Renewable Energy Strategies Research Articles (Page 1)

As climate change accelerates, nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) are emerging as a cornerstone of sustainable development. Rising global temperatures and shifting weather patterns necessitate innovative approaches to balancing heating and cooling demands while maximizing the integration of renewable energy sources. The study explores the future of NZEBs in the context of a warming climate, assessing the impact of global and regional climate change on building energy needs and adaptation strategies. It highlights cutting-edge technologies such as dynamic insulation, smart building envelopes, advanced energy management systems, and integrated HVAC solutions. Special emphasis is placed on modern passive cooling techniques, energy storage innovations, and the utilization of local renewable energy sources, including photovoltaics and geothermal systems. Additionally, the study examines the evolution of energy policies and building standards that facilitate NZEB development in the face of rising temperatures. Key challenges, including the increasing demand for cooling, the urban heat island effect, and the role of smart building management systems (BEMS) in optimizing energy performance, are critically analyzed Findings indicate that a holistic approach to the design and operation of NZEBs enhances energy efficiency while maintaining indoor comfort under changing climatic conditions.

Renewable energy development is crucial for addressing energy security and climate change, yet it faces challenges such as low energy density, high costs, and policy gaps. To enhance decision-making, this study proposes a novel sustainability evaluation framework combining the Full Consistency Method (FUCOM) and Mahalanobis distance-based TOPSIS, tailored to account for renewable energy characteristics like resource availability and renewability. Focusing on China, we assess six renewable energy types (solar, wind, hydraulic, biomass, geothermal, and ocean) using 21 third-level indicators weighted via FUCOM. Results indicate high sustainability for solar, wind, and hydraulic energy, while biomass, geothermal, and ocean energy exhibit weaker sustainability due to technological and resource constraints. This approach not only differentiates from traditional fossil fuel assessments but also provides actionable insights for policymakers to prioritize resource allocation and optimize renewable energy strategies. Keywords: FUCOM model, Mahalanobis distance TOPSIS, renewable energy, sustainability evaluation, Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), Energy Policy, Resource Allocation, Renewable Energy Sources (RES), China, Sustainability Indicators, Comparative Analysis, Energy Transition, Decision Support Systems, Environmental Impact.

Advancing renewable energy strategies: Integrating technological innovation and economic complexity for sustainable resource management

This study proposes a novel Fermatean fuzzy (FF) multi-criteria decision-making framework to evaluate renewable energy systems under uncertainty, focusing on sustainable development and efficient energy utilisation. The novelty lies in developing a new scoring function for FF sets that enhances the differentiation of closely ranked alternatives and in extending step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis and logarithmic percentage change-driven objective weighting methods into the FF domain for computing subjective and objective weights, respectively. The integrated framework employs the distance-based evaluation from average solution method to rank five renewable sources, solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal across four sustainability main criteria and eighteen sub-criteria. Data are collected through structured expert surveys involving professionals from the renewable energy sector. The analysis identifies policy alignment (weight: 0.09985) and emission reduction potential (weight: 0.07838) as the most influential criteria. Solar energy ranks highest with a performance score of 0.83208, followed by wind (0.65355), while biomass scores lowest (0.24781). Sensitivity and comparative analyses validate the robustness and consistency of the proposed model. The results suggest prioritising solar and wind energy and offer actionable insights for policymakers to develop resilient and uncertainty-aware renewable energy strategies.

