The reduction of PV prices and interest in energy independence accelerate the adoption of residential battery storage. This storage can support various functions of an energy system undergoing decarbonization. In this work, operative benefits of the storage from the system perspective, namely, generation cost reduction and congestion mitigation, are investigated. Germany is chosen as a case study due to its strong reliance on variable renewable energy. For the analysis, an economic dispatch model with a high spatial resolution is coupled with a Pan-European transmission grid model. It is shown that the system's generation costs are highest when the assets are used only to maximize the PV self-consumption, and the costs are lowest when the storage also reacts to the market dynamics. This amounts to 6% cost reduction. Both operation strategies result in an equal level of grid congestion and infrastructure loading. This is improved with a strategy that accounts regional peak reduction as a secondary objective. The high congestion level emphasizes the grid expansion need to keep pace with the generation and electrification expansion necessary to decarbonize other sectors. Lastly, policymakers should enable multipurpose utilization, e.g., via the introduction of market-oriented retail electricity prices with intervention options for grid operators.

The article delves into the crucial realm of compressing hydrogen in its gaseous state, a pivotal process for enhancing its viability in both civil and industrial sectors. The study initiates by providing a concise overview and comparison of diverse hydrogen storage methodologies, laying the groundwork with an in-depth analysis of hydrogen's thermophysical properties. It scrutinizes plausible configurations for hydrogen compression, aiming to strike a delicate balance between energy consumption, predominantly derived from the fuel itself, and the requisite number of compression stages. Notably, to render hydrogen storage competitive in terms of volume, pressures of at least 350 bar are deemed essential, albeit at an energy cost amounting to approximately 10% of the fuel's calorific value. Multi-stage compression emerges as a crucial strategy, not solely for energy efficiency, but also to curtail temperature rise, with an upper limit set at 200°C. This nuanced approach is underlined by the exploration of compression levels commonly cited in the literature, particularly 350 bar and 700 bar. Ultimately, the study advocates for a three-stage compression system as a pragmatic compromise, capable of achieving high-pressure solutions while keeping compression work below 10 MJ/kg, a threshold indicative of sustainable energy utilization.

The assessment of Photovoltaic (PV) systems, a key component of sustainable energy solutions, is of paramount importance in the pursuit of a greener future. This abstract provides an overview of environmental assessments associated with PV systems, considering their life cycle, energy production, and ecological impact. The study explores various methodologies and tools employed in the evaluation of PV systems’ environmental performance, addressing issues such as material sourcing, manufacturing, installation, and end-of-life disposal. Additionally, it delves into the trade-offs and challenges in achieving sustainability objectives in the solar energy sector. By critically examining the environmental implications of PV systems, this research contributes to informed decision-making and the sustainable integration of solar power into our energy landscape.

Energy storage systems play a crucial role in the overall performance of hybrid electric vehicles. Therefore, the state of the art in energy storage systems for hybrid electric vehicles has been discussed in this paper along with appropriate background information for facilitating future research in this domain. Specifically, we have compared the key parameters such as cost, power density, energy density, cycle life, and response time for various energy storage systems. For the energy storage systems employing ultra capacitors, we have presented the characteristics such as cell voltage, cycle life, power density and energy density. Furthermore, we have discussed and evaluated the interconnection topologies for the existing energy storage systems. We have also discussed the hybrid battery-flywheel energy storage system as well as the mathematical modeling of the battery-ultracapacitor energy storage system. Toward the end, we have discussed energy efficient powertrain for hybrid electric vehicles.

Compressed carbon dioxide energy storage (CCES) offers several benefits over other existing energy storage systems, including ease of liquefaction, high energy storage density, and environmental friendliness. As a result, the research progress, economic and technological feasibility, and system operation of the CCES system are all discussed in depth in this study. The system evaluation method is summarized and the compressed carbon dioxide storage is analyzed, and the performance optimization direction of the compressed carbon dioxide energy storage technology is discussed. When the overall performance of a transcritical CCES system, a supercritical CCES system and a liquid CCES system are compared, it is discovered that the supercritical CCES system has better thermodynamic characteristics and a simpler system configuration, making it suitable for large-scale development and use. The goal of the CCES system's future development is to create a design with an optimum compression and expansion ratio, a more precise analysis and system model, and multi-field coupling. This review's discussion serves as a guide for the best design and use of the CCES system.

: There has been an ever-increasing demand for energy from the past decades. Renewable energy technologies play a major role in satisfying the energy demand as well as in a decreased CO2 emissions. Solar and Wind energies are the major upcoming technologies in renewable energies. Decentralized power production is a system where the energy production and consumption are very close to each other. Microgrids can be decentralized or grid connected and they, with renewable energy sources, encounter a problem of storage as the power production from solar and wind is intermittent. This paper discusses the comparison between using batteries and pumped storage hydropower (PSH) as an energy storage system and the integration of wind and solar PV energy sources. HOMER software simulations are used to obtain optimized renewable energy integration in microgrid and to understand its economic analysis. Two scenarios are run with the model where one considers battery and the other considers PSH to obtain the economic and technical best results of these microgrids. The economic analysis showed a lower net present cost (NPC) and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for the microgrid with PSH. The results show that microgrid with storage of PSH is economical with an NPC of 45.8 M€ and an LCOE of 0.379 €/kWh in comparison with batteries solution which has an NPC of 95.2M€ and an LCOE of 0.786 €/kWh. The role of storage is understood by differentiating the data into different seasons using Python for data analysis. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis is made by varying the capital cost multiplier of Solar PV and Wind Turbine to obtain optimal solutions.

