Energy Generation Potential Research Articles

Spinel CoFe2O4 Nanoflakes: A Path to Enhance Energy Generation and Environmental Remediation Potential of Waste-Derived rGO.

Carbon nanomaterials derived from agricultural waste streams present an exciting material platform that hits multiple sustainability targets by reducing waste entering landfill, and enabling clean energy and environmental remediation technologies. In this work, the energy and photocatalytic properties of reduced graphene oxide fabricated from coconut coir using a simple reduction method using ferrocene are substantially improved by introducing metallic oxides flakes. A series of cobalt ferrite rGO/CoFe2O4 nanocomposites were assembled using a simple soft bubble self-templating assembly, and their potential for clean energy applications confirmed. The transmission electron microscopy images revealed the uniform dispersion of the metal oxide on the rGO sheets. The functional group of the as synthesized metal oxide and the rGO nanocomposites, and its individual constituents, were identified through the FTIR and XPS studies, respectively. The composite materials showed higher specific capacitance then the pure materials, with rGO spinal metal oxide nanocomposites showing maximum specific capacitance of 396 F/g at 1 A/g. Furthermore, the hybrid super capacitor exhibits the excellent cyclic stability 2000 cycles with 95.6% retention. The photocatalytic properties of the synthesized rGO nanocomposites were analyzed with the help of malachite green dye. For pure metal oxide, the degradation rate was only around 65% within 120 min, while for rGO metal oxide nanocomposites, more than 80% of MG were degraded.

A Novel Model for Wind Turbines on Trains

Wind turbines that are consistently exposed to the air displaced by moving trains have a high potential for energy generation. Researchers have developed mathematical models to simulate wind energy generation from turbines on moving trains but there are significant gaps in the developed model theory. Most models do not consider the negative effects that additional aerodynamic drag, increased weight, and modified dimensions can have on the train’s operation. To overcome the drawbacks of existing models, this work proposes a novel approach of modeling the wind turbines on trains by considering wind turbine exposure only when the train is decelerating or stationary. There are no models that consider all of these realistic physical effects as a function of time. Real-time analysis and power-system simulations showed that the proposed model could produce over 3 MJ of net energy for favorable train trips. The simulated load profile met the demand of a 1 KW generator connected to onboard electrical components. Some recommendations on possible future research on wind turbines on trains are explained.

Energy generation potentials from agricultural residues: The influence of techno-spatial restrictions on biomethane, electricity, and heat production

Agricultural biogas production is subject to various spatial restrictions including legislation, biomass availability, transport, and the distribution of final energy products. This study introduces a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach for a comprehensive techno-spatial assessment of the above-mentioned factors, which was tested for Switzerland. First, spatial criteria were identified based on an extensive literature review that was complemented by expert knowledge. Then, quantitative GIS-based methods were developed to identify suitable areas for biogas production. Finally, a location- allocation algorithm was used to estimate national production potentials of biogas, electricity, heat, and biomethane and to assess the relevance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from biomass transport. Maximum production potentials for electricity, heat, and biomethane were found to be in the order of 6.3, 8.5, and 13.8 PJ per year, respectively. Heat utilization and biomethane injection are often limited to areas in proximity of settlements. Furthermore, biogas production potentials varied depending on legal, economic, and technological factors. Particularly the utilization of excess heat from combined heat and power (CHP) plants was found to react very sensitive to altering spatial constraints due to its dependency on local demand. Resulting emissions from biomass transport were in the order of 0.5–0.8 kgCO2-eq per gigajoule of produced biogas, which is negligible compared to benefits from agricultural biogas production. The modeling results therefore suggest that attention should rather be concentrated on biomass utilization, plant efficiency, and optimal energy utilization when aiming to optimize GHG efficiency. Overall, the findings support the strategic planning of practitioners and authorities for the future development of agricultural biogas production. Moreover, the presented methodology can be transferred to different spatial and technological contexts.

