Available Renewable Energy Sources Research Articles

Decarbonization Potential of Energy Used in Detached Houses—Case Study

The main objectives of this study were the energy assessment of detached houses built in different periods in a central European city. A total of 236 detached houses built between 1930 and 2023 in Debrecen (Hungary) were analyzed from an energy perspective, and their CO2 emissions were measured. It was found that the net floor area of family houses built in recent years has increased but that the compactness of buildings has increased as well. The specific heat loss coefficient and the specific energy demand for heating in new buildings have decreased to 15.2% and 18.5%, respectively, over the last 90 years. Furthermore, around one third of the analyzed buildings built several decades ago must have already been renovated at least once for energy efficiency, as their heat demands are 27.6–41.4% lower than estimated. Energy consumption in six houses built in recent years was measured and studied. It was found that the occupants’ behavior may increase CO2 emissions from heating by 26%, while CO2 emissions from hot-water preparation may decrease by 38.2%. The potential of the locally available sources of renewable energy was calculated, and the costs of decarbonization packages for eight building groups were evaluated.

Non‐isothermal Thermogravimetric Analysis of Peltophorum pterocarpum and Evaluation of Kinetic Triplet

AbstractThe primary focus of the twenty‐first century has been on developing new and cleaner fuels from renewable sources. The increasing availability of renewable energy sources in environment, such as lignocellulosic biomass derived from agricultural and forest residues, has created a plethora of opportunities for biofuel production. For this purpose, the search for appropriate waste biomass source and the design of suitable reactors are very essential, where the latter requires the knowledge of kinetic triplets. These requirements paved the way to the novelty of the present work as a selection of a rarely used biomass source, that is, Peltophorum pterocarpum, and its non‐isothermal thermogravimetric analysis for the evaluation of kinetic triplet of the process. The range of temperature is 298–1173 K attained at heating rates of 10–55 K min−1. Kinetics were estimated using differential Friedman method (DFM), distributed activation energy method (DAEM), Ozawa–Flynn–Wall (OFW), Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), and Starink (STK) models. Mean activation energy (kJ mol−1) and pre‐exponential factor (min−1) of pyrolysis process by five models were 183.68 and 1.24 × 1017 for DAEM, 194.28 and 3.08 × 1021 for DFM, 183.68 and 4.40 × 1016 for KAS, 184.12 and 2.12 × 1014 for OFW, and 183.93 and 3.56 × 1016 for STK. Average values of changes in Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy by five models are 174 kJ mol−1, 178 kJ mol−1, and 0.007 kJ mol−1 K−1, respectively. Criado's master plots revealed distinct reaction pathways during the process for different conversion levels.

Reliability and Availability of Renewable Energy Sources in Kenya: A Review

The research sought to evaluate the reliability and availability of renewable energy sources in Kenya by examining the available literature regarding the state of energy production and consumption of the renewable energy sources. Several studies have been conducted to establish the capacity of the renewable electrical power sources including hydroelectric power, geothermal sources, wind power, solar energy and biofuels. Regarding production of electricity, the existing capacity is barely able to keep up with demand. The research used systematic review as the methodology of collecting relevant data for analysis. Given that more than 38% (2021) of Kenya’s electricity comes from hydropower, the situation is particularly difficult during the dry months of the year when water levels are low. Capacity gaps are then compensated by expensive thermal generation based on fossil fuels. Geothermal power has the capacity to be the most significant source of renewable energy with a potential of up to 7000MW. The reliability indices of the renewable energy sources, based on System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) are at 1.98 (SAIFI) and at 4.37, based on the Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI), which are below the international global standards. The research concluded that increased consumption of electricity, availability of alternate energy sources, amount of restoration time and number of planned interruptions have a significance influence on the reliability of a renewable energy source, with restoration time being the most significant. It is therefore recommended that new technologies and innovations that lead to reduced power interruptions and greenhouse gas emission be adopted.

