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Topic Review
Energy Performance
The energy performance of semi-transparent Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), in a variety of climatic and environmental conditions, is the subject of interest in this review.
  • 1.6K
  • 28 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Cathodes for PCFCs
In a protonic ceramic fuel cell (PCFC), the cathode is a porous oxide material where electrochemical reduction takes place involving the reduction of oxygen and combination with protons from the electrolyte to form water. The cathode is generally recognised as critical for the performance of solid oxide fuel cells, and even more so for the proton-conducting class of ceramic devices. PCFCs are promising electrochemical devices for the efficient and clean conversion of hydrogen and low hydrocarbons into electrical energy. Their intermediate operation temperature (500–800 °C) proffers advantages in terms of greater component compatibility, unnecessity of expensive noble metals for the electrocatalyst, and no dilution of the fuel electrode due to water formation. Nevertheless, the lower operating temperature, in comparison to classic solid oxide fuel cells, places significant demands on the cathode as the reaction kinetics are slower than those related to fuel oxidation in the anode or ion migration in the electrolyte. Cathode design and composition are therefore of crucial importance for the cell performance at low temperature. The different approaches that have been adopted for cathode materials research can be broadly classified into the categories of protonic–electronic conductors, oxide-ionic–electronic conductors, triple-conducting oxides, and composite electrodes composed of oxides from two of the other categories. 
  • 1.6K
  • 06 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Ghana’s Potentials in Solar Energy Generation and Development
The future of Ghana’s solar industry seems promising considering the recent add-ons in the sector. Solar has seen various faces of transformation in Ghana, despite major setbacks such as intermittency and volatility. Currently, solar has become the most popular renewable energy source in Ghana and has great viability especially if the future security needs of the country are to be considered. It is undeniable that Ghana’s energy sector has a promising future if favorable policies are carved to promote solar technology. It is also worthy to note that electricity from solar PVs has gained a lot of prominence and attention in various economies across the world partly due to the general drop in the production cost. This has made it relatively competitive to consider against other counterparts such as wind and hydro. Ghana’s solar energy generation potentials are enormous, considering the amount of sunlight received. Governments have kept the drive to improve electrification across the length and breadth of the country which to a large extent, has been successful with about 82.4% of the population having access to electricity. Previously, Ghana was locked in to the use of hydropower for electrification but recent competitive prices in solar PVs have gradually inspired the desire for utility and off-grid solar systems among the general populace. Various data gathered over the past 50 years by Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) and other authoritative bodies suggests that the amount of sunshine received in the various regions across the country is more than enough to generate the radiation needed for solar PV’s to function to capacity with a potential error in radiation at +/−5%. The initial increase in solar was a result of various projects pushed across by the Ghana Energy Access and Development Project (GEDAP) funded by a host of donors. Several campaigns have been made to push solar such as the “200 MW Government Goes Solar” by the Energy Commission with the sole aim of distributing free solar panels with up to 500 W capacity to especially off-grid remote communities in 2018. Indeed, it can be said that various solar projects are underway to augment the current energy sources in Ghana especially as the government is determined to uphold the renewable energy target of 10% by the year 2020.
  • 1.6K
  • 19 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Solar Reactor Technologies Developed for Redox Cycles
New sustainable and alternative energy carriers are required to limit the CO2 emissions and climate change arising from intensive fossil fuel utilization and combustion. The solar thermochemical production of synthetic fuels without greenhouse gas emission can be achieved via the splitting of H2O and CO2, using concentrated solar energy as an external high-temperature heat source for the chemical process. Two main solar reactor concepts can be proposed to implement redox cycles.
  • 1.6K
  • 30 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
The result indicated that SOFCs (Solid Oxide Fuel Cells) have better implications for environmental performance, as well as being the least cost-effective option for commercially competitive purposes.
  • 1.6K
  • 01 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Ground-to-Air Heat Exchanger
The thermal comfort of indoor environments is generally produced by conventional Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, which are highly energy-intensive and contribute significantly to making buildings responsible for around 20–40% of global energy consumption in developed countries, surpassing in many cases other important sectors such as industry and transport.