Energy storage systems (ESS) are penetrating into various sections of power system through different applications. ESS can be used either as a buffer for intermittent renewable energy sources or as a stand-alone distributed storage for load shifting. ESS use different types of storage devices such as lead-acid batteries, lithium ion batteries, flow batteries, and super-capacitors. Hybrid ESS consisting of few types of storage devices are also common in practice. Determining the load demand of such ESSs at various instances (charging profile) accurately is indispensable in most of the cases. Capacity loss is common phenomenon that occurs in all types of storage devices because of ageing. Capacity loss has to be accounted while determining the charging profile of storage devices for better accuracy. Data-driven modeling is an attractive approach for determining the load demand of ESS due to the availability of valuable data from smart grid technologies. In this paper, the application of different types of data-driven models to predict the current charging profile of the ESS based on previous charging profiles is examined. The proposed method can leverage on the existing data from smart grid and is a black box modeling approach.

The paper addresses the ongoing and continuous interest in photovoltaic energy systems (PESs). In this context, the study focuses on an isolated photovoltaic system with hybrid bat-tery-supercapacitor storage (HBSS). The integration of supercapacitors (SCs) in this system is of particular importance because of their high specific power density. In photovoltaic (PV) systems, multi-storage systems use two or more energy storage technologies to enhance system perfor-mance and flexibility. When batteries and supercapacitors are combined in a PV system, their benefits are maximized and offer a more reliable, efficient, and cost-effective energy storage op-tion. In addition, effective multi-storage power management in a PV system needs a solid grasp of the energy storage technologies, load power demand profiles, and the whole system architecture. In this work, battery-supercapacitor storage system (HBSS) is established by combining batteries and supercapacitors. The primary objective is to devise a novel management algorithm that ef-fectively controls the different power sources. The algorithm's purpose is to regulate the charge and discharge cycles of the HBSS, ensuring that the state of charge (SOC) of both batteries and supercapacitors remains within the desired range. The proposed management algorithm is de-signed to be simple, efficient, and light on computational resources. It efficiently handles the energy flow within the HBSS, optimizing the usage of both batteries and supercapacitors based on real-time conditions and energy demands. By maintaining the SOC of these energy storage components within the specified limits, the proposed method ensures their longevity and max-imizes their performance. Simulation results obtained from applying the management strategy are found to be satisfactory. These results show that the proposed algorithm maintains the SOC of batteries and supercapacitors within the desired range, leading to improved energy management and enhanced system efficiency.

As the adoption of renewable energy sources grows, ensuring a stable power balance across various time frames has become a central challenge for modern power systems. In line with the "dual carbon" objectives and the seamless integration of renewable energy sources, harnessing the advantages of various energy storage resources and coordinating the operation of long-term and short-term storage have become pivotal directions for future energy storage deployment. To address the complexities arising from the coupling of different time scales in optimizing energy storage capacity, this paper proposes a method for energy storage planning that accounts for power imbalance risks across multiple time scales. Initially, the Seasonal and Trend decomposition using the Loess (STL) decomposition method is utilized to temporally decouple actual operational data. Subsequently, power balance computations are performed based on the obtained data at various time scales to optimize the allocation of different types of energy storage capacities and assess the associated imbalance risks. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated through hourly applications using real-world data from a province in China over recent years.

The surging electricity demand driven by a growing global population, coupled with the increasing electrification of industries, transportation, and power-intensive appliances, poses a substantial challenge to electricity systems worldwide. This challenge is further compounded by the pressing issue of climate change. To address climate change and mitigate the environmental consequences of fossil fuel use, renewable energy sources are expected to play a pivotal role. However, certain renewable sources, such as wind and solar, exhibit stochastic behavior, resulting in unpredictable power output and significant fluctuations. This intermittency presents a challenge in maintaining a stable and reliable power supply. To overcome this challenge and ensure a balanced electricity grid, the strategic deployment of energy storage devices throughout the power system becomes critically important. Energy storage technologies play a vital role in mitigating the mismatch between renewable power generation and consumption. Additionally, they enable the storage of surplus energy generated from renewable sources during periods of high production for later use during periods of low or no generation. Each technology possesses unique characteristics and applications, providing flexibility and diversity in energy storage solutions. This work provides an overview of different energy storage technologies and explores their role in establishing a sustainable power system.

The paper concludes that the choice of charging strategy depends on the specific requirements and limitations of the off-grid solar PV system, and that a careful analysis of the factors that affect performance is necessary to identify the most appropriate approach. Also provides valuable insights for designing and optimizing off-grid solar PV systems, which can help to improve the efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of these systems.

