Use Of Renewable Energy Technologies Research Articles

Electric vehicle charging by use of renewable energy technologies: A comprehensive and updated review

The majority of the vehicles in the world consuming fossil fuels that causes emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. In order to mitigate the emissions regarding the transport sector, Electric Vehicles (EVs) have attracted attentions. One of the main concerns in the development of EVs is supply of required power for the charging stations. Renewable energy systems would be clean and attractive options for supply of required power of charging stations. In recent years, several studies have investigated applications of renewable energy systems for charging stations of EV and analyzed different aspects of these technologies. This article reviews the research works on the design, optimization and performance investigation of charging stations coupled with renewable energy systems. Studies on EV charging systems powered by stand-alone or hybrid renewable energy systems are considered in the present article. According to the reviewed works, significant potential of renewable energy systems for supply of charging stations can be concluded. Different factors such as the applied technology and components, meteorological data of the installation site and operating condition influence the performance of these systems. Furthermore, it can be concluded that control design system can influence various aspects of EV charging technologies powered by renewable energy systems such as share of renewables in the grid-connected configurations and performance reliability. Challenges and opportunities associated with the development of these systems are provided in the current works and some recommendations are highlighted for the forthcoming studies and projects.

Towards Zero: A Review on Strategies in Achieving Net-Zero-Energy and Net-Zero-Carbon Buildings

The establishment of net-zero-energy and net-zero-carbon buildings can offer significant opportunities to reduce environmental impact in the building sector. Several successful net-zero-energy buildings highlight the feasibility of reducing energy consumption via energy-efficient strategies and the use of renewable energy technologies. To comprehend the existing innovatory designs, techniques, and practices employed to achieve net-zero-energy buildings, this research aims to review the up-to-date advancements in net-zero-energy building practices. The utilization of embodied carbon assessments to achieve the net-zero status of buildings is explored. The findings indicate an escalating global interest and participation in the field of study, and reveal three major areas related to net-zero-energy buildings: multidisciplinary approaches, energy systems, and guidance, which together cover thirteen subfields. The role of life cycle assessment in buildings is emphasized, offering insights into the role of embodied emissions relative to operational emissions over the entire life cycle of a building. In the end, possible future study directions are outlined, including balancing energy efficiency with sustainability, and assessing the impact of design on emissions and economic outcomes. These areas collectively contribute to transforming sustainable building concepts into reality.

A Decision-Making Model Proposal for the Use of Renewable Energy Technologies in Buildings in Turkey

With the increasing need for energy, issues related to using energy efficiently in buildings and employing renewable energy technologies are gaining significance. The building production process is intricate, involving numerous stakeholders, multiple decisions, and a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. This process necessitates decision making based on specific requirements. The objective of this study is to identify effective criteria in decision making concerning the use of renewable energy technologies (RETs) in buildings in Turkey. It aims to highlight the importance of these criteria and compare them, and it also aims to define a recommendation decision-making model for the widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies. This study employed qualitative and quantitative research methods. Based on information gathered from the literature, the main criteria and sub-criteria for RET utilization were determined through in-depth interviews with an expert group, including individuals influencing the building design process (architects, engineers, consultants, employers, and users). A recommendation model was developed using the analytic hierarchy process method to highlight the significance of the identified criteria, compare the criteria and technologies, and facilitate the selection of the most-appropriate technology. This study demonstrates that the decision-making model can be utilized in determining RET-related criteria in the building production process, establishing their weights, and make informed decisions regarding the appropriate technology.