Solar photovoltaic program helps turn deserts green in China: Evidence from satellite monitoring

Solar energy is considered one of the key solutions to the growing demand for energy and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Thanks to the relatively low cost of land use for solar energy and high power generation potential, a large number of photovoltaic (PV) power stations have been established in desert areas around the world. Despite the contribution to easing the energy crisis and combating climate change, large-scale construction and operation of PV power stations can change the land cover and affect the environment. However, few studies have focused on these special land cover changes, especially vegetation cover changes, which hinders understanding the effects of the extensive development of solar energy. Here, we used Continuous Change Detection and Classification - Spectral Mixture Analysis (CCDC-SMA) based on Landsat images to monitor changes in vegetation abundance before and after the PV power stations deployment. To reduce the interference of PV shading on vegetation abundance estimation, we improved the vegetation (VG) fraction from SMA and developed the Photovoltaics-Adjusted Vegetation (PAVG) fraction for vegetation abundance measurements in PV power stations. Results show that PV power stations in China's 12 biggest deserts expanded from 0 to 102.56 km2 from 2011 to 2018, mainly distributed in the central part of north China. The desert vegetation in the deployment area of PV power stations presented a significant greening trend. Compared to 2010, the greening area reached 30.80 km2, accounting for 30% of the total area of PV power stations. Overall, the large-scale deployment of PV power stations has promoted desert greening, primarily due to government-led Photovoltaic Desert Control Projects and favorable climatic change. This study shows the great benefits of PV power stations in combating desertification and improving people's welfare, which bring sustainable economic, ecological and social prosperity in sandy ecosystems.

The land use impact of renewable energy sprawl in South Africa

ABSTRACT The share of renewable energy is expected to increase in South Africa’s energy mix. Motivated by concerns about renewable energy sprawl, this study quantifies the current and future (2050) land requirements for electricity generation in South Africa and evaluates the likely impact on natural biomes. Currently, around 340 km2 has been transformed for electricity generation (mainly coal-powered) and an additional 1 400 km2 is used for spacing requirements. Direct land use is expected to increase to 755–1080 km2 by 2050, and spacing requirements will increase to 10 700–16 750 km2 (0.9–1.4% of South Africa’s land area). South Africa has excellent potential for renewable energy generation, with 36% and 57% of the land area being suitable for solar and wind development, respectively. Assuming that future developments are built on the most suitable land in the Renewable Energy Development Zones, the Nama-Karoo Biome will be most affected. It is concluded that concerns about renewable energy sprawl should not limit South Africa’s renewable energy capacity expansion plans.

Temperature Distribution in Bio Stove using Saw Dust: An Integrated Project-based Learning

This paper aims at developing the potential of cellulose-based energy generation using pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion methods with biodegradable waste media. The cellulose-based material used in this study was sawdust. The sawdust was heated using a biomass stove, which was then analyzed in terms of heat conduction and propagation as well as temperature distribution. To ensure the effectiveness of sawdust as the main material in the biomass stove, sawdust particles were pressed and compacted under various pressure conditions. This experiment was integrated with the Project-Based Learning method through the following steps: (1) determination of projects testing, (2) project design, (3) project implementation schedules, (4) project completion and progress monitoring, (5) reports and presentations of project results, and (6) project evaluation. The results provide new findings that the denser sawdust particles correlate with the greater temperature and propagation rate. This can be obtained from the measured temperature distribution. Areas close to the heat source tend to have the same heat propagation. The density of the sawdust particle is the main key point for producing better pyrolysis and gasification process, in which it correlates with long combustion energy. Integrasi This finding opens a new concept and can be used as a reference for other researchers who develop research related to renewable energy from waste, especially when using a biomass stove. This study also gives ideas for the need for developing project-based learning using the burning of sawdust using biomass stove as a tool for the teaching and learning process.