Energy storage systems (ESSs) are the key elements to improve the operation of power systems. On the other hand, these elements challenge the power system planners. The difficulties arise as a result of the ESSs' economic and technological features. The cycle life of ESSs is a critical aspect that influences the choices made during expansion planning processes. In this manuscript, we have focused on a new model for the expansion planning of ESSs considering the impacts of technical properties, such as the cycle life and depth of discharge. For this purpose, the proposed model consists of the hourly operation planning of ESSs in the sample days of year. A new indicator is proposed to determine the daily charging/discharging cycles of ESSs. Numerical results show the ability of the proposed model to determine the optimal technology and capacity of ESSs.

This paper aims at addressing the exploitation of solid-state carriers for hydrogen storage, with attention paid both to the technical aspects, through a wide review of the available integrated systems, and to the social aspects, through a preliminary overview of the connected impacts from a gender perspective. As for the technical perspective, carriers to be used for solid-state hydrogen storage for various applications can be classified into two classes: metal and complex hydrides. Related crystal structures and corresponding hydrogen sorption properties are reviewed and discussed. Fundamentals of thermodynamics of hydrogen sorption evidences the key role of the enthalpy of reaction, which determines the operating conditions (i.e. temperatures and pressures). In addition, it rules the heat to be removed from the tank during hydrogen absorption and to be delivered to the tank during hydrogen desorption. Suitable values for the enthalpy of hydrogen sorption reaction for operating conditions close to ambient (i.e. room temperature and 1-10 bar of hydrogen) are close to 30 kJ·molH2 1. The kinetics of hydrogen sorption reaction is strongly related to the microstructure and to the morphology (i.e. loose powder or pellets) of the carriers. Usually, kinetics of hydrogen sorption reaction is rather fast, and the thermal management of the tank is the rate determining step of the processes. As for the social perspective, various scenarios for the applications in different socio-economic contexts of solid-state hydrogen storage technologies are described. As it occurs with the exploitation of other renewables innovative technologies, a wide consideration of the social factors connected to these processes is needed to assess the extent to which a specific innovation might produce positive or negative impacts in the recipient socio-economic system and to explore the potential role of the social components and dynamics in fostering the diffusion of the innovation itself. Attention has been addressed to the gender perspective, in view of the enhancement of hydrogen-related energy storage systems, intended both in terms of the role of women in triggering the exploitation of hydrogen-based storage as well as to the impact of this innovation in their current conditions, at work and in daily life.

Offshore electricity production, mainly by wind turbines, and eventually floating PV in the future, will contribute to increase renewable energy production, as well as their dispatchability. The need for that energy evacuation and the implementation of the hydrogen economy are challenges that arise the evaluation of such energy facilities for the direct production of hydrogen. The analysis of the alternatives for the evacuation of offshore renewable electricity for the production of hydrogen is presented. The analysis includes discussion about the current state of the art of hydrogen pipelines and subsea cables, as well as the storage and bunkering system that is needed on shore. The main options for energy evacuation will be via an electric subsea cable to produce hydrogen onshore, or by pipeline, depending on the capacity of the offshore plant. For low capacity, an electric subsea cable is the best option. For high capacity renewable offshore plants, pipelines start to be competitive for distances above aprox. 450 miles.

The hybrid AC/DC grid, based on a significant share of renewable energy sources, is gradually becoming an essential configuration of the modern energy system. The integration of intermittent renewable generators into contemporary energy systems is accompanied by the decommissioning of power plants containing synchronous generators. Consequently, this leads to a reduction in system inertia and an increase in the risks of stability disruption. The abrupt disconnection of the primary generator or power line can result in an unanticipated mismatch between power generation and consumption. This discrepancy can trigger substantial and swiftly evolving alterations in power distribution, angular speed, load flow, and the frequency of generators. The risks of an energy system collapse can be mitigated through automation, enabling rapid adjustments to generation and load capacities as well as power flows in the electrical network. This article justifies the utilisation of a power control method for high-voltage power line interconnections. The technology of hydro storage power plants and measurements of voltage phasors are employed. The potential for easing power flow restrictions and realising substantial economic benefits is supported by the results obtained using simplified dynamic model of the Baltic power system and Nord Pool electricity market model.

Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) systems are garnering attention as high-efficiency air conditioning technologies that contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society. This study focuses on an ATES system constructed in Japan, characterized by its complex geological conditions and thin aquifer layers. Through performance analysis using four years of operational data, we achieved a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 5 on the building load side. This paper confirms the equivalence of the dimensionless production temperature and heat recovery rate, observing nearly identical changes in the dimensionless production temperature over four cycles (eight seasons). Furthermore, we propose an operational method for the following fiscal year that maintains the balance between accumulated storage quantity and pumping volume, based on predictions from this plant's operational pattern.

This article proposes a particular strategy to proceed with a progressive electrification of public transport systems in cities. Starting from a bus operation model, the possible electrification of two routes is analysed, one urban and another extra-urban in the city of Pisa. An estimate is made of the energy uses associated with certain operating modes. The maximum level of consumption is estimated at approximately 280 kWh per day per bus for the urban route and excluding some special days, less than 215 kWh per day for the extra-urban route, for which a hybrid bus is proposed. Starting from an estimate of the daily consumption for the management of the two routes, the sizing of a photovoltaic system distributed on some modular shelters which serves to power the same routes is carried out. The resulting system has a power of the order of 190-200 kW. The modular solution is also outlined, and an installation is proposed. The analyzed case lends itself to being easily replicated.