The energy sector holds critical importance for South Africa, particularly as a developing country grappling with persistent economic challenges and energy insecurity. These pressures have stimulated growing scientific and policy interest in renewable energy as a pathway to sustainable development. This study examines public perceptions and awareness of renewable energy technologies and estimates willingness to pay (WTP) for their increased integration into South Africa’s energy mix. By linking these objectives, the study provides insights into the social and economic factors that shape a just energy transition and informs targeted policies, investments, and engagement strategies to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy. A descriptive research design was employed, incorporating a systematic random sampling approach to ensure reliability and representativeness. Data were collected through structured questionnaire surveys conducted in both urban and rural households across Limpopo Province, South Africa. Findings reveal a generally positive public attitude toward the expansion of renewable energy, although knowledge levels remain moderate and are most pronounced with respect to solar energy systems. The mean household WTP for increased renewable energy penetration was estimated at ZAR 163.4 per annum. Binary logistic regression analysis identified eight statistically significant predictors of WTP: Education, Occupation, Income, Recognised Advantages (A1), Financial Incentive Schemes for RES (A3), Expansion Strategies for Renewable Energy (A4), Price Parity with Fossil Fuels (A7), and Interest-Free Financing Options (A8). These results highlight the importance of affordability, policy support, and tangible benefits in driving public acceptance. Overall, the findings highlight the potential for targeted policy and educational interventions to foster household participation and advance South Africa’s just energy transition.

This study contributes to the current discourse on the relationship between environmental sustainability and economic growth by examining the connections between poverty, carbon emissions, and the value generated in the agricultural sector. We assess the agricultural sectors of China and India, analyzing their roles in global carbon emissions through empirical data, econometric models, and machine learning techniques. We find a nonlinear relationship between economic growth and emissions; initially, development elevates carbon output, while subsequent progress encourages sustainability through technological innovations and policy initiatives. Among the machine learning methods employed, the K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) algorithm demonstrated the highest predictive accuracy. The results indicate that China’s agricultural sector is the dominant contributor to carbon emissions, accounting for 78.2%, while India’s sector contributes 21.8%. These findings underscore the disparities in agricultural carbon footprints between the two nations and highlight the necessity of integrated strategies that balance economic growth with environmental protection. Policy implications involve implementing focused poverty reduction initiatives, renewable energy strategies, and sustainable farming methods to lessen the effects of climate change while promoting economic growth. The study highlights how artificial intelligence and machine learning can improve predictive accuracy and guide effective climate policies.

ABSTRACT The rising climate concern has gained extensive global attention in recent times. Various policy measures have been considered to mitigate its impact, but they remain poorly understood. This study extends the discussion on climate risk (cr) mitigation from 2000 to 2022. It explores the roles of energy transition(et), access to clean fuel technologies (acft), and urbanization (urbp) by employing econometric techniques like, two-way fixed effects, two-step system GMM and, panel quantile regression. ‘et’ is found an important driver of ‘cr’ mitigation. It achieves a 1% significance level globally and across income and regional groups, except in MENA, where reliance on fossil fuels limits its statistical significance. ‘acft’ mitigates ‘cr’ globally, in MENA and SSA. It suggests aligning clean technologies with developmental goals. ‘urbp’ shows mixed effects, reducing ‘cr’ in LICs and regions like E&CA but, increasing in HICs. Policy implications suggest prioritizing ‘et’ in fossil fuel reliant regions. The findings emphasize on international collaborations for green technology transfer and equitable energy transitions for LICs and MICs. Region-specific urban planning and targeted renewable energy strategies are vital for addressing urbanization and labour market dynamics.

The growing demand for clean energy and the urgency of reducing carbon emissions have made wind power a key element of Turkey’s renewable energy strategy. However, identifying optimal regions for wind energy investment remains a complex task due to the interplay of technical, spatial, and economic factors, all of which are characterized by varying degrees of uncertainty. Although GIS-based site selection and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods are widely used, few approaches integrate expert judgment and spatial analysis within an uncertainty-aware national planning framework. This study proposes a novel investment prioritization model that combines Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with the Neutrosophic-VIKOR method to assess regional wind energy potential in Turkey. The model considers five core criteria: wind potential, land cost, energy consumption based on population density, presence of existing wind farms, and expert judgment. Expert input is represented using Single-Valued Neutrosophic linguistic scales. A similarity-based weighting method is used to determine the relative influence of each expert. The resulting Priority Index (PI) highlights Balıkesir, Çanakkale, and İzmir as the top three investment regions due to their wind characteristics and energy demand. Istanbul and Samsun also rank highly, supported by existing infrastructure and consumption levels. The proposed framework offers a replicable, uncertainty-aware tool for supporting national wind energy planning. By combining expert-based neutrosophic modeling with spatial analysis, the study addresses existing methodological gaps and provides actionable insights for investors and policymakers pursuing efficient and balanced renewable energy development.