Design and Optimization of a Wind Turbine for Rural Household Electrification in Machakos, Kenya

Machakos is an area characterized by low wind speeds in the range of 0.5 m/s to 5 m/s with an annual average wind speed of 3.5 m/s. Maximum power generation from wind requires the appropriate design of the conversion system. In this study, two HAWT rotor blades were fabricated using Styrofoam and aluminium with a pitching mechanism to maximize power. The system was tested in a wind tunnel environment at a wind speed range of 0 m/s−20 m/s. RPMs and torque were measured and then used to calculate the TSR and power coefficients at different pitching angles. Energy optimization was performed by varying the pitch angles from 0 to 40 degree and rotational speeds, blade shape, and also a variation of blade materials. The analysis of tip speed ratios showed positive skewness implying high potential for significant energy generation at low wind speeds. At the rated wind speed of 5 m/s, Styrofoam blades performed optimally at a pitch angle of 20 degree with a tip speed ratio (TSR) of 2.1 corresponding to a Cp of 0.465. This translates to 238 W of power. Aluminium type performed optimally at a pitch angle of 15 degree with a TSR of 1.9 corresponding to a CP of 0.431, a power estimate of 220 W. These findings showed that Styrofoam blades were more effective and thus suitable for application in wind systems. The understanding gained from this study could be useful to the HAWT research community and can be extended to the turbine designs for small-scale microgrids and utility applications.

Impact of urbanization and economic growth on environmental quality in western africa: Do manufacturing activities and renewable energy matter?

The countries in Western Africa have the greatest potential for renewable energy generation in the world and are likely to be vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Unfortunately, only a few of them have tapped into this potential, as non-renewable energy still dominates the total energy mix of these countries. The present study explores the effect of economic growth, manufacturing value-added, urbanization, financial development, foreign direct investment, and renewable energy consumption on the environmental quality in West African countries by using a sample of some selected countries over the period 1991–2018. This study is analyzed by adopting the method of Driscoll-Kraay (DK) panel regression. The panel result suggests that manufacturing value-added, urbanization, financial development, and foreign direct investment increase environmental degradation. In addition, the findings of this study reveal that economic growth and renewable energy consumption contribute, significantly, to environmental quality. Bidirectional causality exists between economic growth and CO2 emissions and between urbanization and environmental degradation. Accordingly, in order to improve environmental quality in these countries, it is imperative to embrace and promote the consumption of clean energy sources, which will contribute more to the promotion and adoption of renewables in this strategic region.

Impacts of ocean-atmosphere teleconnection patterns on the south-central United States

Recent research has linked the climate variability associated with ocean-atmosphere teleconnections to impacts rippling throughout environmental, economic, and social systems. This research reviews recent literature through 2021 in which we identify linkages among the major modes of climate variability, in the form of ocean-atmosphere teleconnections, and the impacts to temperature and precipitation of the South-Central United States (SCUSA), consisting of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The SCUSA is an important areal focus for this analysis because it straddles the ecotone between humid and arid climates in the United States and has a growing population, diverse ecosystems, robust agricultural and other economic sectors including the potential for substantial wind and solar energy generation. Whereas a need exists to understand atmospheric variability due to the cascading impacts through ecological and social systems, our understanding is complicated by the positioning of the SCUSA between subtropical and extratropical circulation features and the influence of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and the adjacent Gulf of Mexico. The Southern Oscillation (SO), Pacific-North American (PNA) pattern, North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the related Arctic Oscillation (AO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation/Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMO/AMV), and Pacific Decadal Oscillation/Pacific Decadal Variability (PDO/PDV) have been shown to be important modulators of temperature and precipitation variables at the monthly, seasonal, and interannual scales, and the intraseasonal Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) in the SCUSA. By reviewing these teleconnection impacts in the region alongside updated seasonal correlation maps, this research provides more accessible and comparable results for interdisciplinary use on climate impacts beyond the atmospheric-environmental sciences.