Smart home energy management and active power loss analysis of a residential community

As the demand for energy continues its upward trajectory, judiciously managing the global energy resources has become increasingly imperative. One effective strategy to accomplish this efficiency is by strategically scheduling intelligent household appliances, a process that considers dynamic pricing schemes and the availability of renewable energy sources. This paper presents a comprehensive study that delves into optimizing smart home appliance utilization, considering electric vehicles and a modest rooftop photovoltaic installation. The study seeks to ascertain their potential impact on both energy consumption and cost mitigation. The proposed scheduling approach is centered on the optimal scheduling of smart appliances, harnessing the power of real-time pricing schemes to curtail the overall energy expenditure. The scheduling conundrum is meticulously modelled using General Algebraic Modeling System software and subsequently tackled by the CPLEX solver, leveraging mixed-integer linear programming techniques. Results reveal a remarkable achievement, with the potential for up to an 80.6 % reduction in the overall cost compared to the base case under various scenarios considering different approaches. To validate the integrity of the study, outcomes are juxtaposed with those of the base paper, and the superiority of the proposed method is evident from the results. Furthermore, the paper considers the ramifications of optimized scheduling on the voltage profile and overall system losses nearly 7 % less compared to the base case within the context of the IEEE 33-bus system. Thus, the presented work successfully analyzes the effect of household energy scheduling on the community level and scales up to a microgrid level.

Novel photoactive material and fabrication techniques for solar cells application: nanocellulose-based graphene oxide CdS composite

Abstract In recent times, solar energy has become one of the largest available sources of renewable energy at our disposal. However, the design of highly efficient solar cells is increasingly becoming crucial as there has been a surge for economically viable alternative energy sources with the lowest cost. Significant advances have been made through different routes to make photovoltaic (PV)/solar technologies economically viable, eco-friendly and consequently scalable. As a result, cellulose nanomaterials have become one of the emerging technologies in this regard because of the advantages of high-value bio-based nanostructured materials, such as their abundance and sustainability. Nanocellulose-based photoactive nanocomposite materials can be made by integrating conducting photoactive and electroconductive materials with hydrophilic biocompatible cellulose. Inorganic nanoparticles, such as graphene/reduced graphene oxide cadmium sulphide quantum dots, amongst others, can be introduced into the nanocellulose matrix and can be applied either as charge transporters or photoactive materials in different types of solar cells. Thus, in this review, we highlight the optoelectronic properties of different photoactive materials, particularly nanocellulose-based graphene nanocomposites; their efficiencies and drawbacks were X-rayed. The effect of doping each PV material on the PV performance is also discussed. It is anticipated that the novel material would result in a reduction in the cost of solar cells, jointly enhancing their efficacy in generating environmentally friendly electricity. Since the fabrication techniques and equipment play a crucial role in the development of solar cells, the fabrication techniques of bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) cells containing a nanocellulose-based graphene composite and case studies of already fabricated BHJ PV cells with nanocellulose-based graphene composite are discussed.

Physics-Based Modeling and Parameter Tracing for Industrial Demand-Side Management Applications: A Novel Approach

The transition to sustainable energy sources presents significant challenges for energy distribution and consumption systems. Specifically, the intermittent availability of renewable energy sources and the decreasing usage of fossil fuels pose challenges to energy flexibility and efficiency. An approach to tackle these challenges is demand-side management, aiming to adapt energy consumption and demand. A key requirement for demand-side management is the traceability of the energy flow among individual energy consumers. In recent years, advancements in industrial information and communication technology have provided additional potential for data acquisition. Complementary to acquired data, a physics-based modeling and analysis approach is proposed, which describes the energy consumption with physical parameters. This results in comprehensive options for monitoring actual energy consumption and planning future energy demand supporting energy efficiency and demand-response goals. To validate the proposed approach, a case study with a 3D printer covering approximately 110 h of active printing time is conducted. The medium-term study results indicate a consistent parameter trend over time, suggesting its conceptual suitability for industrial application. The approach helps to monitor energy efficiency among manufacturing assets by identifying peak loads and consumption hotspots, and provides parameters to estimate energy consumption of manufacturing processes. Results indicate up to 50% energy savings when switching the printing material and indicate further potentials.