In the face of escalating climate concerns and the push for sustainable development, the global shift towards renewable and decentralized energy systems presents new challenges and opportunities. This study investigates integrating decentralized energy production, particularly photovoltaic (PV) systems, into national energy planning, aiming to optimize energy strategies that balance local production and consumption with national objectives. By analyzing the Swiss energy model, the research employs the EnergyScope and REHO models to assess the strategic implications of decentralized versus centralized energy systems. Results show that a decentralized approach can significantly reduce PV installation needs to 35 GW, about 23% of potential capacity, and decrease annual system costs by 10% to CHF 1230 per capita. This strategy emphasizes local consumption, minimizes grid reinforcement demands, and leverages economic advantages while addressing overproduction challenges through effective energy storage and grid management. Conclusions underline the strategic value of combining centralized and decentralized methods for resilient and sustainable energy planning. The study contributes to the discourse on energy policy and infrastructure planning, advocating for a hybrid model that accommodates both local conditions and broader energy objectives, urging further research into climate impacts and technology integration for a comprehensive energy future.

Integrating numerous renewable resources has been extensively researched and studied to create a dependable energy system. This study investigated the best techno-economical hybrid energy system configuration while using hydrogen energy to keep the system's energy balanced. Additionally, this study aims to determine the best hybrid system configuration for the location under investigation. A novel technique of DBM (Deterministic Balanced Method) was introduced to determine the total annual energy output for the project's lifetime. This approach is used to contrast the outcomes of other HOMER software tools. Then, using HOMER, it is possible to confirm the sizing optimization results for the suggested method by comparing the power ratings and yearly energy output. A detailed comparison between our proposed method and HOMER Pro has been conducted for validation and verification. Our method has been rigorously tested in various hybrid off-grid energy systems, ensuring its applicability and reliability across different scenarios and configurations. The results of our study indicate a high degree of similarity between the proposed approach and HOMER pro for computing annual energy power for the studied energy systems. Specifically, our analysis revealed that the difference between the approaches was within a range of 5%, indicating a high level of consistency and reliability in our method. These findings suggest that our approach can be confidently applied to determine the appropriate size of hybrid energy systems accurately. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the development of effective sizing methodologies for hybrid energy systems. After considering the amount of solar radiation and wind speed gathered by global weather data platforms like NASA and METEONORM, this paper has also included a real case study of the Cairo International Airport's hybrid renewable energy production systems. To guarantee the viability of this study, the system design was founded on an actual load that was researched and simulated. A cluster of distributed networks was finally proposed to use the excess energy and enable energy conversion processes to be used in industry and transportation applications.

This research focuses on optimization of coupled solar production and battery storage system to achieve Nearly Zero-Energy Building (nZEBs) based on building load behavior patterns. Moni-toring data from an office building with 120kW peak and 40kW average load consumption equipped with a 160kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system and a 50kW-45kWh energy storage system (ESS). The primary objective is to the primary objective is to analyze collected data from existing system and setup guideline to optimize ESS capacity to maximize clean energy consumption and thus minimize excess production losses, progressing the building toward Nearly ZEB Level 1 status (87.5%-100% energy usage). The study outcome has identified parameter impacts and demonstrates additional optimized cases with various PV and ESS installed capacity. Further analysis is performed based on working day load profile and appliance patterns. This ap-proach aims to learn the usage HVAC, lighting, and electronics, enabling the optimization scheme to be applied to buildings with different load patterns. Additionally, the analysis predicts other building behavior patterns and optimized clean energy system. The findings are then validated against actual data and the results demonstrate good model accuracy, especially daytime predic-tion. These insights also provide guidelines and strategies for further interventions on HVAC operations and adjusting concerned schedules to achieve desired ZEB level.

The transition of the energy system to renewable sources means the cheap energy storage in fossil fuels must be replaced by other options. A large part of the demand for useful energy is heat and cold, often produced from electric energy by a resistance heater, compression heat pump or cooler. The question is then to store the initial electric energy by electric energy storage (EES) or the useful energy by thermal energy storage (TES). In a desktop study both options were compared, by the choice made in existing applications, and also generally analyzing current technology data. For the latter, cost, round-trip efficiencies, life cycles and life time of EES, specifically for batteries, and of TES, specifically for hot and cold water, ice and other PCM were collected. Applications studied are heating and cooling in buildings and in industry. Application-typical conversion efficiencies were also collected and taken into account. The results show that in many existing installations TES, incl. by PCM, is already preferred, and that TES is advantageous in most investigated applications economically, in addition to technical advantages. Thus, TES has a large potential in the transition of the energy system to stabilize the electricity grid by demand side management.

Energy system modelling is an essential practice to assist a set of heterogeneous stakeholders in the process of defining an effective and efficient energy transition. From the analysis of a set of open source energy system models, it has emerged that most models employ an approach directed at finding the optimal solution for a given set of constraints. On the contrary, a simulation model is a representation of a system that is used to reproduce and understand its behaviour under given conditions, without seeking an optimal solution. Given the lack of simulation models that are also fully open source, in this paper a new open source energy system model is presented. The developed tool, called Multi Energy Systems Simulator (MESS), is a modular, multi-node model that allows to investigate non optimal solutions by simulating the energy system. The model has been built having in mind urban level analyses. However, each node can represent larger regions allowing wider spatial scales to be be represented as well. MESS is capable of performing analysis on systems composed by multiple energy carriers (e.g. electricity, heat, fuels). In this work, the tool’s features will be presented by a comparison between MESS itself and an optimization model, in order to analyze and highlight the differences between the two approaches, the potentialities of a simulation tool and possible areas for further development.