Panorama of photovoltaic energy in poultry in Paraná

Brazil stands out before other countries for having a gigantic area for food production. Paraná is the state that stands out among the nation's states with its gross production value (VBP), which in these values are the agricultural and livestock productions such as poultry farming. Moreover, Paraná stands out for having a high solar irradiation, which leads rural entrepreneurs to seek the use of renewable energies as electric energy, especially photovoltaic energy. With that, the present study refers to a qualitative systematic review, whose objective was to conduct an analysis of the scientific production on the panorama of solar photovoltaic energy in poultry farming in the state of Paraná, in the period from 2012 to 2021. The bibliographical search was carried out in the databases: Scopus and Scielo including others described on the theme, searching for information from government agencies responsible for production indicators, growth and development. This review showed that the State of Paraná has a great potential for photovoltaic solar energy generation, by the levels of solar radiation which is inserted and also for having the largest poultry herd in Brazil.

The more wine, the more gas? Estimation of the bioenergy potential of winery wastewater in Moldova: contributions to sustainable development

Wine is one of the most ancient commodities in the world. The critical residues from the wine industry are grape leaves, stems, grape pomace, grape seeds, yeast lees, tartrate, and wastewater. The indiscriminate disposal of produced wastewater has adverse environmental and health consequences. Nevertheless, winery effluent has substantial prospects as an energy source. Hence, this paper aims to briefly showcase the potential of energy generation from wastewater in the wine industry through anaerobic digestion. From literature and statistical records, in 2018, the cultivation of grapes in Moldova covered about 126,873 ha of land and produced 730,171 t of grapes, with over 24% pressed for wine production. Consequently, the industry released over 6 billion litres of wastewater. Therefore, by anaerobic digestion of this effluent, there is a potential for the wine industry to produce 459,166 MWh of electricity annually to satisfy nearly 287,000 people. This potential represents a very important step towards energy self-sufficiency of the wine industry and a contribution to the sustainable development goals concerning wastewater, energy and sanitation.

A Review on Development of Municipal Solid Waste Re-Derived Fuel Pellets from Mixed Municipal Solid Waste Using Smart Machine

Abstract: Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSW) and devise cost effective system which may ensure adequate level of MSW services to cities, segregation, treatment and disposal of Solid waste in an environmentally acceptable manner The wastes generated are either dumped in lands or find their way to the water bodies. This results in severe land, waste and air pollution. Our country generates thousand tons of municipal solid waste daily. So we have huge potential of energy generation from waste. Many countries are suffering from waste disposal problems and fuel shortages. To solve both waste and energy problems simultaneously, the refuse derived fuel (RDF) approach has been utilized in many countries. The purpose of study is to evaluate the energy potential of the RDF obtained from utilizing processed solid waste generated from the smart Dross Machine.

The economic and environmental analysis of solar energy development under climate impacts

Solar energy is a promising renewable technology to secure energy security and reduce emissions. While there are several solar energy studies, the intensified climate change has altered the climate pattern such as regional sunny hours and the strength of solar radiation. To investigate the impact of climate change on the regional solar energy potential, this study analyses the average sunny hour and solar radiation from monthly data from Jan. 2009 to Apr. 2021 and applies the ARIMA and ARDL models to predict the potential changes of these factors for the period of May 2021 to Dec. 2025. The results show the impact of climate change on solar energy generation potential is geographically different. Based on the historical data, the estimated electricity generation potential from conventional PV, PV/PCM, and PVT/PCM technologies are 2,636, 2,747, and 2868 kWh per m2, respectively. However, under climate impacts, their power potential will be greatly reduced to 2,422, 2,525, and 2636 kWh per m2. Specifically, the future power potential will decline up to 8%, and thus the policymakers should incorporate the climate influence on solar energy development and application to minimize power fluctuation.

Is anaerobic co-digestion the missing link to integrate sugarcane biorefinery?