Flexing with lines or pipes: Techno-economic comparison of renewable electricity import options for European research facilities.

Where local resources for renewable electricity are scarce or insufficient, long-distance electricity imports will be required in the future. Even across long distances, the variable availability of renewable energy sources needs to be managed for which dedicated storage options are usually considered. Other alternatives could be demand-side flexibility and concentrated solar power with integrated thermal energy storage. Here their influence on the cost of imported electricity is explored. Using a techno-economic linear capacity optimization, exports of renewable electricity from Morocco and Tunisia to CERN in Geneva, Switzerland in the context of large research facilities are modeled. Two different energy supply chains are considered, direct imports of electricity by HVDC transmission lines, and indirect imports using H2 pipelines subsequent electricity generation. The results show that direct electricity exports ranging from 58 EUR/MWh to 106 EUR/MWh are the more economical option compared to indirect H2-based exports ranging from 157 EUR/MWh to 201 EUR/MWh. Both demand-side flexibility and CSP with TES offer significant opportunities to reduce the costs of imports, with demand-side flexibility able to reduce costs for imported electricity by up to 45%. Research institutions in Central Europe could initiate and strengthen electricity export-import partnerships with North Africa to take on a leading role in Europe's energy transition and to secure for themselves a long-term, sustainable electricity supply at plannable costs.

Design Smart Installation Household Electricity Using Solar Panels 600 Watts on Grid Capacity

Energy security plays an important role, especially in the modern and digital era which continues to increase in use. The availability of renewable energy sources is very abundant in tropical countries of Indonesia, especially solar energy sources that can be used to meet electricity needs on a household scale without worrying about limitations and pollution. This study aims to design electrical installations using solar panels with an autonomous drive system following Arduino uno-based sunlight with a capacity of 600 watts on-grid to reduce the cost burden of PLN and reduce air pollution. The addition of Arduino uno autonomous devices plays a role in increasing the efficiency of solar radiation received thereby increasing the output power of the installation. The result of this study is the design of a power plant installation with a solar cell with a capacity of 600 watts with 13 50-watt monocrystalline PV solar modules with supporting components, such as a 1000-watt inverter, and an efficiency device in the form of an Arduino uno-based autonomous drive system. This research produces data on the benefits obtained by using this tool amounting to Rp. 12.500 / month for 20 years of efficiency in using solar panels.

Design and control of utility grid-tied bipolar DC microgrid

Abstract This paper explains in detail the design and control of a utility grid-connected bipolar DC microgrid, which consists of a solar photovoltaic system (SPV), a wind energy conversion system (WECS), a battery energy storage system (BESS) at the DC bus, and a three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) converter to connect the DC microgrid to the utility grid. A three-level bidirectional DC–DC converter at the battery energy storage system (BESS) is controlled with model predictive current control (MPCC), and a three-level NPC converter is controlled with a voltage-oriented control based proportional resonant (VOC-PR) controller. The proposed MPCC scheme for the three-level bidirectional DC–DC converter and the VOC-PR control scheme for the three-level NPC converter coordinate with each other to balance and regulate the voltage at the bipolar DC microgrid, control the power flow to the loads at the DC microgrid and the load at the point of common connection (PCC), and also inject or draw power from the utility grid and BESS based on the availability of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). Simulation and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MPCC control scheme.

Modelling and Formal Verification Approach for Microgrid Energy Management Systems under Random Load

This paper presents the modelling and a formal verification approach of energy management control systems for microgrids that are subject to unknown demand and uncertainties in the availability of renewable energy sources. The main objective of this study is to develop a management system for a microgrid composed of renewable and non-renewable energy sources, specifying the different possible modes. A supervisory control method is proposed to autonomously control and monitor a microgrid and maintain more stable energy flows with maximum utilization of available resources. A timed automata network model of the microgrid has been developed by modeling the dynamics of components such as PV, BESS, diesel generator, load, and controller. Possible operating modes in the microgrid between sources and load are derived and classified into allowed and unallowed operating modes. Verification of the designed microgrid models was performed using simulation and formal methods. The advantageous performance of the proposed strategy is illustrated via a numerical example.