Assessing the drivers and solutions of green innovation influencing the adoption of renewable energy technologies

The degradation of the environment in China is accelerating along with economic expansion. Adoption of renewable energy technologies (RETs) is crucial for reducing the adverse impacts of economic growth on the environment and fostering sustainable development. This study attempts to identify the green innovation drivers and sub-drivers that affect the adoption of RETs in China and provide solutions for boosting their implementation. The study prioritized the drivers, sub-drivers, and strategies of green innovation by combining the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) methods. In the study, the triple bottom line (TBL) approach has been used to determine the economic, societal, and environmental driving forces. The study also suggests strategies for encouraging the use of RETs. The results of the AHP method revealed that economics is the most crucial driver, with a weight of 0.376, followed by environmental (0.332), and social (0.291) drivers. The findings of the SAW method indicated that government green innovation initiatives, consumer initiatives, and industry initiatives are the most significant strategies for deploying RETs in China. This study has important theoretical and practical ramifications for encouraging China to adopt RETs. The suggested approaches can help researchers, business professionals, and policymakers promote sustainable development in China.

Low-carbon transition paths and benefits for the power sector at city level: A case study in Zhengzhou, China

The power sector significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, making its transition to low-carbon energy crucial for achieving carbon neutrality. Zhengzhou, recognized as one of the China's "National Central Cities", has a high energy demand. Its power sector, which is primarily reliant on coal, is responsible for half of the city's CO2 emissions. The low emissions analysis platform (LEAP) model serves as an effective tool for exploring the power sector's transition to low-carbon sources. However, studies on the combined reduction in air pollutants and CO2 at the city level are scarce. This study focuses on Zhengzhou's power sector, examining the power composition, coal usage, CO2 and air pollutant emissions, social costs, and employment effects across five scenarios using LEAP. The five scenarios are the business-as-usual scenario, the reference scenario, the carbon neutrality scenario, and two optimization scenarios with different carbon peak and carbon neutrality time. CO2 emissions will peak in 2030 at 34.6 Mt in the reference scenario, and in 2022 at 32.4 Mt in the carbon neutrality scenario. Emissions in the reference and carbon neutrality scenarios will decrease by 64.8% and 75.2%, respectively, from those in the business-as-usual scenario due to emission reduction strategies. In the carbon neutrality scenario, coal power reformation is the most significant measure, accounting for 45.7% of the total CO2 reduction compared to that in the business-as-usual scenario, followed by the integration of external electricity (17.8%) and solar energy (13.6%). This scenario also demonstrated a strong synergistic effect on reducing air pollutants and CO2 emissions. Although the carbon neutrality scenario incurs costs 60.4 billion yuan higher than those of the reference scenario, its CO2 mitigation cost is 66.1 yuan/t lower. This indicated that more rapid CO2 reduction, despite higher economic inputs, is justified by ambitious CO2 reduction goals and environmental benefits. Enhancing the use of renewable energy technologies for research and development to lower costs could increase the economic feasibility of the carbon neutrality scenario. In the two optimization scenarios, complete elimination of CO2 and air pollutant emissions is achieved by 2060, with all the electricity generated from renewable sources, although issues of uncertainty and stability need to be addressed. The study also highlights that renewable energy development will significantly boost employment, with an estimated 1.19 million jobs in 2060 in the carbon neutrality scenario. Finally, the paper concludes with a sensitivity analysis and offers policy recommendations for the power sector's low-carbon transition.

Improving the OWC Wave Energy Converter Power Take-Off Efficiency throughout Experimental and Numerical Characterisation of an SCIG

The increasing interest in the use of renewable energy technologies is directing attention towards the potential contribution of marine energy technologies, especially ocean wave energy, to world energy demand. While open-sea demonstrations of full-scale devices have been carried out to validate several technologies, the focus now is shifting to optimising the components for efficiency and reliability. The efficiency of the electrical generator plays a crucial role in wave-to-wire numerical models for converting wave energy into usable electricity. It provides essential data that enables the industry to reduce technical risks and uncertainties. Wave-to-wire models typically simplify the generator’s efficiency through assuming a single curve based on the load. This curve is usually provided by the machine manufacturers for the nominal rotational speed. However, the rotational speed varies in the case of air turbines used in OWC devices. Therefore, to accurately estimate decision variables derived from these models, a comprehensive efficiency map is necessary. This map should demonstrate the performance at different rotational speeds and loads, as it directly influences the estimation of key parameters. The main objective of the present work is to improve the generator behaviour of an OWC for different generator operation regimes. For this purpose, a numerical model of the generator’s efficiency will be developed throughout the segregation of losses and validated experimentally. Finally, an optimal control law will be presented to maximise the electrical power output of the wave energy converter, considering the efficiency of both the generator and the turbine.