This study evaluated the potential of energy generation from anaerobic co-digestion (AcD) of vinasse and hemicelluloses hydrolysate within the context of an integrated 1G-2G sugarcane biorefinery as a mean to ensure its technical, economic and environmental feasibility. Environmental impact indexes for 2G ethanol and biogas production process, such as carbon footprint, which varied from 12.3 to 50.02 g CO2/MJ and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (from 42.7 to 85.9%), were obtained in all scenarios. Economic indicators showed the unviability of 1G-2G sugarcane mill integration adopting AcD of wastes, considering technologies for 2G ethanol production in view of their high capital and operational costs (pretreatment). However, by fixing the experimental methane yield at 0.245 Nm3 kg COD−1r which has been obtained for two-stage anaerobic systems and by considering the use of 50% of bagasse surplus for biogas production, it was possible to achieve internal rate of return (IRR), return on investment (ROI) and payback period of 21.8%, 59.50% and 10.55 years respectively. Moreover, when experimental methane yield is increased in 10% in such scenario, it was possible to achieve internal rate of return (IRR), return on investment (ROI) and payback period of 26%,89.05% and 5.36 years, respectively.

Wind energy in the city: Hong Kong’s offshore wind energy generation potential, deployment plans, and ecological pitfalls

Hong Kong seeks to achieve a low carbon future by investing in renewable energy solutions. With almost all its energy demand met by imported supply, primarily from Mainland China, developing Hong Kong’s indigenous renewable energy from offshore wind offers the potential to meet the city’s low carbon ambition and, at the same time, pursue energy reliance and resilience. This paper reviews the potential for harvesting Hong Kong’s offshore wind energy to show that the territory possesses significant wind resources that can be converted into useful energy. It also discusses extant plans from its two power providers, Hong Kong Electric and China Light and Power, which signified intentions to build offshore wind farms in Hong Kong’s southern and southeastern waters, respectively. The paper also examines the impacts these infrastructures pose to marine species and ecosystems in the proposed sites. It finds that, although construction-related effects can detriment marine life in the short term, these impacts can be mitigated with careful planning and can even increase biodiversity in the site over time. The paper ends by calling for policy to be strengthened to ensure that Hong Kong’s local wind resources are exploited. Wind power development can accelerate the city’s low-carbon ambition.

Study of the optimal orientation of vertical surfaces in different thermal floors in Colombia for solar energy harvesting

The use of solar energy incident on vertical surfaces in building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems is shown as an opportunity to contribute to achieve sustainable energy consumption in buildings in urban spaces. In this study, a computational analysis of the optimal orientation for vertical surfaces in three thermal floors of Colombia is performed, using clear sky conditions and meteorological data. The results show the need to position the designs of vertical surfaces in a range of azimuthal angles given the energy variability for each city, both in the morning and evening hours and throughout the years. In addition, the energy generation potential of vertical surfaces is analyzed with respect to a horizontal panel considering the maximum radiant energy received, finding that a single vertical surface can receive 17% less radiant energy than a horizontal panel, but when considering a pair oriented according to the optimal angles, it can be exceeded up to 60%.

Techno-economic analysis and energy forecasting study of domestic and commercial photovoltaic system installations in Estonia

The Baltic countries have good potential for solar photovoltaic (PV) energy generation, as on average 15 hours of sunlight is available in summer. Another potential option is to encourage the construction of nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) according to the EU framework. This study focuses on solar irradiance and energy generation potential in different regions of Estonia as a case study. Techno-economic analysis of possible solutions to use differently rated domestic and commercial PV systems’ feasibility and payback periods are presented. The results illustrate that all PV systems studied in the research are self-sufficient while selling excess energy to the grid with a nominal payback period. Furthermore, for short-term energy management, we developed an efficient deep learning-based forecasting algorithm. Apart from the inherent non-linear nature of solar energy data, what makes forecasting particularly challenging is to efficiently cope with the issue of data regression and random noise. The RNN-LSTM algorithm is chosen for the prediction of solar energy. This is the first comprehensive report that can encourage potential Estonian users to invest in solar PV systems and gain economic benefits. The results presented in this study cover a broader perspective and are more useful keeping in mind the real market situation of the Baltic countries.