Integration of battery energy storage in photovoltaic (PV) systems can reduce the electricity costs and provide desirable flexibility and reliability to these systems decreasing renewable energy fluctuations. This paper presents a review of the PV-battery application in Brazil, highlighting the challenges and prospects based on the state-of-art. A PV-battery systems description is presented in this work, as well as the most applied battery technology and its comparison. The paper also describes the set of applications such as voltage and frequency regulation, renewable energy integration, power quality, etc. In the Brazilian scenario, there are applications of PV-battery systems, most of them part of research and development projects (R&D’s), and some real cases are shown, including its goals, applied equipment, operation modes, strategies, and perspectives. Additionally, this work evaluates the Brazilian scenario regarding the energy storage systems implementation challenges, such as regulatory barriers, business models, and opportunities for R&D in the energy market. In conclusion, it is need develop proper regulatory models to expand PV-battery systems and make them visible to the agents in the electricity sector.

This analysis focuses on identifying the most efficient and cost-effective method of supplying power to a remote site, exploring photovoltaics (PV) and small wind turbines as primary power sources, and evaluating battery banks and hydrogen storage fuel cell systems as potential storage options. The hydrogen storage system converts surplus renewable power into hydrogen through an elec-trolyzer, storing it for later use in a fuel cell when renewable sources produce less power, enabling efficient energy storage during peak production periods. A sensitivity analysis of wind speed and hydrogen subsystem cost was conducted to evaluate the hydrogen storage system's performance. The optimal system graph suggests that the hydrogen subsystem must significantly decrease in cost to rival the battery bank, and in most cases, both the hydrogen system and battery bank were recommended together, offering reliable and efficient power for the remote site. While the battery bank is presently the more feasible option for powering the remote site, continuous monitoring and evaluation of both systems, considering site location, energy needs, and available resources, are essential to determine the most suitable power supply approach as technology advances and costs evolve over time.

This paper investigates the effects of various process parameters, specifically the substrate temperature, on weld track geometry in Directed Energy Deposition (DED) processes. A specialized experimental setup integrated within a DED machine facilitates controlled thermal conditioning of sample sheets. Through Design of Experiments (DoE) methods, individual weld marks are generated and analysed to assess geometric characteristics. Regression models are constructed to predict machine parameters for desired weld geometry at different substrate temperatures. Validation experiments confirm the accuracy and reliability of the regression models. Results show a consistent trend towards target geometric features across a broad range of substrate temperatures. Despite deviations in measured values, successful fabrication is achieved, demonstrating robust bonding between weld and substrate. Contact angle predictions exhibit precision within a partial temperature range for proper deposition. The developed model offers insights for optimizing DED process parameters to achieve desired weld characteristics, advancing the capabilities and reliability of additive manufacturing technology. Future work aims to refine the regression model and explore additional mathematical relationships for enhanced accuracy. An implication of this work is the potential to vary the local mechanical properties of parts by controlling the temperature profile while maintaining consistent geometric characteristics. By manipulating the substrate temperature, it may be possible to tailor the microstructure and mechanical properties of fabricated components in the future to meet specific requirements in different regions of the part.

Energy management strategy (EMS) is a decision-making algorithm for effective power allocation between storage devices in a hybrid energy storage system (HESS). Source voltages, state-of-charge (SOC), terminal voltage of load, and rate of change of battery current must be considered while implementing EMS and hence they are termed as performance indicators. This paper presents the development of an EMS designed to manage the performance indicators of the sources and ensure efficient power distribution through a shared bus topology. A shared bus topology employs individual converters for each source, offering efficient control over these sources. Rule-based fuzzy logic control ensures efficient power distribution between batteries and ultracapacitors. Additionally, hardware has been developed to validate the power-allocation strategy and regulate the DC-link voltage in the Energy Management System (EMS). The dSPACE MicroLabBox is utilized for the implementation of real-time control strategies. A battery and an ultracapacitor bank are utilized in a Hybrid Energy Storage System. The simulation outcomes have been corroborated by experimental data, affirming the efficacy of the proposed energy management strategy.

This paper focuses on designing and assessing Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage Systems (PHES), connected to the grid and PV system for self-consumption structured at Mutah university in an area of high solar potential. In focusing on PHES and PV literature was made to have data on the field, based on the grid code needed in Jordan. Next, a prospection to find the proper location for the installation was done. Afterward, a load profile was inserted to know the energy demand of the university. Then The productivity of the solar power plant of Mutah University was included. Finally, MATLAB software was used to realize the amount of energy to be stored, this data was used to implement the system which was chosen and sized. PHES layout was created to find the most accurate values for parameters to optimize the system performance, and to investigate the loss analysis. The system attains 9230.89 MWh/year. An annual load yields 4430 MWh/year, which covers the Mutah university demand with an estimated saving of 2039773 JD.

