Modern Renewable Energy Research Articles

Renewable Energy Perspectives of Pakistan and Turkey: Current Analysis and Policy Recommendations

To a great extent, Pakistan and Turkey rely on imported fossil fuels to meet their energy demands. Pakistan is moving in the right direction, placing focus on renewable energy resources in its current infrastructure in order to address the energy shortage. Several projects (e.g., wind power and solar PV (photovoltaic) technologies) are operational or under development; they are intended to reduce energy challenges in Pakistan. The new government in Pakistan aims to increase the share of renewable energy in total power generation to 30% by 2030. On the other hand, Turkey surpasses Pakistan in renewable energy resources; for example, there are 186 operational wind energy power plants across the country. In addition, Turkey utilizes solar energy—mainly for residential usage. Turkey’s Vision 2023 energy agenda aims to supply 30% of their power demands from modern renewable energy resources. Turkey has implemented solar PV, solar buildings, wind power plants, geothermal energy resources, and biomass technology for heating, cooling and electricity generation. At present, Turkey’s supply to meet energy demands in the country is 56% fossil fuel energy resources and 44% renewable energy, including hydropower. Accessible details reveal that geothermal energy resources have been continuously neglected in Pakistan by the Ministry of Energy (power division); this is in contrast to the Turkish case, in which utilization of geothermal energy resources for heating and cooling purposes is efficient. With all the facts and figures under consideration, in this paper, comparative analyses are performed which reveal that the production of electricity from geothermal energy technologies is lower than the massive potential in both countries. Recommendations are made for important policies to promote renewable energy technologies, which could effectively support energy decentralization by providing electricity to rural areas and the national grid.

Solar-based hybrid renewable energy plants

Hybrid renewable energy systems like solar and wind systems are growing at rapid pace due to the swift depletion of petroleum resources and global warming phenomena. In recent years, global warming and climate change are two major problems in the global economy and environment, and they have a significant effect on the inadequate accessibility and rising cost of energy. The high consumption of energy in the world has already increased concerns about supply difficulties and significant environmental effects, such as global warming and climate change. The results show that energy created by traditional energy sources causes an increase in greenhouse gas discharge, which could affect global warming. With the consideration of the issues discussed above, continual potential action for sustainable improvement is required. In addition, cost-effective, consistent, and environmentally friendly energy systems are the attributes of a sustainable energy system that efficiently uses local assets and networks. Therefore, renewable energy sources are positioned as one of the proficient and useful solutions. Currently, some countries have the potential for different types of energy resources, such as solar, wind, etc., and in addition, many companies are developing, constructing and setting up modern and high-tech renewable energy systems. These countries attempt to lead a large network of investigators and other partners to utilize advanced technologies that will provide a cost for renewable electricity generation that is competitive with traditional sources of energy. Although a number of studies have been performed on renewable energy systems but hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) are in demand in this era due to advanced renewable energy technologies. For these types of hybrid plant, researchers are designing a most favorable system by incorporating optimization techniques to predict optimal units for solar PV, wind power generation and batteries in minimize cost for generating stable power supply. The unique features of hybrid energy plants such as instant power, power quality spinning reserve replacement, ancillary services, internal combustion engines–integrated with energy storage and solar PV–offer considerable potential for fuel and cost savings. This article focuses primarily on different hybrid solar systems, advancements and their applications.

Influence of Ni / NiO Ratio on the Performance of Thermoelectrochemical Waste Heat Harvester Based on Hollow Microspheres

Technologies harvesting and converting the heat of low-temperature sources into electricity are one of the current trends in modern renewable energy. Thermoelectrochemical cells based on a nickel oxide electrode are gaining increasing popularity among researchers due to the high values of the hypothetical Seebeck coefficient. This work is devoted to the study of the reduction modes effect of hollow nickel oxide microspheres on the ratio of oxide and metal nickel forms in their structure. The paper presents the synthesis of microspheres by the pyrolysis of ultrasonic aerosols of an aqueous solution of nickel nitrate. Composition and morphology are studied by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray non-standard quantitative analysis. It was shown that the proportion of metallic nickel increases with an increase in the reduction temperature to about 375°C and then changes slightly. For microspheres, reduced at 350 °C, the main parameters of the thermoelectrochemical cell were determined. It was shown that the hypothetical Seebeck coefficient in the assembled cell system is 3.1 mV/K, and the resistance to charge transfer across the electrode-electrolyte interface was less than 1 Ohm. It confirms the applicability of these materials as electrodes for electrochemical systems and the possibility of obtaining high values of output power.