Blending financial innovation with natural resource utilization: Pathways to green economic expansion

The paper examines the impact of natural resource use, green energy, and financial inclusion on the economic expansion rate of ASEAN countries between 2012 and 2022. The study utilizes the MMQR framework and finds that population increases, the use of natural resources, and the availability of renewable energy sources contribute to financial growth in ASEAN countries. The research suggests that governments should create financial regulations to expand access to financial services for ASEAN countries, which can boost economic growth. Efforts to increase access to financial services for ASEAN countries are recommended to enhance economic growth. The paper highlights the importance of the optimal use of natural resources, as it positively affects national economies. The relationship between carbon dioxide emissions, economic development, and alternative energy forms is another topic investigated in this research. Encouraging greater use of electric energy may help lower pollution, protect natural resources, and contribute to the expansion of the economy in a sustainable manner.

Electrification of oil refineries through multi-objective multi-period graph-theoretical planning: A crude distillation unit case study

Electrification using renewable energy sources is the key to paving a sustainable and cleaner future for the oil and gas sector, which is known to be a significant carbon dioxide emitter. Nevertheless, the suitability of the electrification designs heavily depends on the seasonal availability of renewable energy sources. This work proposes to use a multi-period graph-theoretical (P-graph) approach to determine the optimal retrofit strategy to achieve electrification with consideration of economic and environmental factors. Both single-period and multi-period models are considered via a graph-theoretical approach to rank and evaluate all the combinatorically feasible electrification pathways based on the overall performance. The effectiveness of the proposed method is developed using a crude distillation unit (CDU) case study adopted from a multinational company. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated using a crude distillation unit (CDU) case study shown in three different scenarios that include prioritizing economic aspect (Scenario 1), prioritizing environmental aspect (Scenario 2), and considering equal importance of both aspects (Scenario 3). For single-period operation, the results showed a mix of natural gas and hydropower energy, exclusive use of onshore wind energy, and a mix of onshore wind energy and biogas cogeneration energy for Scenario 1, Scenario 2, and Scenario 3, respectively. In contrast, the multi-period model also utilized nuclear energy for Scenario 2 and Scenario 3 given the seasonal availability constraint. Following that, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to see the effect of the absence of the most influential energy sources on the optimal solution of each scenario and the top solutions under budget and CO2 emission constraints. Pareto analysis is outlined to offer an understanding of tradeoffs between differently prioritized solutions that decision-makers can select. The combination of the proposed analysis provides a systemic approach towards transforming traditional industries towards a cleaner future via electrification.

Fueling the seaport of the future: Investments in low‐carbon energy technologies for operational resilience in seaport multi‐energy systems

AbstractThe ability to withstand and recover from disruptions is essential for seaport energy systems, and in light of the growing push for decarbonization, incorporating clean energy sources has become increasingly imperative to ensure resilience. This paper proposes a resilience enhancement planning strategy for a seaport multi‐energy system that integrates various energy modalities and sources, including heating, cooling, hydrogen, solar, and wind power. The planning strategy aims to ensure the reliable operation of the system during contingency events, such as power outages, equipment failures, or extreme weather incidents. The proposed optimization model is designed as a mixed‐integer nonlinear programming formulation, in which McCormick inequalities and other linearization techniques are utilized to tackle the model nonlinearities. The model allocates fuel cell electric trucks (FCETs), renewable energy sources, hydrogen refueling stations, and remote control switches such that the system resilience is enhanced while incorporating natural‐gas‐powered combined cooling, heating, and power system to minimize the operation and unserved demand costs. The model considers various factors such as the availability of renewable energy sources, the demand for heating, cooling, electricity, and hydrogen, the operation of remote control switches to help system reconfiguration, the travel behaviour of FCETs, and the power output of FCETs via vehicle‐to‐grid interface. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed strategy can significantly improve the resilience of the seaport multi‐energy system and reduce the risk of service disruptions during contingency scenarios.