Analisis Efek Rumah Kaca serta Teknologi Penanggulangan Efek Rumah Kaca yang Terbarukan

Global warming is an increase in global temperature at the Earth's surface (within several thousand kilometers) compared to the normal/average value recorded over a standard period (World Meteorological Organization/WMO measurements: at least 30 years). Global warming is one of the impacts caused by the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a condition where the surface temperature of a celestial body, such as a planet or star, increases rapidly. This increase in temperature is caused by changes in the composition and conditions of the atmosphere around the object. The greenhouse effect can be caused by human activities and can occur naturally due to natural events such as forest burning due to a prolonged dry season. Basically, the greenhouse effect is very difficult to overcome, but we can reduce the greenhouse effect by using environmentally friendly energy such as renewable energy. With the rapid development of technology in this modern era, there are many renewable technologies that can be developed and utilized. This analysis aims to determine the process, causes and consequences of the greenhouse effect as well as the development and use of renewable energy technology to overcome the greenhouse effect.

Roadmap for Renewable Energy Development

The article examines the priorities and prospects of the road map for the development of renewable energy using the example of Turkmenistan. The main scientific conditions of the goal, objectives, principles of public policy, a heterogeneous class of renewable technologies, the main scientific conditions of the road map for sustainable development, the environmental aspect of climate change, mitigation potential, and costs are presented. The compiled roadmap for the use of renewable energy sources outlines the expected energy, economic, and environmental effects from the use of renewable energy technologies in remote areas from the centralized power line. The author believes that the outlined development roadmap for the use of renewable energy sources will become the basis for drawing up programs in other countries, depending on natural, climatic, and geographical conditions. Thus, the road map for the development of renewable energy sources, the use of local renewable energy resources, can reduce the need for fossil fuels in some cases by up to 80% and will significantly reduce the anthropogenic load on the environment. The introduction of renewable energy sources is one of the most relevant and promising for the development of the desert and the fight against desertification in the Karakum.

Willingness to pay for climate change mitigation measures in households: Bundling up renewable energy, energy efficiency, and renovation

AbstractThrough their consumption behavior, households are responsible for more than 70% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the GHG emission reduction potential due to the household behavior is very high. Energy consumption is the main source of the GHG emission in households. There are two main ways to reduce GHG emissions in households: use of renewable energy, energy efficiency improvement, and energy conservation due to changes in the energy use patterns. The highest energy saving potential in households is linked with building renovation, followed by the use of energy efficient appliances (including lighting). Renewable energy microgeneration technologies in households also provide opportunities for GHG emission reduction. Although there have been many policies developed to reduce GHG emissions from energy consumption in households, they still need to be more effective. This paper aims to assess willingness of Lithuanian households to reduce GHG emissions from energy consumption in households by embarking on energy renovation of buildings, use of energy efficient appliances and use of renewable energy technologies. The willingness to pay for these GHG emission reduction measures allows to compare household preferences with respect to available support measures and assess the adequacy of such measures. The paper also discusses household attitudes toward the main policies and measures for GHG emission reduction. The results show the highest willingness to pay for energy efficient appliances, followed by renewable energy technologies. The willingness to pay for energy renovation is the lowest one and such s measure requires significant state support.