In this paper the attention is focused on the analysis and the optimization of energy flows in networked systems via a fluid-dynamic model. In particular, a cost functional that represents a term proportional to the kinetic energy of an energy system is studied. First, the functional is optimized for a simple network having a unique node, with an incoming arc and two outgoing ones. The optimization deals with distribution coefficients and explicit solutions are found. Then, the global optimization is obtained using the local optimal parameters at the various nodes of the system. Considering the case study of an energy hub, interesting results are obtained for the whole network, proving the correctness of the proposed approach.

The decarbonization of the electrical energy sector is in progress for contrasting the climate changes, with a relevant increase of the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) power plants, mostly in Dispersed Generation (DG). The adequacy and the security of power systems, with a huge penetration of RES in DG is possible with a suitable integration of energy storage. In fact, energy storages are able to provide many different services for long-term adequacy and real time security. In this framework the present paper deals with a Thermal Energy Storage (TES) proposed for power system services. The technology presented is made up of modules containing a bed of fluidizable solid particles, which can store thermal energy from waste heat, process heat and/or from electricity. Stored thermal energy can be released, e.g. as superheated steam, for thermal uses or converted into electricity, by means of steam turbines. Some possible applications are then reported explaining advantages and limits.

With the unceasing advancement in wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductor technology, the minimal reverse-recovery charge Qrr and other more powerful natures of WBG transistors enable totem-pole bridgeless PFC to become a dominant solution for energy storage systems (ESS). This paper focuses on design and implementation of a control structure for a totem-pole boost PFC with newfangled enhancement-mode Gallium Nitride (eGaN) FETs, not only to simplify the control implementation, but also to achieve high power quality and efficiency. The converter is designed to convert a 90-264-VAC input to a 385-VDC output for a 2.6-kW output power. Lastly, to validate the methodology, an experimental prototype is characterized and fabricated. The uttermost efficiency at 230 VAC attains 99.14%. The lowest total harmonic distortion in the current (ITHD) at high line condition (230 V) reaches 1.52% while the power factor gains 0.9985.

Most existing coal-fired power plants were designed for sustained operation at full load to maximize efficiency, reliability, and revenue, as well as to operate air pollution control devices at design conditions. Depending on plant type and design, these plants can adjust output within a fixed range in response to the plant operating or market conditions. The need for flexibility driven by increased penetration of variable and non-dispatchable power generation such as wind and solar is shifting the traditional mission profile of thermoelectric power plants in three ways: more frequent shutdowns when market or grid conditions warrant, more aggressive load ramp rates (rate of output change), and lower minimum sustainable load, which provides a wider operating range and helps avoid costly plant shutdowns. Recent studies have shown that flexibility of a coal-fired power plant can be improved by energy storage. The objective of this work was to analyze a set of energy storage options and determine their impact on flexibility and economics of a representative coal-fired power plant. The effect of three energy storage systems integrated with a coal power plant on plant flexibility and economics was investigated. The results obtained in this project show that Energy Storage Systems integrated with a thermal power plant improves plant flexibility and participation in the Energy and Ancillary Services markets which improves plant financial performance. The study was funded by the U.S. Department Office of Fossil Energy FE-1 under Award Number DE-FE0031903.

As the global demand for clean and sustainable energy sources intensifies, hydrogen emerges as a promising alternative fuel. The widespread adoption of hydrogen, however, is impeded by the lack of efficient systems for storage and transportation. This review aims to summarize the recent advancements and prevailing challenges within the realm of hydrogen storage and transportation, thereby providing guidance and impetus for future research and practical applications in this domain. Through a systematic selection and analysis of the latest literature, this study highlights the strengths, limitations, and technological progress of various hydrogen storage methods, including compressed gaseous hydrogen, cryogenic liquid hydrogen, organic liquids hydrogen, solid materials hydrogen storage, as well as the feasibility, efficiency, and infrastructure requirements of different transportation modes such as pipelines, road and seaborne transportation. The findings reveal that challenges such as low storage density, high costs, and inadequate infrastructure persist despite progress in high-pressure storage and cryogenic liquefaction. The review also underscores the potential of emerging technologies and innovative concepts, including metal-organic frameworks, nanomaterials, and underground storage, along with the potential synergies with renewable energy integration and hydrogen production facilities. In conclusion, interdisciplinary collaboration, policy support, and ongoing research are essential in harnessing hydrogen’s full potential as a clean energy carrier. This review concludes that research in hydrogen storage and transportation is vital to global energy transformation and climate change mitigation.

The temperature-dependent energy storage properties of four tungsten bronze phase compounds are studied together with an investigation of their structure and temperature-dependent permittivity response, i.e., Ba6Ti2Nb8O30 (BTN), Ba6Zr2Nb8O30 (BZN), Sr3TiNb4O15 (STN) and Sr3ZrNb4O15 (SZN) ceramics. It was found that BZN has smaller grains and a more porous structure than BTN. SZN shows no clear grain boundaries with the most porous structure among all samples, exhibiting a much lower permittivity response than other samples with no signs of phase transitions from room temperature to 400 °C. Though the energy storage response of those samples is generally quite low, it exhibits rather good temperature stability. It was suggested that by obtaining a denser structure through chemical modification or other methods, those tungsten bronze ceramics with good temperature stability could be promising as energy storage devices when improved energy storage properties are achieved.