  • 1.6K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Synergies between Shallow Geothermal Energy and DHC Networks
According to the EU Directive 2018/2001, “geothermal energy” means strictly “energy stored in the form of heat beneath the surface of solid earth”. Shallow geothermal energy (SGE) is a specific case where the temperature of the resources is generally under 30 °C (also known as “very-low enthalpy geothermal energy”). The heat exchange with surface-water bodies (sea, lakes, or rivers), ambient air, and sewage water is considered as “ambient energy” in the same document.
  • 1.6K
  • 09 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Hydrogen Production Methods
Numerous environmental problems, which include global warming, acid rain, and stratospheric ozone depletion, have been brought on by the transformation, production, and consumption of energy. The quest for a substitute and more efficient sources of energy has been prompted by the potential scarcity of fossil fuels and concerns about the environment. The energy carrier hydrogen (H2) seems to have a lot of potential for significantly contributing to increased sustainability and environmental performance. Despite the fact that tackling future energy problems calls for a variety of strategies, many believe H2 will play a significant role, in part because it does not produce greenhouse gases when it is oxidised.
  • 1.6K
  • 06 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Catalyst Supports for Renewable Diesel Production
High energy demand from the market due to the rapid increment of the human population worldwide has urged society to explore alternatives to replace non-renewable energy. Renewable diesel produced from biomass could be the next potential energy source for its high stability, long-term storage, and comparable performance with diesel fuels. In producing renewable diesel, the application of catalyst is essential, and the catalyst support is synthesized with the catalyst to enhance the reaction rate and catalytic properties. The application of the supported catalyst in increasing the selectivity and yield of renewable diesel is significant, in which the catalytic properties depend on the interaction between catalyst and catalyst support. The supported catalyst as a favorable substance to assist in enhancing renewable diesel yield could lead to a sustainable and greener future for the biofuel industry in Malaysia.
  • 1.6K
  • 29 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Airborne Wind Energy Systems
Because of the near-term risk of extreme weather events and other adverse consequences from climate change and, at least in the longer term, global fossil fuel depletion, there is worldwide interest in shifting to noncarbon energy sources, especially renewable energy (RE). Because of possible limitations on conventional renewable energy sources, researchers have looked for ways of overcoming these shortcomings by introducing radically new energy technologies. For wind energy, a possible alternative is airborne wind turbines.
  • 1.6K
  • 14 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Optimal Sizing of Hybrid Renewable Energy Sources Systems
Renewable energy solutions are appropriate for on-grid and off-grid applications, acting as a supporter for the utility network or rural locations without the need to develop or extend costly and difficult grid infrastructure. As a result, hybrid renewable energy sources (HRES) have become a popular option for grid-connected or standalone systems. HRES are systems that are reliable, CO2-emission-free, and an effective solution for minimizing dependency on one renewable resource. In attaining a reliable, clean, and cost-effective system, sizing optimal HRES is a crucial challenge.
  • 1.5K
  • 24 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Diesel Engines Emissions Reduction
Compression ignition engines play a significant role in the development of a country. They are widely used due to their innate properties such as high efficiency, high power output, and durability. However, they are considered one of the key contributors to transport-related emissions and have recently been identified as carcinogenic. Thus, it is important to modify the designs and processes before, during, and after combustion to reduce the emissions to meet the strict emission regulations.
  • 1.5K
  • 13 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Testing in Microgrids
This entry covers testing in Microgrids. The most common strategies are described and some papers are critizied. Testing in Microgrids can be done in a variety of ways, among others digital simulation, co-simulation, Real-Time simulation (RTS) Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL), Controller-Hardware-In-the-Loop (CHIL), Power-Hardware-In-the-Loop (PHIL) and emulators. To choose the desired strategy, the trade-off has to be made between the cost, test fidelity and test coverage. The entry is based on section in "Testing Smart Grid Scenarios with Small Volume Testbed and Flexible Power Inverter" by Milosz Krysik et al.  
