Energy Generation Research Articles

Strengthening capacities in Latin America by designing teacher professional development programmes for climate change education

PurposeThis study aims to describe the design process of two teacher professional development programmes on Climate Change Education in Chile and Mexico, their initial outcomes on teacher practices and feedback on course activities, content and format, and their expectations of future topics for deepening their understanding.Design/methodology/approachA systematization of the design and implementation process of both programmes was conducted. Subsequently, an online survey comprising 21 questions was administered to 115 teachers from both countries, representing 5% of the graduates from each programme. The survey evaluated their experiences, the impact on their teaching practices and the effects on their personal and professional lives. This non-experimental design relied on teachers' self-reported perceptions after completing the course.FindingsTeachers rated their experience highly, particularly regarding content quality and relevance to their local environment. Most (97.4%) applied their learning in their classrooms, with 78.3% noting it helped raise student awareness of climate change and facilitate collaborative projects. Additionally, 92.2% reported personal sensitization to climate issues and 87% changed personal habits. The course influenced 91.3% to take daily actions to reduce CO2 emissions. Some reflections are made on the design and implementation of the programmes, considering the survey results and the available literature.Research limitations/implicationsThe study relied on self-reported data from teachers after they had completed the courses. This approach was chosen because it allowed for a direct assessment of teachers' understanding and experiences. However, it is important to acknowledge the limitations inherent in self-reported data, such as the potential for response bias.Practical implicationsEducators, scientists and healthcare professionals can explore innovative pedagogical approaches to make CCE engaging and relevant, ensuring that all students not only comprehend the content but also feel empowered to contribute to environmental sustainability and learn to regulate their eco-anxiety. Teachers would have the opportunity to attend professional development courses based on research, reflect on their personal and technical habits, transform them, be role models for their students and build professional learning communities. Schools are transformative with a high quality of climate change education.Social implicationsClimate change demands urgent transformations in our consumption, energy generation and the construction of resilient cities. Education is pivotal in empowering environmentally conscious citizens. It fosters environmental awareness, develops skills to tackle climate challenges, promotes active citizenship, advocates for sustainable lifestyles and encourages innovation in clean technologies. By connecting people with nature, education strengthens environmental responsibility. Additionally, it equips society to advocate for sustainable policies and take action for the environment. A comprehensive educational approach is essential to forge global consensus and effectively address climate change.Originality/valueBy systematically evaluating teacher experiences and the impact on their personal and professional lives through detailed survey data, the study provides valuable insights into effective educational strategies for climate change awareness. Additionally, it highlights practical applications and behavioural changes among educators, contributing to the broader discourse on environmental education.

Superior bendability enabled by inherent in-plane elasticity in Bi2Te3 thermoelectrics

With the rapid development of modern wearable electronics, powerful and deformable thermoelectric generators have become an urgent need as the power units that convert environmental or body heat into electricity. Existing efforts mostly focused on the assistance for deformability by substrates/additives, the resultant devices usually output much less power and showed very poor power retainment. Elasticity is inherent to all solids, which therefore offers an intrinsic solution for making thermoelectrics deformable without compromise in power output because of its full recoverability. This work demonstrates this in best-performing (Bi, Sb)2(Te, Se)3 thermoelectrics near room temperature, ending up in the film devices with both extraordinary power density and robust recoverable bendability. This originates from the inherent large elasticity for the in-plane orientation, which is enabled by an easy tape stripping approach for the Van der Waals layered structure, allowing the realization of both powerfulness and bendability that are equally important for wearable thermoelectrics.