The incorporation of electric vehicles (EVs) with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) offers the development of multi-energy microgrid (MMOs) models. However, MMOs have among their goals to decrease electricity costs by coordinating with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) scheduling. Controlling V2G models poses uncertainties about the voltages developed and creates the need for power generation disruptions. In this work, a Feed-Forward-Back-Propagation Network (FFBPN) is developed with Matlab software, based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm by varying the number of hidden neurons to realize better performance thanks to the value of the Maximum Coefficient of De-termination (R2) and the Minimum Mean Squared Error (MSE). In this article, the dataset from NASA PCoE has been used to make proper consideration of the model that best calculates the life cycle of the battery, demonstrating relevant implications for future development of this type of system based on FFBPN for the integration of EV into V2G. The proposed FFBPN demonstrates better performance than other methods taken from the literature. In conclusion, the comparison between the phases of training, validation and test are used to completely represent the validity of the proposed model and precisely to identify the characteristics curves of FFBPN for future ap-plications highlighting its performance to create profitability, efficiency, production, energy saving and minimum environmental impact.

Increasing of renewable energy share in total energy production is a direction that leads towards European Union’s aims of carbon neutrality by 2050, as well as increases energy self-sufficiency and independence. Some of the main challenges to increase renewable energy share while providing efficient and secure energy supply are related to optimization and profitability of de-centralized energy production systems. Integration of energy storage systems in addition to decentralized renewable energy production, for example, by solar panels, leads to more effective electricity supply and smart energy solutions. The modelling of such complex dynamic system can be performed using system dynamics method. The aim of the article is to forecast the practice of electricity storage in Latvia in the coming decades. A system dynamics model predicting the implementation of battery storage in private households was created for the case study of Latvia. Modelling results reveal that under the right conditions for electricity price, investment costs and with the right policy interventions battery storage technologies combined with PV panels have high potential for utilization in household sector. Model results show that in baseline scenario with no additional policies up 21 422 households or 10.8 % of Latvian households could have combined PV and battery system installed in 2050. Moderate subsidy policy can help to increase this number up to 25 118.

At 100% penetration, intermittent renewable energy causes outages. To flatten the leaping supply and demand curves of renewable energy, an energy storage medium and carrier are required. The Hydrogen energy stotrage system (HydESS), which combines a proton exchange membrane (PEM)-based water electrolysis (WE) system and a fuel cell (FC), has the quickest response time, the longest duration, and the greatest storage capacity. HOMER tools for techno-economic analysis are used to evaluate the HydESS hybrid system. Kyiv, Ukraine, is appealing due to its spatial-temporal wind speed, solar irradiance, and energy security. With an LCOE of $0.245 kWh−1 and 9.3% fuel cell power output, the most feasible solution is onshore wind turbine-coupled PEMFC HydESS. As a result 1,000-kW wind power, 250-kW PEMFC, 250-kW PEMWE, and 441-kW BESS are optimized to serve a 3,900 kWh day academic residence load. When compared to a diesel generator and a BESS, the hybrid HydESS reduces CO2 emissions by 4,132 tons over a 25-year period. The LCOE of a hybrid HydESS system is determined by the SOFC lifetime rather than the PEMFC's 2% difference between 40,000 and 50,000 h with the same rated power. This study recommends accelerating PEMFC development with fluctuation-endurable materials and design.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was established in 2009 and in 2024, its membership increased to 168 members plus the European Union countries. The purpose of IRENA is to promote the adoption of renewable energy across all industries in the world. Despite the utilization of renewable energy in sectors like power generation and construction, its application in other industries remains limited. Therefore, a literature review study was conducted to investigate the cost and other spatial constraints associated with renewable energy resources, including modeling and optimization techniques that could offer viable solutions to the future challenges faced by the renewable energy production systems. This paper has summarized the result of this study with a focus on the significance of modeling and optimization techniques in energy conservation to highlight the untapped potential for leveraging renewable energy resources in industrial applications. This paper also examined a few case studies from various regions of the world, demonstrating the promising opportunities for research in the modeling and optimization of renewable energy management systems.

Installations of decentralised Renewable Energy Systems (RES) are becoming increasing popular as governments introduce ambitious energy policies to curb emissions and slow surging energy costs. This work presents a novel model for optimal sizing for decentralised renewable generation and hybrid storage system to create a Renewable Energy Community (REC), developed in Python. The model implements PV Solar and Wind Turbines combined with a hybrid battery and Regenerative Hydrogen Fuel Cell (RHFC). The electrical service demand is derived using real usage data from a rural island case study location. Cost remuneration is managed with an REC virtual trading layer, ensuring fair distribution among actors in accordance with the European RED(III) policy. A multi-objective Genetic Algorithm (GA) stochastically determines the system capacities such that the inherent trade-off relationship between project cost and decarbonisation can be observed. The optimal design results in an LCOE of 0.15€/kWh, reducing costs by over 50% compared with typical EU grid power, with a project IRR of 10.8%, simple return of 9.6%/year, and ROI of 9 years. Emissions output from grid only use is reduced by 72% to 69 gCO2e/kWh. Further research of lifetime economics and additional revenue streams in combination with this work could provide a useful tool for users to quickly design and prototype future decentralised REC systems.