Hydrogenated V2O5 with Improved Optical and Electrochemical Activities for Photo-Accelerated Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Solar power represents an abundant and readily available source of renewable energy. However, its intermittent nature necessitates external energy storage solutions, which can often be expensive, bulky, and associated with energy conversion losses. This study introduces the concept of a photo-accelerated battery that seamlessly integrates energy harvesting and storage functions within a single device. In this research, a novel approach for crafting photocathodes is presented using hydrogenated vanadium pentoxide (H:V2O5) nanofibers. This method enhances optical activity, electronic conductivity, and ion diffusion rates within photo-accelerated Li-ion batteries. This study findings reveal that H:V2O5 exhibits notable improvements in specific capacity under both dark and illuminated conditions. Furthermore, it demonstrates enhanced diffusion kinetics and charge storage performance when exposed to light, as compared to pristine counterparts. This strategy of defect engineering holds great promise for the development of high-performance photocathodes in future energy storage applications.

Spatio‐temporal availability of renewable energy sources for Western Paraná

AbstractThe hydroelectric crisis is fomenting studies that seek the decentralization of electric energy generation in Brazil. Due to the climatic dependence on alternative sources, knowing their intermittent behavior is the best way to ensure supply. This article presents an analysis of energy complementarity based on the occurrences of climate variables with precipitation for hydroelectric power, irradiation for photovoltaic, and wind speed for wind power. We aimed to analyze and spatialize the availability of renewable energy sources in western Paraná through historical series (2011 to 2020), statistical analysis (monthly and seasonal), and the use of Geographic Information System (GIS). Daily data records were made available by the Paraná Meteorological Institute (SIMEPAR), referring to eight weather stations throughout the mesoregion. The results identified spatial complementarity for the mesoregion West Paraná. Cascavel city stood out for temporal complementarity, recording the highest values for precipitation in spring and wind speed in winter. In addition, irradiation data excelled in summer for the city of Santa Helena when compared to the other municipalities considered.

Resilient supply chains – robustness and dynamics in the context of industrial gas supply chains

The emergence of global pandemics and increasing geopolitical instability in the short term – and the advent of the hydrogen and clean energy economy in the longer term– uncovered the need for resilient supply chains to address complex dynamics caused by regional and global disruptions. This work presents a framework for supply chain resilience and discusses the main challenges and opportunities that arise in academia and industry. We predominantly focus on industrial gas supply chains, directly impacted by COVID-19 such as the liquid oxygen network, geopolitical instability that impacts for instance the helium supply chain, and the increasing availability of renewable energy sources that presents new challenges and opportunities for the hydrogen value chain. Moreover, we discuss the impact of equipment and plant failure as well as mitigating measures, such as preventive maintenance and storage, on supply chain availability and consequently resilience.

Development of new reliability metrics for microgrids: Integrating renewable energy sources and battery energy storage system

Microgrids (MGs) are gaining popularity due to their ability to provide reliable and resilient power supply, especially when integrated with renewable energy sources (RESs) and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Reliability is a critical factor for MG owners and policy makers. However, existing reliability indices such as loss of load expectation (LOLE) and expected energy not supplied (EENS) may not offer a comprehensive understanding of MG reliability and resiliency. To address this gap, this paper proposes three new indices for MGs to provide supplementary information on the performance of RESs: the Microgrid Resiliency Index (MRI), the Microgrid Renewable Energy Availability Index (MREAI), and the Microgrid Renewable Energy Energy Index (MREEI). The MRI assesses the MG’s ability to recover from interruptions, providing insights into its resiliency. The MREAI and MREEI offer additional information beyond LOLE and EENS, specifically highlighting the contribution of RESs to the availability and energy losses in the MG. These indices enable a more comprehensive assessment of MG reliability. The formulation for calculation of the indices are provided and applied to a MG with integrated solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), and BESS components. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed indices in providing supplementary information on resiliency and the contribution of RESs, various scenarios are examined. These scenarios include the impact of using BESS, changes in RES availability, and variations in RES output. The results demonstrate that the proposed indices effectively capture the contribution of RES to MG reliability and offer valuable insights for decision-making related to RES installation. Also, by integrating BESS, the contribution of RESs to outage hours and lost energy is effectively decreased from 89.41% and 87.41% to 32.69% and 28.94% respectively. Additionally, results highlight the substantial enhancement in the resiliency of the MG, which witnessed an impressive 68.43% improvement.