  • 1.5K
  • 12 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Railway Transportation Sector
A wide analysis is presented, detecting which are the main measures adopted for improving the efficiency, related to the power systems for supplying trains and to the train traffic control, with a focus on the storage system integration.
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Photovoltaic Systems (PVSs)
In a grid-connected photovoltaic system (PVS) synchronization and islanding detection techniques have to operate in coordination. Abnormal conditions can arise on the utility grid which require a prompt response from the PVS, hence the information provided by the synchronization system are fundamental for the grid voltage monitoring. The islanding detection techniques are based also on the information provided by the synchronization techniques and some islanding detection techniques require additional synchronization systems. Besides, after an islanding event, the PVS reconnection procedure has to be managed with two synchronization systems. For all these reasons synchronization and islanding detection issues have been analyzed together. 
  • 1.5K
  • 13 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Wind Turbine Blades: End-of-Life Scenarios
Large expansion of wind energy is expected in next decades. At the same time, a significant proportion of the installed wind turbines, the generation installed in 2000s, will come to the end of their lifetime between 2020 and 2030. Many parts of wind turbines can be recycled, however, this is seldom the case for the composite wind blades. Wind turbine blades are developed and designed to sustain challenging service conditions and extraordinary mechanical and ennvironmental loads for several decades. Therefore, their afterlife destruction and separation into re-usable elements represents a challenge. In this review, strategies of end-of-life management of wind turbine blades are discussed. Various scenarios of end-of-life management of wind turbine blades are considered. “Reactive” strategies, designed to deal with ageing turbines, installed in 2000s, include improved maintenance and repair technologies, reuse, refurbishment and recycling.  “Pro-active strategies”, applicable to f new generations of wind turbines, include wind turbine blades with thermoplastic and recyclable thermoset composite matrices, as well as wood, bamboo and natural fiber based composites. 
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Mar 2021
Topic Review
All-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells
Perovskite-based solar cells are a promising photovoltaic technology capable of offering higher conversion efficiency at low costs compared with the standard of the market. They can be produced via a thin film technology that allows for considerable environmental sustainability, thus representing an efficient, sustainable, flexible, and light solution. Tandem solar cells represent the next step in the evolution of photovoltaics (PV). They promise higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) than those currently dominating the market. The tandem solar cell design overcomes the limitations of single junction solar cells by reducing the thermal losses as well as the manufacturing costs. Perovskite has been employed as a partner in different kinds of tandem solar cells, such as the Si and CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) based cells that, in their tandem configuration with perovskite, can convert light more efficiently than standalone sub-cells.
  • 1.5K
  • 04 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Sandstone-Type Uranium Deposits in Hydrocarbon-Bearing Basins
As a valuable mineral resource, uranium is extensively utilized in nuclear power generation, radiation therapy, isotope labeling, and tracing. In order to achieve energy structure diversification, reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels, and promote the sustainable development of energy production and consumption, research on the metallogenic mechanisms and related development technologies of uranium resources has been one of the focuses of China’s energy development. Sandstone-type uranium deposits make up approximately 43% of all deposits in China, making them the most prevalent form of uranium deposit there.
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Biohydrogen
Biohydrogen means the new strategies to reach green and sustainable hydrogen production and exploitation technologies.
  • 1.5K
  • 25 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Molten Salt Energy Storage
One may apply a molten salt storage to core power plants in the energy system with renewable energy sources. The application allows to extend the range of the load of the core power plants and thus better respond to and compensate the fluctuations of the power supplied from the renewables. The application may include the steam turbines from power cycles where fossil fueled boilers were withdrawn. The integration of the core units, the older turbines and the molten salt storage requires a detailed analysis of the existing systems. The entry describes several suggestions for this application and shows the results of the numerical simulations of their operation.
  • 1.5K
  • 16 Jun 2021
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