Innovative hybrid fuzzy MCDM techniques for adopting the appropriate renewable energy strategy

Evaluating renewable energy strategies for operational efficiency in seaports

While hydropower is a cornerstone of global renewable energy strategies, its development in semi-arid regions remains insufficiently explored. Limited and highly variable water availability often discourages comprehensive assessments of its potential. In particular, run-of-river hydropower, despite its environmental and economic advantages, remains largely underexplored in these contexts due to its sensitivity to flow variability. This study evaluates the theoretical hydropower potential of run-of-river schemes within the semi-arid Grou watershed, a major tributary of the Bouregreg river in Morocco, with a focus on optimizing energy production under dry hydrological conditions. Hydrological modeling was applied using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), enabling the generation of flow-duration curves across the river network. These curves were then used to develop energy-duration curves, allowing for the identification of multiple optimal design flows. Consequently, instead of relying on a single turbine, the study explores the deployment of modular turbines per plant, each tailored to specific flow regimes, thereby expanding the range of exploitable run-of-river hydropower. Results indicate an untapped hydropower potential of approximately 32.4 MW per meter of head, with outputs of 31.5 MW, 783.3 kW, and 98.9 kW for high, moderate, and low flows, respectively. These findings highlight the feasibility of run-of-river hydropower in semi-arid regions and underscore the importance of adaptive turbine systems in enhancing sustainable energy production, specifically in water-scarce environments such as Morocco.

This paper studies the collaborative inertia-frequency regulation strategies for the high renewable energy penetrated low inertia power system. Firstly, a systematic investigation is conducted to reveal the dominant dynamic characteristics and the possible challenges for such systems, and then proved the effectiveness of virtual inertia. Subsequently, a novel Laguerre-based model predictive control strategy is accordingly pro-posed, which ensures a better system states convergence ability and a reduced computational burden. The controller takes into account the system’s dual-mode feature to ensure timely response for both the inertia and the frequency support. Then, the regulation quality, operational burden and the cost are mathematically defined. The control trajectory is determined by the rolling optimization. The Gravity Searching Algorithm is utilized to determine the optimal control parameters. Finally, the proposed control strategy is validated through five case studies, demonstrating enhanced robustness, superior dynamic performance and cost-effective operation. This study provides new insights for the analysis and control strategies of the high RE penetrated low inertia systems.

High Performance Building is a future approach for sustainable development, focusing on energy efficiency, reducing carbon footprint, enhancing user comfort, and promoting a self-sufficient system. In the current times, where climate change is a major challenge, shifting to the use of renewable energy, such as solar, is a key element to achieve net-zero energy goals. This paper will study how the integration of solar and wind technology can contribute to the efficiency of buildings, keeping the climate and function in place. Case study – The Edge and CII Sohrabji Green Godrej Business Centre will explore the integration of renewable energy and design strategies with active and passive techniques as architectural approaches. The paper concludes that the integration of renewable energy is a fundamental need for high-performance buildings in urban contexts.AimTo study, understand the role and integration of solar energy in achieving high-performance and energy-efficient buildings.Objectives1. To study, identify, and define key aspects of high-performance buildings 2. To study the integration of solar energy for building performance3. To study the building design strategies for applications of renewable energy4. To analyse a relevant case study using solar technology effectively

This study presents an integrated approach for producing bioethanol and biodiesel from sugarcane juice and waste vegetable oil, two abundant agro-industrial by-products. Through optimized fermentation and transesterification processes, we achieved high ethanol yields and produced fatty acid ethyl esters meeting ASTM and EN fuel standards. This dual biofuel generation process supports India's national biofuel blending targets, promotes sustainability, and offers implications for global renewable energy strategies. The resulting biodiesel exhibited a cetane number of 53.6 and met ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 standards, confirming fuel-grade quality.