Geo-Economics Chapter 8: The Geopolitics of Renewable Energy

Chapter 8 of Geo-Economics: The Interplay between Geopolitics, Economics, and Investments focuses on an emerging form of resource competition. As renewable energy is becoming an increasingly important part of our energy supply, access to the minerals used in batteries and solar cells, as well as the technology to build modern renewable energy applications, is becoming vital. The shift to renewable energy might also have some destabilizing economic effects on countries that rely heavily on the export of crude oil and other fossil fuels, triggering new geo-economic developments. How both oil exporters and oil importers can prepare for the rise of renewable energy and benefit from its opportunities is the focus of this chapter.

Empirical exploration of remittances and renewable energy consumption in Bangladesh

In recent years, a surge of remittances to Bangladesh has enabled rural households to adopt modern renewable energy sources. However, researchers have yet to examine any statistical association between remittances and renewable energy. In this study, we determined the causal relationships between per capita remittance inflows and renewable energy consumption in Bangladesh using annual data for the period 1980–2017. This is the first such study. This determination was made while controlling for changes in GDP, and employing causality and cointegration testing. We arrived at three key results. First, a unidirectional causality running from the level of remittances per capita to a level of renewable energy consumption was determined. Second, we observed a unique cointegrating relationship between the variables. Third, a short-run bidirectional causality between remittances per capita and renewable energy consumption was clarified. Important policy implications indicate that the government should create incentives for remittance-recipient households to invest remittance funds in modern renewable technologies such as solar home energy systems.

Evaluating renewable energy choices among rural communities in Nigeria. An insight for energy policy

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effects of policy incentives and cost on the choice and use of renewable energy in North-Central Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThe data for this study are collected from a sample of 290 respondents drawn from across 6 states in North-Central Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory. This study uses descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression to analyze the data.FindingsThe findings reveal that there is a huge potential demand for renewable energy sources (particularly solar photovoltaic) in the rural communities in Nigeria. It also indicates a positive and highly significant relationship between the level of awareness, availability and income and the use (consumption) of renewable energy sources among the rural communities. Furthermore, the cost of installation and maintenance of renewable energy, its reliability and availability are significant determinants of renewable energy choices among rural inhabitants in Nigeria.Practical implicationsThe authors submit that inefficient policy strategies, high cost of installation and lack of awareness remain the major hindrances to the use of more efficient renewable energy sources. From a policy point of view, a viable strategy for effective use of renewable energy sources is the involvement of government, development partners and agencies for the funding of renewable energy technology in the rural sector of the country. The usage of modern renewable energy would increase if policy incentives are aimed at covering parts of the maintenance and installation cost of renewable energy users. The authors recommend that apart from creating awareness on the benefits of renewable energy, policymakers should provide a desirable policy environment for private energy firms to supply renewable energy at an affordable cost to the rural communities in Nigeria.Social implicationsA majority of the rural households in Nigeria, as shown in this article, are poor and therefore use firewood as their main source of cooking energy because of the cost of renewable energy.Originality/valueDespite the abundance of renewable energy sources and government effort at improving renewable energy use, more than 15 million people live without access to electricity and 54 million are without modern energy services for cooking and lightening in Nigeria. A total of 61% of these people live in rural areas. Therefore, this study is novel in providing energy policy insights for rural communities in North-Central Nigeria.

Amorphous Nickel Sulfide Nanostructured Film Photocathode for Solar Hydrogen Production

Electrochemical synthesis of amorphous nanostructured films is now well recognized method and here we present experimental protocol for the synthesis of Nickel Sulphide (NiS) amorphous nanostructured film for solar hydrogen production from water feedstock which was used in teaching laboratory in last year of undergraduate and post graduate chemistry students. This proves fascinating laboratory experience that is adopted through modern renewable energy technologies to produce hydrogen from water feedstock. This research area is now well established and expected to be utilized for graduate and undergraduate teaching for advance learning of clean energy processes.