Optimal use of renewable energy technologies during building schematic design phase

An increasing number of federal and state regulations and financial incentive programs have been enacted in recent years to promote renewable energy systems integration in new buildings. This requires designers to analyze the initial and lifecycle costs of feasible renewable energy systems in order to optimize their integration in buildings during all design phases. The goal of this study is to support designers in generating optimal building schematic designs to maximize the integration and generation of onsite renewable energy. To accomplish this goal, this paper presents the development of a novel multi-objective optimization model that can be used during the schematic design phase to identify optimal building design decisions including dimensions, orientation, location on site, solid-to-void ratio, and the type and size of onsite renewable energy systems. The optimization objectives of the developed model focus on maximizing the generation of onsite renewable energy, maximizing savings-to-investment ratio of all integrated renewable energy, and minimizing both construction and renewable energy costs. An application example of optimizing the schematic design of a 6500 m2 building was analyzed to highlight the model original contributions and its novel capabilities. The results of this analysis highlight the original contributions of the developed model and its novel capabilities that can be used to maximize the generation of onsite renewable energy and its savings-to-investment ratio while minimizing building cost by optimizing building schematic design and renewable energy (RE) technology decisions.

Dynamic simulation and thermoeconomic analysis of a power to gas system

Power to gas technology is an innovative solution to promote the use of renewable energy technologies, also including e-fuels. This work presents a techno-economic analysis of a novel concept of a renewable power to gas plant. A 2.4 MW solid oxide electrolyzer fed by a 3.1 MW photovoltaic field is coupled with a biomethane production unit to produce synthetic methane by means of a 2.4 MW methanation unit. The hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer is used for the methanation reaction aiming at producing natural gas at net zero carbon emissions. The CO2 is obtained as a byproduct of the membrane separation in a biogas upgrading unit. The methanation unit and the electrolyzer models are developed in MatLab and integrated in TRNSYS to perform a dynamic simulation of all the components and the system as a whole. Dynamic simulation results show a 42% increase in the production of natural gas from renewable energy sources. The thermoeconomic analysis shows a remarkable primary energy saving index of 176% and a total amount of 896 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions saved. As expected, the critical point is the economic feasibility since the simple payback is 9 years in case local incentives and subsidies are considered. The parametric analysis on the photovoltaic capacity shows that the simple payback dramatically depends on such design parameter, varying from 6 years in the best case scenario to 92 years in the worst case scenario.

Effect of Healthcare Facilities on Climate Change: A Systematic Review of the Carbon Footprint of the Nigerian Healthcare Sector

Background: Climate change has continued to pose a global concern, as the resulting effect of the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continues to have significant consequences on the planet and its inhabitants.
 One of the major sectors contributing to the greenhouse effect is the healthcare sector, however, it is one of the sectors that has been overlooked and under reported.
 Objective: This article aims at reviewing the carbon footprint of healthcare facilities in Nigeria and its impact on climate change, while highlighting important and effective strategies towards addressing it.
 Methods: Data was obtained through a systematic review of available research articles obtained online via PubMed and Google scholar search engines, using the key words; climate change, healthcare facilities, global warming, and carbon footprint.
 Results: Effective policy and regulatory frame works are essential towards addressing the carbon footprint of healthcare facilities; however a lot of gap still exists in curbing the effect of GHG emissions by healthcare facilities in Nigeria, as majority of healthcare facilities in Nigeria still rely significantly on the combustion of fossil fuels for generation of power due to its epileptic electrical power supply.
 Conclusion: There is great need in addressing the effect of the carbon footprint of healthcare facilities on climate change. This can be achieved through the use of renewable energy technologies like solar and wind power, as well as the use of energy conservative measures such as the use of LED lighting and High-efficiency Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Towards the application of renewable energy technologies in green ports: Technical and economic perspectives

AbstractWith growing concerns over environmental degradation and climate change, the shipping industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact. This has led to the development of green port initiatives in the field of maritime transport and logistics, which aim to promote sustainable practices and reduce the environmental footprint of ports and their operations. One of the key strategies for achieving this goal is the use of renewable energy technologies (RETs). This paper summarizes the potentials, challenges, and economic analysis of RETs applications in green ports, emphasizing those that require aquatic environments for operation, including floating photovoltaic systems, offshore wind turbines, and ocean energy. The paper investigates the concept of green ports and explores the feasibility of integrating RETs into these facilities. Also, the potential of the various RETs is presented in terms of technical and economic aspects and installed capacity. Additionally, due to high flexibility in electrical systems and compatibility with maritime transportation, the use of fuel cells in green ports has been discussed as a feasible solution for supplying power to ports (either as the primary or backup source). The findings of this study show that RETs can significantly contribute to achieving sustainable goals in the maritime industry and pave the way for the creation of more efficient and environmentally friendly ports.

