions. Integrating RESs with power systems results in frequency problems due to reduced system inertia and the intermittency of the RESs. The paper introduces a model-free controller that employs deep neural networks trained by the twin-delayed deep deterministic gradient reinforcement learning policy to generate the load reference signal (LRS) for the speed governor. The LRS is produced by the controller’s agent, which undergoes training by receiving observations and rewards from the power system. These observations capture frequency errors resulting from load disturbances and renewable power fluctuations, while the reward assesses the controller’s effectiveness in minimizing frequency errors. Compared to heuristic-based controllers, the proposed controller demonstrates considerable improvements in frequency stability for both steady-state error and transient response across various load disturbances when compared to heuristic-based controllers. Moreover, the proposed controller could limit the frequency deviations under varying weather conditions.
Issues related to the heavy consumption of fossil fuels namely coal and oil have necessitated development of renewable energy sources as alternatives. Solar photovoltaic (PV) modules are one of the most attractive options for electricity generation by use of solar energy as the most abundant renewable energy source. One of the main disadvantages of PV cells is their relatively low efficiencies that leads to low power generation intensity. In this regard, concentrators can be applied to exploit further electricity per area of the cell; however, it causes increase in the temperature and consequently reduce the efficiency. To overcome the efficiency degradation due to the temperature increase, thermal management of cell has been introduced and applied recently. One of the efficient active techniques for cooling PV cells is making use of microchannels for circulation of coolants inside it. This article reviews the research works implemented on the use of microchannels as thermal management unit of PV cells. According to the findings it can be concluded that performance of this cooling techniques is influenced by variety of factors like the coolant mass flow rate, configuration and characteristics of microchannels, thermophysical properties of coolant and heat transfer mechanisms. It is reported that employment of microchannels with modified architecture can lead to better thermal management and consequently higher efficiency of the cells. Furthermore, it is found that use of modified coolants, i.g. nanofluids, would result in higher heat removal and electrical efficiency. One of the main challenges in use of microchannels for thermal management is its manufacturing and related difficulties and issues.
Although hydrazine fuel cells (HzFCs) have various advantages such as a high theoretical potential, low operating temperature, and no carbon dioxide emission, only a couple of studies on HzFC stack have been reported due to the peculiarity of using an anion exchange membrane and the toxic issue of highly concentrated hydrazine fuel. Herein, how the power output performance in a single‐cell system is affected by various operational factors of cell temperature, humidification level, pressurization, fuel concentration, and stoichiometric value is investigated and then a home‐made short stack consisting of five single cells (HzFC‐5S) to evaluate the difference between the single cell and the stack is built up. Confirmation that the optimization point in the single‐cell does not apply to the short stack can be meaningful in accessing its possible commercialization process for portable and mobile devices.
Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering, Renewable energy sources
Abstract The northern Central Range of Taiwan is a high-potential geothermal region. Since the formations are mainly tight metasandstone and slate, permeable structures associated with faults are commonly considered as conduits of geothermal fluids. This study determines the characteristics and orientations of the permeable fault zones by analyzing the geophysical logs and microresistivity formation image log (FMI) of the JT-4 well in Jentse, an important geothermal area in the northern Central Range. Between 720 and 1480 m measured depth (MD), the effective porosity of the intact host rock is mostly below 3% calculated by the geophysical log. Zones with porosity greater than 5% are only clustered within a few thin intervals. The FMI interpretations show these porous zones are in the interior of the fractured and faulted intervals. These porous fault zones comprise fault damage zones with a high density of open fracture planes and fault cores with porous fault breccias. There is a highly brecciated fault core in 1334–1339 m MD, which would be the most permeable interval of the well. Additionally, some healed fault zones with sealed fractures are observed. The picked drilling-induced tensile fractures signify that the direction of the present-day maximum horizontal principal stress is N40–50°E, and most of the open fractures also strike parallel to the NE–SW direction. The study results show that the open fractures are concentrated in the four fault zones belonging to one major normal fault system. After integrating the orientations and locations of the fault zones, we propose that the permeable normal fault system is about 200 m wide, trends N50–70°E, and dips 70–80° to the NW. The development of the open fractures and the permeable fault system in the northern Central Range may be controlled by the current rifting of the Okinawa Trough offshore northeastern Taiwan. The study exhibits the characteristics of fractured fluid conduits of the regional geothermal system, which will benefit future geothermal exploration in northeastern Taiwan.
Mohammad R. Altimania, Nadia A. Elsonbaty, Mohamed A. Enany
et al.
Photovoltaic (PV) systems are one of the promising renewable energy sources that have many industrial applications; one of them is water pumping systems. This paper proposes a new application of a PV system for water pumping using a three-phase induction motor while maximizing the daily quantity of water pumped while considering maximizing both the efficiency of the three-phase induction motor and the harvested power from the PV system. This harvesting is performed through maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of the PV system. The proposed technique is applied to a PV-powered 3 phase induction motor water pumping system (PV-IMWPS) at any operating point. Firstly, an analytical approach is offered to find the optimal firing pattern of the inverter (V-F) for the motor through optimal flux control. This flux control is presented for maximizing the pump flow rate while achieving MPPT for the PV system and maximum efficiency of the motor at any irradiance and temperature. The provided analytical optimal flux control is compared to a fixed flux one to ascertain its effectiveness. The obtained feature of the suggested optimal flux control validates a significant improvement in the system performances, including the daily pumped quantity, motor power factor, and system efficiency. Then converting the data from the first analytical step into an intelligent approach using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). This ANFIS is trained offline with the input (irradiance and temperature) while the output is the inverter pattern to enhance the performance of the proposed pumping system, PV-IMWPS.