A parametric analysis on PEFCs for high-temperature applications

Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFCs) are an increasingly significant facet of modern renewable energy and transportation, providing an electrochemical method of energy generation with high power density, thermal properties, and efficiency. PEFCs tend to increase in efficiency as temperature increases but detrimental effects begin to occur, including membrane degradation and dehydration. These effects are unfavourable in the design of optimised fuel cells as they can result in reduced efficiency and lifetime. Current PEFCs are in a state where they are commercially viable but have a very limited temperature operation region (<80°C). This meta-study analysis presents research around expanding the operational temperatures of PEFCs through a parametric analysis of active cell area, phosphonic acid content, and organic/inorganic fillers. This analysis finds an increase in proton conductivity for PEFCs at higher temperature by using phosphonic acid functionalised membranes with maximised degree of phosphonation (up to 1.5 DP). It was also found that using ionic liquid functionalised carbon materials as fillers was an effective strategy to enhance the proton conductivity of PEFCs in a higher temperature environment while also providing increased thermal stability of the membrane. Additionally, higher thermal efficiency and power density may be achieved by increasing temperature and humidity to maximise proton conductivity towards theoretical maxima dictated by the active cell area, which was found to peak at 36 cm2.

Combining Artificial Intelligence with Physics-Based Methods for Probabilistic Renewable Energy Forecasting

A modern renewable energy forecasting system blends physical models with artificial intelligence to aid in system operation and grid integration. This paper describes such a system being developed for the Shagaya Renewable Energy Park, which is being developed by the State of Kuwait. The park contains wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, and concentrated solar renewable energy technologies with storage capabilities. The fully operational Kuwait Renewable Energy Prediction System (KREPS) employs artificial intelligence (AI) in multiple portions of the forecasting structure and processes, both for short-range forecasting (i.e., the next six hours) as well as for forecasts several days out. These AI methods work synergistically with the dynamical/physical models employed. This paper briefly describes the methodology used for each of the AI methods, how they are blended, and provides a preliminary assessment of their relative value to the prediction system. Each operational AI component adds value to the system. KREPS is an example of a fully integrated state-of-the-science forecasting system for renewable energy.

PREFACE

The 2nd International Conference on Global Issue for infrastructure, environment & socio-economic development (IC-GIESED 2018) was held in Makassar, Indonesia on September 1 1, 2019. IC-GIESED 2019 is dedicated to address issues related to renewable energy technologies, grid interactions, energy efficiency, green environment, sustainable agriculture, data analytics, economics and finance, environmental and social impact as well as policy and climate change implications, hosted by Post Graduate School of Hasanuddin University and Publication Management Centre (PMC), Hasanuddin University.The global use of renewable energy has been triggered by a wide range of application including improving energy security and access, advancing economic development and increasing concern on global warming. These issues are critical to progress toward global concern in the area of poverty reduction, agriculture, industrialization and economic development, environment, health and education. The conferences aims to accommodate the latest issue in modern renewable energy sources, technology in renewable energy utilization, energy efficiency, social, legal and economic framework, energy policy, environmental effect, health and education and global warming concern. Professors from Japan and Australia are invited to deliver keynote speeches, together with invited speakers from Malaysia and Indonesia. Their presence indicates the concern and role of the researchers, scientists and practitioners which are significant in keeping Global Issue for infrastructure, environment & socio-economic development.We would like to appreciate all authors who have contributed to this proceedings, the conference committee, speakers, attendees, organizing committee and sponsors who have made the 2nd GIESED 2019 a succces. We wish the conference will have siginificant contribution in field of global issue for infrastructure, environment & socio-economic development. We are also expecting that this conference proceeding contributes in looking at a new paradigm for global Issue for infrastructure, environment & socioeconomic development.Herman ParungChair of Organizing Commitee GIESED 2019.Muhammad ArsyadDirector of Publication Management CentreHasanuddin University

Step Up Dc Dc Converter for Pv Cell

Paper In modern trend renewable energy sources has taken vast place in power generation. out of all renewable energy sources solar power generation source has high efficiency . in our paper we have using a converter which step up the power generation through photo voltaic cell. Coupled inductor topology not step up input but also provides uninterrupted power supply to load. This type of system is used in island applications. Voltage developed by photo voltaic cell is 15v which is step up to 220V using our proposed converter with power of 100W, this converter provide output which is fifteen times of input. This converter is transformer less and has negligence losses therefore it is DC-DC converter used for DC applications and for Ac applications by connecting an inverter to it.

Thermally reduced mesoporous manganese MOF @reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and evolution.