Towards a Standardized LCOE Calculation for Informed Decision-Making in Energy Policy and Investment: Application to the Colombian Context

The Levelized cost of electricity - LCOE represents a constant cost per unit of generated electrical energy, resulting from the analysis of the total costs throughout the life cycle of a generation plant. Its widespread use, thanks to its simplicity of calculation and potential of standardization, has made it one of the primary criteria for comparing electricity generation technologies. However, in the pursuit of simplification and generalization, certain aspects associated with the socioeconomic context of the region, as well as accounting and financial concepts, are excluded due to externalities or incentives related to regulatory and fiscal policies. These exclusions affect the accuracy of LCOE and introduce uncertainty when using it as a criterion for investment decision-making or allocation of public resources for the development of renewable sources. This article proposes a clear and standardized methodology for calculating LCOE, which allows for a fair and precise comparison of renewable energy generation options in rural areas. It contributes to informed and transparent decision-making in the fields of energy policy and public investment for expanding electricity service coverage. The proposed methodology is based on the financial cash flow matrix to address variability sources in the calculation, considering the local context of the generation project.

An improbable driver of “just transitions”? Union power in the coal heartland of Western Australia ‘s climate and energy shift

Much scholarship in the nascent field of climate crisis and labour assumes that trade unions can readily become agents of “just transition” to post‑carbon energy systems but simply lack a willingness to do so. We investigate this problem more deeply by asking: under what precise circumstances might unions drive “just transitions”? Drawing upon a case study of one union's effort to build a just transition in the energy generation sector of one fossil-fuel reliant region in Australia, we show that union leaders have seen themselves as agents of change, capable of driving internal change and deploying power resources for a just transition. This transition from a carbon energy system is, however, fragile because the shape of a post-transition region remains unclear and sits in the hands of capital and the state.

Qualification Of Inspection Systems In Nuclear Power Plants. Looking For Excellence

Inspection reliability is an area of growing interest. In particular, in certain industrial sectors involving critical structures, such as nuclear power plants for energy generation, reliability of Non-Destructive Examinations (NDE) has received special attention since more than 40 years. Many initiatives and projects (PISC, EPRI NDE, ENIQ, etc.) developed and generated new findings and results. In addition, the inspection systems are regularly optimized for improving the NDE reliability as much as possible. In the early 1990s, the European Network for Inspection Qualification (ENIQ) continued the PISC NDE reliability research and, few years later, issued the European Methodology for Qualification of Non-Destructive Testing. The methodology considers the NDE system follows the modular model of reliability as well as complementary tasks to address human factors issues. Then, every country develops his own methodology based on the existing legal requirements and the ENIQ Methodology. This is the case of Spain, in which the CSN (the Nuclear Safety Body) requires the qualification of inspection systems before their application in the Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). This paper describes the main characteristics of the Spanish Methodology as well as examples to facilitate the understanding of the ideas behind the approach that currently applied in the Spanish NPPs since the mid-2000s.

Optimal dimensioning of renewable energy generation and storage systems

Optimal dimensioning of renewable energy generation and storage systems

Renewable energy communities: Democratically legitimate agents in governing the energy transition?

It is crucial that the energy transition enfolds democratically, to increase its legitimacy and improve its outcomes. Although practitioners and scholars increasingly point to renewable energy communities (RECs) as legitimate agents for governing a democratic energy transition, RECs' democratic practices are poorly understood, which challenges assumptions about their legitimacy. We therefore analyzed how and to what extent democratic legitimacy is being pursued and met by RECs in their governance of renewable energy generation projects. Our comparative case study examined four different RECs in Utrecht, The Netherlands. We found that three out of the four studied RECs broadly meet the principles of energy democracy in the initial, developing and implementation phase of their energy generation projects. Significant differences between principles and RECs were found, which refutes the simplistic general assumption that RECs are either fully democratically legitimate or are not democratically legitimate at all. In reality, RECs face several trade-offs between democratic principles, which arise from the different legitimacy needs related to the REC's stage of maturity and the type of energy source it uses. To overcome these trade-offs and uphold legitimacy internally as well as with various stakeholders, RECs strategically organize participation and decision making in different governance spaces and prioritize certain specific legitimacy principles over others. Combining the concepts of energy democracy and democratic legitimacy has brought novel theoretical insights to the fore, and we recommend other researchers to further bridge these distinct but related fields of study.