Research on Power Grid Data Asset Management Based on Big Data BI Analysis – The Role of Renewable Energy Technologies

With the advancement of the industrial Internet of Things era, and the use of renewable energy technologies, smart grid has become the main form of power grid, and data has become a key link. The problem of data islands is common, and the data value, especially the commercial value, has yet to be tapped. This phenomenon is particularly prominent in power grid enterprises. Therefore, a data management model and method for power grid enterprises are proposed. The model aims at data asset management of power grid enterprises, reveals the process of extracting, modeling, analyzing and value mining of power grid data based on big data BI technology, and puts forward a practical and easy-to-land data asset management method, which really solves the problems of how to collect, store, manage and use data. Finally, taking the linkage between power marketing data and power grid planning in a certain area of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province as a specific scenario, the BI analysis conclusion of relevant marketing data is displayed, which realizes the echo of conventional application and advanced application, reduces investment practically, improves economic benefits, and demonstrates the feasibility and scientificity of the method.

Natural resources extraction and global COP26 target: An overview of USA economy

The most pressing problem facing the globe in these modern times is that of the environment, which is being harmed by carbon emissions. When economic expansion is taking place at a breakneck pace, maintaining environmental protection is widely regarded as a formidable obstacle for the economies of the globe. The environmental problems that are a direct result of carbon emissions have garnered a lot of attention recently, and it is essential to make use of renewable energy technology in order to address these issues. The extent to which a countries natural resource reserves are important for economic and environmental performance as well as the magnitude of its effect have been widely contested. The current research took into account the reliance on natural resources as a crucial aspect in meeting the spike in environmental concerns in the United States. Using the data for USA from 1984 to 2021, this study empirically analyses the nexus between TNRENT and CO2E. The findings indicate that REC, and TI are all capable of reducing carbon emissions. However, TNRENT and GDP are responsible for rising CO2E in USA. Therefore, in order to support sustainable economic development, the United States ought to enhance their research and use of low-carbon technologies. Based on the findings, it appears that the United States of America has to prioritize environmental protection on par with economic expansion and ensure that the expansion comes after the former.

Bioenergy generation from thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass-based integrated renewable energy systems

Anthropogenic activities and advancements in industries boost global energy demand and increase fossil fuel consumption, causing several global environmental problems, such as climate change. As a climate change mitigation strategy, the use of renewable energy technologies has gained unprecedented interest. In particular, the thermochemical processing of lignocellulosic biomass integrated with other renewable energy technologies has emerged rapidly. It is critical to select appropriate integrated renewable energy system configurations for sustainable and feasible power generation towards higher environmental benefits. Understanding the possible configurations of thermochemical lignocellulosic biomass processing technologies (gasification, pyrolysis, hydrothermal gasification, or hydrothermal carbonization) integrated with renewable energy technologies (solar thermal, fuel cell, fusion power, or energy storage) is crucial for the further development and propagation of the integrated renewable energy system. Hence, we provide a systematic review of the thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass integrated with the other renewable energy technologies. Finally, the challenges associated with the implementation of these systems and suggestions for future research on the systems are discussed.