Selective coupling of thiols to produce disulfides is one very important and classic type of coupling reactions. Herein, an environmentally friendly and practical photocatalytic system for oxidative coupling of thiols to disulfides is developed. With no sacrificial agent, no additional additive, just sole water as solvent, performed in air at room temperature, excellent conversions of thiols and excellent selectivities of disulfides are obtained using a cheap and simple semiconductor material of bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) under blue LED illumination. Excellent conversions and selectivities for coupling of thiols to produce disulfides are obtained, and the system is reusable. The as‐prepared photocatalyst is adequately characterized and the mechanism of photocatalytic reaction is discussed deeply.
Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering, Renewable energy sources
This paper introduces a day-ahead energy management algorithm for the coordination of smart homes with renewable energy sources and energy storage systems in neighborhood areas. The aim of this paper is to establish a day-ahead decentralized coordination method with appliance scheduling and energy sharing (among smart homes) to minimize the electricity bills of consumers under dynamic pricing. The energy sharing algorithm focuses on increasing the utilization of renewable sources by controlling storage units. A multi-agent system is used to model entities (smart homes, aggregator, and utility) as agents and the optimization problem is solved in a decentralized manner by home agents with a genetic algorithm. The performance of the coordination algorithm is evaluated annually with and without considering forecasting errors.
Ana Silvia Scheibe, Isadora Pimenta de Araujo, Luis Janssen
et al.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential use of textile sludge and its pyrolysis by-products in the energy sector and the potential use of the oily phase fraction (OPF) as an antibacterial against selected microorganisms. Characterization assays were carried out, for the raw textile sludge (TS) and pyrolysis by-products, as pH variation, elemental analysis, metal content, FTIR, and higher heating value. The OPF was also fractionated using a column chromatography with different solvents (n-hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol) as mobile phases, and then each fraction was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Due to the biocide activity of the OPF, antibacterial assays were carried out against Escherichia coli (ATCC 700336), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC BAA-47), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 10031). From the results, it was observed that: the obtained OPF was able to high inhibition performance in the bacterial growth at concentrations >17 mg mL-1; and the TS, OPF, and tar (TRF) presented higher heating value > 20 MJ kg-1. The results show the potential use of OPF as a low-cost antibacterial agent and the feasibility of using textile sludge and pyrolytic oil fractions as an alternative source of fuel for energy generation.
Renewable energy sources, Environmental engineering
The problem of Climate Change and the related issues of greenhouse emissions, and energy consumption are among the most debated topics nowadays at international level. It is essential to find viable solutions also in the agri-food sector, moving towards production processes that were more sustainable, energy saver, and possibly follow a circular economy approach. The Circular Economy is not fully a brand-new concept, as it is based on a combination of fundamental and founding concepts such as Industrial Ecology, Regenerative Design, Natural Capitalism, Cradle to Cradle approach and Blue Economy. However, the novelty is in the attention that this concept is gaining among business practitioners, consultancy firms, governments, NGOs and associations, and academics. The aim of this study is to perform a Life Cycle Assessment related to one of the main products of a company of the agri-food sector in central Italy. The product analysed was fresh sausage and the functional unit considered was 100 kg of fresh sausage. The analysis was performed in order to identify the environmental impacts caused by the different transformation processes along the product life cycle, to highlight the critical phases and to plan improvements in terms of efficiency of the production process, with consequent improvement of the environmental performance. Particular attention was paid to the transport and to the energy consumption phases.
Today in Russia, the main trends in the development of the energy sector are digitalization, decarbonization, and energy saving. Lighting is one of the priority areas for energy saving and energy efficiency, so the development of an intelligent lighting system at a university facility has been identified as a pilot digitalization project under the university's Smart Campus program. The main idea of the project for the introduction of a "smart" lighting system is to reduce energy consumption by replacing fluorescent lighting with LEDs and the introduction of intelligent lighting control. As part of the work performed, an audit of the existing lighting system was carried out, a lighting calculation was made, a new executive lighting plan for selected objects was developed, a model of an intelligent lighting system was presented, its components were determined, and equipment was calculated for the smart lighting project. The authors analyzed the regional opportunities for using renewable energy sources in the Arctic zone in order to use them for the implementation of the project of an intelligent lighting system. Wind energy has been identified as a priority source. An additional effect of the project implementation will be: obtaining the first results of energy saving; obtaining new scientific data on the use of wind energy in the Arkhangelsk region, developing the foundations of a single platform for collecting and processing university information data; subsequent implementation at other university facilities.
Buildings are one of the systems that more energy consumed in the European Union. The study of the thermal envelope is interesting in order to reduce the energy losses. For that, a mathematical model able to predict the system response to external temperature variations is developed. With the mathematical model, different thermal envelope elements of a building based on the lag and the cushioning of the resultant wave can be characterized. In addition, it is important to analyse where the insulation is placed, because when the insulation is outside and the thermal mass is inside, the system produces a response with smooth temperature variations than when the insulation is inside. Therefore, placing the outside insulation generates more steady indoor temperatures, increasing the thermal comfort inside the building. To complete the mathematical model that allows predicting the temperature inside a building taking into account the solar inputs and the thermal inertia of the building. This study will help to establish the optimum design parameters in order to build sustainable and comfortable buildings. Furthermore, it will take one step forward in the construction of nearly Zero-Energy Buildings.