An Improved Probe Power Unit (PPU)-Based Fault Location Estimation in Low-Voltage DC Microgrids

An Improved Probe Power Unit (PPU)-Based Fault Location Estimation in Low-Voltage DC Microgrids

Chronic Pain Influences Lower Extremity Energetics During Landing Cutting in Patients with Chronic Ankle Instability.

Chronic ankle instability (CAI) patients exhibit altered movement patterns during jump landing/cutting movements. Persistent pain is one of the residual symptoms that may affect movements. Calculating joint energetics affected by chronic pain offers a novel method to understand how chronic pain influences energetics of lower extremity joints in CAI patients. To identify the effects of chronic pain on lower extremity energy dissipation and generation during jump landing and cutting in CAI patients. Cross-sectional Study. Laboratory. Fifteen CAI patients with higher pain (6 males, 9 females; age=22.1±2.1year; height=1.74±0.09m; mass=71.3±10.6kg, pain=66.9±9.4), 15 CAI patients with lower pain (6 males, 9 females; age=22.3±2.1year; height=1.74±0.08m; mass=70.1±10.7kg, pain=89.3±2.6), and 15 healthy controls (6 males, 9 females; age=21.3±1.7year; height=1.73±0.08m; mass=70±10.3kg, pain=100±0). Ground reaction force data were collected during 5 trials of maximal jump landing/cutting tasks. Joint power was defined as the product of angular velocity and joint moment. Energy dissipation and generation by the ankle, knee, and hip joints were calculated by integrating regions of the joint power curve. CAI patients with higher pain displayed less ankle energy dissipation (p=.013 and p=.018) and generation in the ankle (p=.002 and p=.028) than CAI patients with lower pain and healthy controls during the jump landing/cutting phase. CAI patients with higher pain showed more hip energy generation than CAI patients with lower pain (P=.038) and healthy controls (P=.013) during the cutting phase. CAI patients with higher pain changed both energy dissipation and generation in the lower extremities, reducing the burden of the ankle joint during jump landing/cutting and having a hip dominant compensatory strategy during the cutting phase. Our results suggest that chronic pain could be one of the factors that affect motor strategies in the CAI population.

Micro Gas Turbines in the Global Energy Landscape: Bridging the Techno-Economic Gap with Comparative and Adaptive Insights from Internal Combustion Engines and Renewable Energy Sources

This paper investigates the potential of Micro Gas Turbines (MGTs) in the global shift towards low-carbon energy systems, particularly focusing on their integration within microgrids and distributed energy generation systems. MGTs, recognized for their fuel flexibility and efficiency, have yet to achieve the commercialization success of rival technologies such as Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs), wind turbines, and solar power (PV) installations. Through a comprehensive review of recent techno-economic assessment (TEA) studies, we highlight the challenges and opportunities for MGTs, emphasizing the critical role of TEA in driving market penetration and technological advancement. Comparative analysis with ICE and RES technologies reveals significant gaps in TEA activities for MGTs, which have hindered their broader adoption. This paper also explores the learning and experience effects associated with TEA, demonstrating how increased research activities have propelled the success of ICE and RES technologies. The analysis reveals a broad range of learning and experience effects, with learning rates (α) varying from 0.1 to 0.25 and experience rates (β) from 0.05 to 0.15, highlighting the significant role these effects play in reducing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and improving the net present value (NPV) of MGT systems. Hybrid systems integrating MGTs with renewable energy sources (RESs) and ICE technologies demonstrate the most substantial cost reductions and efficiency improvements, with systems like the hybrid renewable energy CCHP with ICE achieving a learning rate of α = 0.25 and significant LCOE reductions from USD 0.02/kWh to USD 0.017/kWh. These findings emphasize the need for targeted TEA studies and strategic investments to unlock the full potential of MGTs in a decarbonized energy landscape. By leveraging learning and experience effects, stakeholders can predict cost trajectories more accurately and make informed investment decisions, positioning MGTs as a competitive and sustainable energy solution in the global energy transition.