Exploring the Synergy of Renewable Energy in the Circular Economy Framework: A Bibliometric Study

Over the past half-century, scientists from many different areas have been investigating how to switch to renewable energy, especially in the context of a circular economy. Numerous articles have discussed the scientific aspects of developing technology to support this process. This systematic literature review and bibliometric study aim to fill in research gaps by looking at trends, challenges, and possible future directions for the use of renewable energy in the context of a circular economy, especially in the fields of business, management, and economics. The study analyzed 294 peer-reviewed articles using the R Studio-Biblioshiny package version 4.1.2 software. The challenges of integrating renewable energy technologies within a circular economy include financial constraints, such as a high initial investment, the lack of an adequate regulatory framework and government support, the intermittent availability of renewable energy sources, the scarcity of resources and components for renewable energy generation technologies, relatively low energy conversion efficiency, the challenge of increasing consumer awareness, and the environmental impact of technological waste. The study suggests that future research should focus on financial models and policy incentives that can encourage businesses and investors to take advantage of renewable energy. The study also recommends exploring sustainable alternative fuel technologies, optimized waste-to-energy conversion, the increased efficiency of bioenergy conversion, more efficient solar panels, improved energy storage capacity, the life cycle management of solar panel devices, and the development of innovative business models to facilitate industrial symbiosis.

Experimental analysis of a commercial size bio-based latent thermal energy storage for air conditioning

Future smart and efficient energy management systems for space cooling and heating in building applications require novel solutions to store heat to decouple the energy demand and the availability of renewable energy sources. Latent thermal energy storages represent one of the most promising solutions; however, their cost-effective implementation in terms of energy and cost savings and payback time needs to be verified case by case. Thus, simplified, though accurate, performance correlations during both charging and discharging phases are strongly needed to be implemented into the different dynamic simulation tools. This work is intended to present the experimental behavior of a novel 18 kWh latent thermal energy storage that uses the roll-bond technology to efficiently store and release cold energy by exploiting the solid/liquid phase change process of 300 kg of a biobased phase change material having a melting temperature of 9 °C. The effects of the inlet water temperature and flow rate are studied to elucidate how the performance varies and to identify possible control strategies. On the basis of the experimental results, two correlations are proposed to accurately predict the performance of the latent thermal energy storage to be implemented in general dynamic simulation tools that can help in evaluating the system performance and the achievable energy and cost savings.

Resource requirements for the implementation of a global H2-powered aviation

In this paper, the resource requirements for the implementation of global H2-powered aviation are investigated to answer one of the main questions asked by many stakeholders in the aviation industry: Are there any resource limitations for the implementation of H2-powered aviation on a global scale? For this, the raw material, renewable energy and water demands for the deployment and operational phase are investigated on a global and regional perspective.It is found that the iridium demand for a global hydrogen economy could be critical as it would exceed not only the current annual production by a factor of 11 but also the current reserves about 1.7 times. The H2-powered aviation alone is not the main driver of iridium demand but could increase the limitations. With reduced specific raw material demands of further optimized electrolysis technologies and increased annual raw material production, the limitations especially for the iridium demand could be overcome.Renewable energy capacities and water availability are sufficient for demands from H2-powered aircraft on a global perspective. Nevertheless, the limited availability of renewable energy sources in some regions and regional water constraints may necessitate hydrogen import for certain airports.While water desalination is likely to overcome water constraints in regions close to the sea, for airports located in regions with detrimental availability of renewable energy sources the import of hydrogen is the only way to ensure a hydrogen supply for H2-powered aviation.