Properties of raw materials and pellets produced with blends of reforestation woods

A large amount of biomass is available in Brazil, which may give an alternative for pellet production. With the market constantly growing, the search for raw materials with the potential for energy generation has become a necessity in serving sector demands. Eucalyptus sp. and Pinus sp. are the main sources of timber in Brazil. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of pellets produced with different blend proportions of Eucalyptus sp. and Pinus sp. wood particles from reforestation. The percentages of eucalyptus in relation to pine were 0, 10, 20, 50, 80 and 90%. Biomass characterization was performed. The pellets were produced in a lab-scale horizontal pelletizing matrix with a heated steam system. The pellets were evaluated for their physical, chemical, energetic and mechanical properties. The higher heating value decreased with an increasing percentage of Eucalyptus sp. in the blend. The chlorine and ash contents were within the range established by the international parameters for wood pellets. The mean mechanical durability of the produced pellets was 93%. Pellets with 80% eucalyptus and 20% pine stood out for their density, compaction rate and mechanical properties.

Sustainable Solutions for Sea Monitoring With Robotic Sailboats: N-Boat and F-Boat Twins.

Strategic management and production of internal energy in autonomous robots is becoming a research topic with growing importance, especially for platforms that target long-endurance missions, with long-range and duration. It is fundamental for autonomous vehicles to have energy self-generation capability to improve energy autonomy, especially in situations where refueling is not viable, such as an autonomous sailboat in ocean traversing. Hence, the development of energy estimation and management solutions is an important research topic to better optimize the use of available energy supply and generation potential. In this work, we revisit the challenges behind the project design and construction for two fully autonomous sailboats and propose a methodology based on the Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM) in order to find the best way to manage the supplementary energy generated by solar panels. To verify the approach, we introduce a case study with our two developed sailboats that have planned payload with electric and electronics, and one of them is equipped with an electrical engine that may eventually help with the sailboat propulsion. Our current results show that it is possible to augment the system confidence level for the potential energy that can be harvested from the environment and the remaining energy stored, optimizing the energy usage of autonomous vehicles and improving their energy robustness.

Assessment of concentrated solar power generation potential in China based on Geographic Information System (GIS)

Concentrated solar power (CSP) technology can not only match peak demand in power systems but also play an important role in the carbon neutrality pathway worldwide. Actions in China is decisive. Few previous studies have estimated CSP technology’s power generation and CO2 emission reduction potentials in China. To address this knowledge gap, the geographical, technical, and CO2 emission reduction potential of CSP in China was evaluated by province based on a high resolution geographical information system with up-to-date data. A comprehensive framework including geographic and technical constrains was proposed. Exclusion criteria including solar radiation, slope, land-use type, natural reserve, and water resources were adopted to determine the suitability of CSP plant construction. Then, based on the power conversion efficiency difference from various CSP technologies, the technical potential was calculated on suitable land. The results show that approximately 1.02 × 106 km2 of land is available to support CSP development in China. Based on the available solar resource on the suitable land, the geographical potential is 2.13 × 1015 kWh. The potential installed capacity is 2.45 × 107–5.40 × 107 MW, considering four CSP technologies. The corresponding annual energy generation potential is 6.46 × 1013–1.85 × 1014 kWh. Considering the scenario of using the potential of CSP to replace the current power supply to the maximum extent, CO2 emission would have been reduced by 5.19 × 108, 5.61 × 108, and 6.24 × 108 t in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. At the provincial level, more than 99% of China’s technical potential is concentrated in five western provinces, including Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Gansu, and Tibet. These results provide policy guidance and serve as a reference for the future development of CSP and site selection for CSP plant construction both in China and worldwide.