A Case Study on Deep Learning for Photovoltaic Power Forecasting Combining Satellite and Ground Data

The increasing demand for clean energy presents challenges in energy supply management, largely due to their intermittency. Photovoltaic power generation, in specific, is greatly affected by weather factors, which may render power grids susceptible to instability, quality and balance issues. In this context, photovoltaic power generation forecasting is crucial not only to enhance the management of diverse energy sources through generation planning, but also to ensure widespread adoption of photovoltaic energy. To address the predictability issue in generation, this study aims to investigate the combination of satellite data with meteorological data to predict the energy generation potential in photovoltaic panels within 30, 60, 120, and 180-minute horizons. For this purpose, images from the GOES-16 satellite are used in combination with data from a ground-based weather station, located at Florianópolis – Santa Catarina – Brazil. The data is fed to a convolutional neural network, where convolutions are employed to extract features from the satellite images, aiming to establish a relationship with solar irradiation. The output of the convolutional network serves as input for a multilayer perceptron network, which utilizes the data to predict the Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI). Our results support that models incorporating satellite images provide forecasts approximately 41% better for the 30-minute horizon and 21% better for the 180-minute horizon, when compared to models without satellite images.

ENHANCING EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY: GREEN ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR WATER SUPPLY COMPANIES

Water supply enterprises significantly impact local communities by providing essential services. These companies face high electricity costs for water extraction, purification, and transportation, affecting efficiency and reliability. Therefore, implementing innovative technologies to enhance sustainability in the water supply sector is crucial. This article explores the opportunities and strategies for renewable energy transition at water supply companies. Using investment, sensitivity, and strategic analyses, as well as a case study approach, the research examines technologies, conceptual frameworks, mechanisms, and approaches to integrate green power into water supply operations, addressing high energy costs and promoting sustainability. The article identifies solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, and geothermal energy technologies as the most prominent renewable power solutions for water supply enterprises. The developed conceptual framework for implementing these technologies includes needs assessment and goal setting; resource assessment and technology selection; system design and integration; financing and investment; regulatory compliance and permitting; stakeholder engagement and capacity building; and monitoring, evaluation, and continuous improvement. The mechanisms and approaches to integrate green energy solutions within the developed framework can involve on-site renewable energy generation, power purchase agreements, energy storage and microgrid systems, energy efficiency and demand management, and collaborative and community-based models. As a case study, the article examines a 120-kW solar power plant project for a water supply enterprise, demonstrating profitability with a net present value of 60,370 USD and an internal rate of return exceeding 21%. The project's payback period is estimated at 8.38 years, acceptable within industry standards. Sensitivity analysis indicates the project's financial resilience. Increasing electricity prices will boost profitability, justifying the solar power plant investment amid inflation and economic instability. Additionally, the project ensures reliable water transport and environmental benefits by reducing CO2 emissions through solar energy use. Thus, transitioning to renewable energy at water supply enterprises is feasible and essential for long-term sustainability, transforming operations to be more resilient, efficient, and environmentally friendly.

Photocarrier Dynamics of Two-Dimensional Aza-Fused Covalent Organic Frameworks as Bifunctional Photocatalysts toward Overall Water Splitting.

Designing high-efficiency bifunctional photocatalysts toward photoinduced overall water splitting is one of the most promising and challenging research directions for clean energy generation. By employing static electronic structure calculation and nonadiabatic molecular dynamics (NAMD) simulation, we herein established a recently synthesized two-dimensional (2D) aza-fused covalent organic framework (aza-COF) as a potential bifunctional photocatalyst toward overall water splitting reactions. Our calculated results reveal that the overpotentials for hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction are only 0.06 and 0.31 V, respectively, at pH = 4. The dynamics of photoexcited charge carriers studied through NAMD simulation predicts the electron-hole recombination time (25.15 ns), and this confirms that the photogenerated electron and hole carriers migrate to the active sites for the occurrence of reaction before they recombine. Therefore, our results suggest that the 2D aza-COFs exhibit great potential as metal-free and single-material photocatalysts toward overall water splitting under visible light.