Oxygen electrocatalysis plays a crucial role in harnessing energy from modern renewable energy technologies like fuel cells and metal–air batteries. But high cost and stability issues of noble metal catalysts call for research on tailoring novel metal–organic framework (MOF) based architectures which can bifunctionally catalyze O2 reduction and evolution reactions (ORR & OER). In this work, we report a novel manganese MOF @rGO nanocomposite synthesized using a facile self-templated solvothermal method. The nanocomposite is superior to commercial Pt/C catalyst both in material resource and effectiveness in application. A more positive cathodic peak (Epc = 0.78 V vs. RHE), onset (Eonset = 1.09 V vs. RHE) and half wave potentials (E1/2 = 0.98 V vs. RHE) for the ORR and notable potential to achieve the threshold current density (E@10 mA cm−2= 1.84 V vs. RHE) for OER are features promising to reduce overpotentials during ORR and OER. Small Tafel slopes, methanol tolerance and acceptable short term stability augment the electrocatalytic properties of the as-prepared nanocomposite. Remarkable electrocatalytic features are attributed to the synergistic effect from the mesoporous 3D framework and transition metal–organic composition. Template directed growth, tunable porosities, novel architecture and excellent electrocatalytic performance of the manganese MOF @rGO nanocomposite make it an excellent candidate for energy applications.

Onshore wind energy potential for Small Island Developing States: Findings and recommendations from Barbados

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are often burdened with high electricity prices whilst being bestowed with excellent wind resources. Wind energy is the most proven of the modern renewable energy technologies and, in areas with a good resource, is often the cheapest form of electricity generation. Many small island states have yet to tap into their wind energy potential. Using the Caribbean island of Barbados as a case study, this paper applies basic engineering processes and a spatial planning methodology to determine an island’s maximum potential installed wind capacity. In order to encourage repeated studies for other islands, publicly available global historical hourly weather data is identified and forms part of a technical assessment to estimate the expected annual energy yield. The paper highlights the complexities of wind energy development on small islands when compared with mainland countries and explores the key factors that are to be addressed if SIDS are to make use of their wind resource. Economic analysis of the expected annual energy yield for Barbados predicts a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for wind of 0.13 US$/kWh (±0.01 US$/kWh), which compares favourably with other forms of generation that are an option for the island.

Determinants of Lighting Energy Transitions in Rural Ethiopia: Lessons from Mida Oromo and Wonisho Districts of Ethiopia

Modern renewable energy is an important tool to achieve socio-economic transformation, particularly in rural areas of developing countries like Ethiopia. However, most people do not access modern energy and thus providing it is one of the daunting tasks that the government has faced. Knowing energy choice of households is one of the important factors to bring energy transition. However, limited studies are undertaken in the Country on this area. Thus, this paper tried to address the gap by investigating factors affecting households lighting energy choice by taking sample of 442 households in Mida Oromo and Wonisho Districts of Ethiopia. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for analyzing the data. The result shows that households consume a range of traditional, transitional and modern lighting energy sources available in their areas. Wealthy households prefer lighting energy sources that are clean and relatively expensive including, grid electricity and solar energy unlike households in lower income category who opt to cheap and easily available energy sources. The study further highlighted that income is not the only factor affecting household energy transitions. Family size, access to market and road infrastructure, asset of the household and the district of the households, mobile and radio ownership and education attainment of the head or family members are found to be an important determinants affecting energy transition of rural households. The study concluded that any program that aim to provide modern lighting energy sources need to consider all these diverse factors and local contexts.

Energy Transition Scenarios and Their Economic Impacts in the Extended Neoclassical Model of Economic Growth

Introduction: Energy return on energy invested (EROEI) of fossil fuels has been declining sharply, while modern renewable energy sources generally have even lower EROEI than fossil fuels. It has been repeatedly proven that economic growth expressed in the form of growth of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is closely related to intensified energy consumption and escalated usage of natural resources in general. This problem remains scarcely explored in pure economic modelling. Objectives: This study presents a novel model titled Energy Extended Neoclassical Growth Model (EENGM), which focuses on the consequences of declining quantity and quality of extractable fossil fuels and lower quality of the succeeding renewable energy technology for economic growth. Method: The Neoclassical growth model is translated into a system dynamics format and is extended by important feedback mechanisms, which are identified as important from the literature and mostly missing from the analyzed system dynamics models with a similar scope. Two scenarios assess the EENGM performance: business as usual (BAU) and the sustainability strategy (SUS). Results: Sensitivity analysis is performed for the Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROEI) parameter and results in the investment share in GDP varying between 27 and 40%, while the energy sector investment largely displaces investment in other economic sectors. The EENGM is associated with new behavior whereby the underperforming energy sector limits GDP growth and seizes most of the available investment. The adoption of the SUS strategy causes 28% lower cumulative fossil fuel aggregate consumption which still corresponds to higher than 1.5 °C global warming compared to the preindustrial levels. Conclusion: The share of consumption in the GDP of an economy undergoing energy transition can approach levels previously seen only in totally war-oriented economies. Even omitting other negative environmental feedback, the feasibility of the successful energy transition of the system in its contemporary form, with the currently available renewable energy technology, seems to be highly uncertain.