Economic feasibility assessment of microgrids with renewable energy sources in Peruvian rural areas

Electrification of Peru's rural areas is an issue of vital importance for economic growth. However, these areas still have poor quality electricity service or operate in a stand-alone mode with high cost of energy. To address this problem, one of the most promising strategies proposes the use of renewable energy technologies through the implementation of electrical microgrids (MGs). In this context, this research develops the analysis of 37 cases of rural villages throughout Peru in order to obtain the optimal MG design and the most feasible areas for its implementation, considering the associated costs, geographic location and load characteristics. For this purpose, an optimization process is carried out using HOMER Pro software with the aim of sizing the MG with the minimum net present cost and cost of energy. Then, an iterative process is developed in MATLAB software to map cost values, renewable contribution, emissions, the energy charge and the annual savings in the utility bill. This analysis considers five scenarios base on a grid-connected MG (with sensitivity values of grid sellback price) and an off-grid MG system. The results show the geographic distribution of all the annual utility saving bill. For the grid-connected MG condition, it presents a profit in the range of $107.08 to $368.2 compared to loads connected to the grid; while for the off-grid MG condition, it presents a profit in the range of $1269 to $4976 in comparison with loads connected to a diesel generator.

Methodology for renewable energy risk assessment applied to photovoltaic systems in Mexico

Due to the increase in demand for electricity, global warming and energy sustainability, there has been a significant increase in the use of renewable energy technologies. This can be seen in reports from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which in 2018 reported a total world electricity generation capacity of 2,356,346 MW with technologies based on these energy sources. These data constitute a sustained annual growth over the last five years of between 8 and 9 % (IRENA, 2019, p. 2). Therefore, the use of these technologies is a strategy adopted worldwide to reduce both the dependence on fossil fuels and the environmental impact of electricity generation.

Decommissioning of Offshore Platforms in Adriatic Sea: The Total Removal Option from a Life Cycle Assessment Perspective

The international energy scenario to date is heavily based on fossil energy sources such as coal, oil or natural gas. According to the international ecological goals of the UNFCCC formalized in the legally binding treaty called the Paris Agreement, the next global challenges will be the decommissioning, dismantling or reconversion of the current fossil energy system into a new, more sustainable system that makes more efficient use of renewable energy technologies. Worldwide, there are about 6500 offshore oil and gas facilities and about 130 of them are located in the Mediterranean basin, mainly in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas: more than 110 offshore gas platforms have been installed in these areas since 1960. In this paper, using Life Cycle Assessment, the environmental and economic impacts of the total removal operations of an existing offshore platform in the context of the Adriatic Sea are assessed based on existing and registered decommissioning projects. In addition, the avoided impacts of primary steel production due to its recovery and recycling from the removed platform are assessed using the system boundary expansion method.

Renewable energy, non-renewable energy, economic growth and CO2 emissions in the newly emerging market economies: The moderating role of human capital

The International Energy Agency revealed in its report in 2021 that the world energy-CO2 emission reached its highest peak during that year. This statistic shows the need to set new environmental protection policies and improve the current ones. Hence, our study aims to highlight the leading role of human capital in the fight against climate change. To do so, by using the Feasible Generalized Least Squares and the Two-Stage Least Squares estimators, we analyze the moderating impact of human capital on the link between renewable energy, nonrenewable energy, economic growth, and CO2 emissions in the case of the 20 newly emerging market economies for the period 1990–2021. We find negative effects of renewable energy consumption, industrialization and trade openness on CO2 emissions. We also find positive effects of nonrenewable energy consumption, economic growth, and human capital on CO2 emissions. In addition, our findings reveal that renewable energy consumption and human capital are complementary levers for reducing CO2 emissions, whereas human capital mitigates the detrimental effect of nonrenewable energy consumption on environmental quality. Besides, the results underline that human capital has an inverted U-shaped effect on CO2 emissions. Regarding policy implications, policymakers should emphasize the complementarity between human capital and renewable energy consumption by facilitating the accumulation of human capital towards productive investments and the use of renewable energy technologies in these countries. They should also raise people’s environmental awareness by implementing educational reforms, effective environmental awareness campaigns, and government regulatory pressures that help people understand global warming issues and adopt environmentally friendly practices in their daily activities. Finally, policymakers should promote the use of renewable energy rather than non-renewable energy sources in the production of goods and services by obliging countries to integrate green policies into their industrialization and trade openness strategies.