A Decision-Making System for Managing Renewable Energy Alternatives and Strategy Using Triangular Neutrosophic Bipolar Fuzzy TOPSIS

Cost-effective hybrid renewable energy strategies for rural Electrification: Optimization-based evaluation of grid-connected and Islanded microgrid systems

The effect of sustainable leadership on the adoption of renewable energy strategy

The global imperative to mitigate climate change underscores the critical importance of transitioning from conventional fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources. However, the integration of renewable energy into industrial operations presents substantial challenges, notably supply fluctuations. Simultaneously, manufacturers must navigate time-based energy pricing mechanisms (TEPM), which dynamically adjust electricity prices based on demand cycles, creating complex incentives for energy procurement. To address these challenges, this study develops a game-theoretic framework involving renewable energy suppliers, conventional energy suppliers, and manufacturers, aiming to identify optimal procurement strategies across different demand phases. Our findings show that manufacturers prefer a hybrid (renewable and conventional) energy strategy when renewable capacity and market demand are high. The profit gap between demand phases depends on renewable energy’s market share. Renewable adoption also helps manufacturers reduce financial risks, especially when spot prices are volatile and contracts provide price protection. From a consumer perspective, hybrid energy strategies enhance welfare when renewable spot prices are low, while high prices and stable output incentivize risk-averse supplier behaviour. These findings enrich the theoretical discourse on energy transition under operational constraints and provide practical implications for manufacturers, energy providers, and policymakers seeking to balance cost efficiency, environmental sustainability, and market stability.

The Group of Twenty (G-20) nations face a critical challenge in balancing economic growth, industrial development, and rising carbon emissions while advancing clean energy transitions. This study assesses how tourism, trade, industrialization, economic growth, and CO 2 emissions influence solar energy consumption in G-20 economies from 2000 to 2021. Using the method of moments quantile regression to capture heterogeneous sectoral impacts, the research reveals that tourism and carbon emissions positively and significantly influence solar energy adoption, reinforcing its role in sustainable development. However, it is negatively associated with trade and industrial output, pointing to structural or policy barriers within traditional sectors. The results vary across quantiles, highlighting that the influence of solar energy depends on the level of economic development and adoption capacity. These findings offer timely insights for policymakers aiming to design targeted, sector-specific renewable energy strategies that balance growth with environmental responsibility. This study aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 9, as outlined in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, by highlighting the role of clean energy and sustainable industry in transforming G-20 economies.

ABSTRACT Despite extensive global research on photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) systems, their performance under Morocco’s distinct semi-arid Mediterranean climate, characterized by high solar irradiation (5.3 kWh/m2/day), moderate temperatures (14–30°C), and coastal humidity, remains largely unexplored. This study presents the first comprehensive experimental evaluation of an air-based PVT collector in Agadir, Morocco, addressing a critical gap in regional renewable energy research. A hybrid PVT air collector was designed by integrating a polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV) module into an insulated wooden duct, configured to operate under both forced and natural convection modes. Thermal, electrical, and meteorological parameters were continuously recorded using calibrated sensors over a full annual cycle. The system’s performance was compared with that of a conventional PV module operating under identical environmental conditions. The results show that forced convection cooling reduced PVT cell temperatures by 14.2°C compared to conventional PV, resulting in a 1.13% increase in annual energy production (217.68 kWh/m2 vs. 215.24 kWh/m2). The system achieved a maximum thermal gain of 290.13 W, an electrical efficiency of 10.88% at midday, and effective residual heat recovery extending for 2–3 h into the evening. Notably, it maintained 98.5% of its electrical efficiency during high-temperature summer periods, when conventional PV performance typically declines. Comparative analysis revealed Agadir’s climate enables superior electrical efficiency compared to Iran (10.22% vs. 9.47%), India (10.25% vs. 9.37%), and Algeria (10.15% vs. 9.36%) due to natural cooling from moderate temperatures and coastal winds. These findings underscore the viability of PVT systems for space-constrained urban environments in semi-arid Mediterranean regions, offering dual energy outputs while reducing efficiency losses due to thermal stress. This work provides a valuable framework for optimizing PVT deployment in Morocco and similar regions, supporting national renewable energy strategies.