Elephant Grass Cultivar BRS Capiaçu as Sustainable Biomass for Energy Generation in the Amazon Biome of the Mato Grosso State

Sustainable biomasses are vital to ensure preservation of the Amazon biome within the Mato Grosso State whilst enabling energy generation for the region and its population. Here, the potential of the elephant grass cultivar BRS Capiaçu as an alternative to replace native forest wood as biomass for energy generation is investigated, considering the whole process from plant cultivation to biomass characterisation in terms of productivity of green and dry mass per hectare; density, moisture, ash, volatile and fixed carbon content, as well as higher heating value (HHV). MANOVA indicates that the effects of plant parts and age on density and proximate analysis parameters are influenced by the plant parts and age interaction, whereas HHV can be considered similar between them. The cultivar BRS Capiaçu showed suitable energetic values (17,922 < HHV < 18,918 kJ.kg−1) compared to that of native Amazon wood. Energetic results combined with cultivation outputs of high productivity (dry mass production of 44.1 tonnes.ha−1 at 180 days) with a short cutting interval (3 months), adaptation to the region’s climate and soil, and the possibility of cultivation in areas currently consolidated for agriculture demonstrate the potential of BRS Capiaçu as biomass to reduce native wood usage and deforestation rates.

Generación renovable eólica y fotovoltaica en Ecuador: Una revisión sistemática de literatura

INTRODUCTION. Photovoltaic and wind renewable generation has grown exponentially in recent years worldwide, in Ecuador this technology has not been the exception, as several photovoltaic and wind power plants have been installed, increasing the generation of renewable energy. OBJECTIVE. This article presents a systematic review of the literature on operational photovoltaic and wind power plants in Ecuador, offering a perspective on the renewable sources connected to the national energy system. METHOD. Through a bibliographic search in the Scopus database, 8 publications were obtained that met the eligibility criteria, in addition to reports issued by government entities, to ensure that the information and technical aspects are accurate. RESULTS. The documentary analysis allows us to know the current status of photovoltaic and wind power plants, identifying their installed capacity, technology used, and operational characteristics. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. The information collected provides a solid basis for understanding the current status and development prospects of photovoltaic and wind power generation in Ecuador. Despite certain limitations related to the availability of data in open sources, it was possible to obtain significant information on the main renewable plants in the country. These results serve as a basis for future research aimed at the expansion and optimization of renewable energies in the national context..

Investigating Physicochemical Methods to Recover Rare-Earth Elements from Appalachian Coals

The demand for rare-earth elements is expected to grow due to their use in critical technologies, including those used for clean energy generation. There is growing interest in developing unconventional rare-earth element resources, such as coal and coal byproducts, to help secure domestic supplies of these elements. Within the U.S., Appalachian Basin coals are particularly enriched in rare-earth elements, but recovery of the elements is often impeded by a resistant aluminosilicate matrix. This study explores the use of calcination and sodium carbonate roasting pre-treatments combined with dilute acid leaching to recover rare-earth elements from Appalachian Basin coals and underclay. The results suggest that rare-earth element recovery after calcination is dependent on the original mineralogy of samples and that light rare-earth minerals may be more easily decomposed than heavy rare-earth minerals. Sodium carbonate roasting can enhance the recovery of both light and heavy rare-earth elements. Maximum recovery in this study, ranging from 70% to 84% of total rare-earth elements, was achieved using a combination of calcination and sodium carbonate roasting, followed by 0.25 M citric acid leaching.