Classification of Renewable Sources of Electricity in the Context of Sustainable Development of the New EU Member States

Climate change and awareness of the need to care for the environment have resulted in a global increase in the interest in renewable energy sources. The European Union (EU) is active in this respect and requires Member States to fulfill specific plans in the transformation of their energy systems. We employed hierarchical cluster analysis in an attempt to distinguish those countries among the new EU Member States that increased their electrical capacity from renewable energy sources to the greatest extent while paying attention to their energy intensity. The analyses were conducted in two scenarios for both 2004 and 2016. The first scenario assumed an analysis of all known renewable energy sources, whereas in the second scenario, only renewable energy sources from wind and solar power plants were included. The division of analyses into these two variants showed the importance of the differences in the energy assessment of individual countries, depending on classification of renewable energy sources. We identified groups of countries where electrical capacity from renewable energy sources increased the most. Conducting analyses using two variants allowed distinguishing countries that based most of their renewable energy on modern renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power plants. The inclusion of gross domestic product in the analyses allowed us to identify countries with the worst energy efficiency value.

Test of PV inverters under unbalanced operation

In the modern renewable energy system, recent years have seen a rise in the share of power being generated through photovoltaic (PV) plants. In the Danish power system, PV plants are mostly integrated in the medium- and low-voltage networks which are usually operating under unbalanced conditions. Furthermore, the increasing number of power-electronic-based equipment affects the grid during faults through their contribution to the fault current. So far studies of PV plants in unbalanced conditions are based on computational simulations, which have limitations in representing reality. Therefore, this study investigated the performance of a three-phase PV inverter under unbalanced operation and fault conditions. The inverter is tested in stable power system operation and during grid support situations through frequency response and reactive power control. All experiments are carried out using an experimental laboratory platform in PowerLabDK. The key outcomes from this study includes the correlation between positive sequence component of voltage and reactive power, active power and current under unbalanced operation, the frequency response dependence on positive sequence voltage, and the fault current contribution from PV inverter during different fault conditions.

Analysis of the Development Opportunities of Solar Systems in Serbia

Abstract The paper analyzes the development opportunities of solar systems in the Republic of Serbia. Renewable energy sources and their energy potential, such as solar energy, should be considered in order to meet the needs of consumers. Solar energy can be considered the most modern renewable energy whose utility is still developing, and it is not represented as the utilization of hydro energy sources. Researches show that Serbia is a country with a high RES potential and that it has favorable conditions for production of electrical and heat energy from renewable sources. The aim of this paper is to present the possibilities of using solar energy in Serbia. Energy supply from renewable energy sources is a key factor for each country's strategy, because it directly contributes to reducing the negative effect on the environment.

Long-life performance of biogas systems for productive applications: The role of R&D and policy

In order to achieve the transformations required to realize sustainable development, the use of modern renewable energy has to increasingly take primacy. Biogas technology is one of listed modern RETs but despite its early introduction in Uganda, its adoption rate remains very low amidst high technology failure and dis-adoption. To investigate this, a field-based assessment was conducted to evaluate performance of productive biogas installations with an aim of determining the root cause of this poor performance. It was found out that over 50% of productive biogas installations failed within two years after their commissioning due to logistical and technological challenges. Most installations could not sustain biogas production due to deprived quality of digester feed, and lack of local technical data to utilize alternatives during scarcity of the primary feedstock. Insufficient R&D in the biogas sector is suggested to be the lead cause of such poor performance. Therefore, novel policy strategies for promoting R&D have been proposed in this paper because for success of any productive biogas system, optimization of energy recovery through R&D must be at the forefront in order to drive system outputs to better economic gain.

Capacity Evaluating of Accommodating Renewable Energy Considering Adjustable Characteristic of Nuclear Units and External Transport Power Constraints

Along with renewable resource dominating the evolutional trend of the further electrical structure, the uncertainty characteristics of renewable energy have made a profound influence on electrical dispatch, operation, and planning in modern renewable energy resource. As a result, the issue of quantitative capacity evaluating of accommodating renewable energy has drawn widespread concern across the home and aboard. In this paper, we fully consider the impact of both of the adjustable characteristic of nuclear plants and the external transmission power constraints caused by multi-area interconnection on the operation mode of power system with proportion of renewable energy, on this basis, a novel modified model based on unit commitment (UC) to evaluated the capacity of accommodating renewable energy of power system is proposed. Furthermore, an actual example is used to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method.