Management of Hybrid Hydropower and Floating Solar Systems at Num Ngum 1 in Lao PDR

The integration of a hybrid hydro-floating solar power (HPP-FPV) system is covered in this study with the goal of improving energy management and producing more electricity. The production capacity of the hybrid system is almost twice as high as that of the original HPP system, demonstrating its potential for higher energy generation. Because it forecasts weather and modifies electricity generation accordingly. The analysis highlights how crucial it is to make sure that the hybrid system's electricity generation doesn’t go beyond the current power grid's maximum transmission capacity. This is essential to preserving the consistency and caliber of the power that is provided. The research's overall goal of increasing the output of renewable energy through creative system integration and practical management techniques is captured in the abstract.

Deposition of Imidazole into Mesoporous Zirconium Metal-Organic Framework for Iodine Capture.

Efficient capture of radioiodine is essential for the protection of the ecological environment and the sustainable development of nuclear energy generation. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives provide alternative potential for overcoming the limitations of traditional iodine adsorbents. Herein this work, imidazole (Im) is dispersed into a robust mesoporous zirconium MOF PCN-222 by the heat deposition method, forming a high-uniformity composite Im@PCN-222. The large pore size and marked chemical resistance skeleton of PCN-222 allow the incorporation of Im to reach 43 wt % while surviving the chemical corrosion of activated Im. The nearly saturated loading of Im significantly benefits the sorption capability toward iodine and gives rise to an exceptional adsorption capacity of 10.04 g g-1 and excellent recyclability. This value is higher than that of most of the MOFs and their derivatives. Further, Im was also successfully deposited onto the PCN-222 functionalized porous Al2O3 ceramic filtration membrane, which endowed the hybrid membrane with efficient iodine sorption and separation properties. This work highlights a new strategy for the fabrication of the MOF-based radioiodine adsorption composite as well as MOF composite-based filters.

Exploring the potential of biohydrogen as a sustainable energy solution for Pakistan: A review of production processes and policy challenges

Due to growing carbon dioxide emissions and the depletion of fossil-based energy sources, international studies have been focusing more intensely on developing hydrogen as a source of renewable energy. Biohydrogen is an exciting and green alternative energy source with various different benefits. Unlike traditional energy sources, biohydrogen production does not emit pollutants, making it a more environmentally friendly option. Biohydrogen generation, particularly from microalgae and other low-cost biomass feedstocks, so offers the dual benefit of delivering clean electricity while absorbing Carbon Dioxide. This research investigates the possibility of biohydrogen as a sustainable energy solution for Pakistan's climate issue. We examine the current state of biohydrogen generation technologies, such as dark fermentation, photo fermentation, bio photolysis, with a focus on their potential application in Pakistan. The study investigates global advances in biohydrogen research and their significance in Pakistan, demonstrating biohydrogen's potential contribution to Pakistan's energy independence and environmental targets, as well as the practical and policy-related challenges that must be addressed to advance biohydrogen energy generation and wider adoption.

FISH PRODUCTION AND THE POTENTIAL OF TILAPIA PRODUCTION IN BRAZIL AND IN THE WORLD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF ITS USE AS ENERGY AND FOOD

The need for new sources of renewable energy is something that is widely studied today. In several countries, the search for new sources of raw materials for biodiesel production is being evaluated and used. Among these sources is the use of animal fat waste. In this context, the use of fish waste is being evaluated and applied as an intensive source in the production of biodiesel. However, the development of technologies that can make the extraction of these fats viable is still a determining factor in the full use of these wastes. This study presents a review of the production of Nile Tilapia, farmed in captivity, as well as its use in the production of and application in the biodiesel production chain. This work, because it is a review of the potential for the use of waste, used a systematic assessment of the collection of studies, market assessments, and government agencies, which made it possible to obtain data on production and waste generation. For this purpose, searches were carried out on journal platforms and websites that involve the fish production chain. Thus, the verification of this new source of biomass in energy generation becomes viable for the development of new technologies that can add value to waste and reduce the environmental impacts caused by fish farming. The study indicates that there is a significant opportunity in the use of fish waste for the production of renewable fuels, specifically those that have a high lipid content, and their use for the production of biodiesel is possible.