We investigated new anodic coloring materials that are used as ion storage layers in complementary energy storage electrochromic devices (ESECDs) to enhance their electrochromic storage performance. In this study, we fabricated counter electrodes (ion storage layers) using IrO2 doping NiO (Ir: NiO) film through cathodic arc plasma (CAP) with varying surface charge capacities. We investigated the influence of MoO3-doped WO3 (Mo: WO3) film by various Ar/O2 gas flow ratios (1/4, 1/5, and 1/6). The ESECDs used in the demonstration were 10×10 cm2 in size. They achieved optical transmittance modulation of Ir: NiO- ESECDs (glass/ITO/ Mo: WO3/gel-polymer electrolytes/ Ir: NiO /ITO/glass), ΔT=53.3% (from Tbleaching (66.6%) to Tcoloration (13.1%)). The ESECDs had a quick coloration time of 3.58 seconds, a rapid bleaching time of 1.24 seconds, and high cycling durability. It remained at 45% transmittance modulation even after 3000 cycles. New anodic materials can provide an alternative to traditional active materials for bi-functional electrochromic batteries.

In contrast to physical sustainable measures carried out in homes, such as insulation, the installation of a Home Energy Management System (HEMS) has no direct and immediate energy-saving effect. A HEMS gives insight into resident behaviour regarding energy use. When this is linked to the appropriate feedback, the resident is in a position to change his or her behaviour. This should result in reduced gas and/or electricity consumption. The aim of our study is to contribute towards the effective use of home energy management systems (HEMS) by identifying types of homeowners in relation to the use of HEMS. The research methods used were a literature review and the Q-method. A survey using the Q-method was conducted among 39 owners of single-family homes in various Rotterdam neighbourhoods. In order to find shared views among respondents, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. Five different types of homeowner could be distinguished: the optimists, the privacy-conscious, the technicians, the sceptics, and the indifferent. Their opinions vary as regards the added value of a HEMS, what characteristics a HEMS should have, how much confidence they have in the energy-saving effect of such systems, and their views on the privacy and safety of HEMS. The target group classification can be used as input for a way in which local stakeholders, e.g. a municipality, can offer HEMS that is in line with the wishes of the homeowner.

Voltage sags can cause the interruption of power supply and can negatively affect operations of customers. In this paper, the authors study the impact of battery energy storage systems (BESS) on voltage sags. A stochastic method of fault positions is used. Faults of various types are simulated and voltages are recorded. Firstly, with the BESS integrated into the network, there are higher residual voltages, fewer voltage sags and less expected critical voltage loss. Secondly, if the BESS converter power factor is reduced, recorded residual voltages are higher, voltage sags are fewer, and the number of expected critical voltage sags is lower. Finally, when three BESS converter control modes, namely constant voltage, constant power factor, and constant reactive power, were assessed, results showed similar voltage sag performances for constant power factor and constant reactive power modes. Furthermore, operating in constant voltage control outperformed the other two modes as it resulted in higher residual voltages, a lower number of voltage sags, and fewer expected critical voltage sags. The paper has demonstrated that the BESS can improve voltage sag performance. In addition, the power factor of the BESS converter and the mode of operation of the converter can influence the magnitude of the voltage sag performance improvement.

As the global transition towards renewable energy accelerates, the integration of grid-scale energy storage systems has become increasingly critical for stabilizing energy supply and enhancing grid reliability. Among various storage technologies, lithium-ion batteries stand out for their high energy density, scalability, and relatively low environmental impact. This study investigates the performance and longevity of lithium-ion batteries in grid-scale applications, focusing on the impact of operational parameters such as cycling frequency, depth of discharge, temperature fluctuations, and charging/discharging rates. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we combined quantitative analysis of performance metrics (cycle life, capacity fade, efficiency) with qualitative assessments from case studies of existing grid-scale projects. Our findings reveal that while lithium-ion batteries exhibit robust performance in grid-scale storage, their longevity and efficiency are significantly influenced by operational conditions. Specifically, temperature management and optimized cycling strategies were identified as key factors in mitigating degradation and extending battery life. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of lithium-ion battery behavior in grid-scale environments, offering valuable insights for the design, optimization, and management of energy storage systems. By addressing the challenges of battery performance and longevity, our study contributes to the development of more sustainable and reliable grid storage solutions, facilitating the broader adoption of renewable energy sources.

Storing apples for up to a year is a well-established practice aimed at providing a continuous, locally-produced fruit supply to consumers and adapting to market trends for optimized profits. Temperature control is the cornerstone of postharvest conservation and apples are typically kept at temperatures from 0 to 3 °C. However, the energy-intensive process of the initial cool down and subsequent temperature maintenance poses significant financial challenges and contributes to the carbon footprint. Higher storage temperatures could reduce cooling-related energy usage but also pose the risk of enhanced ripening and quality loss. This work explores different storage technologies aiming to reduce energy consumption such as 1-methylcyclopropene, ultra-low oxygen and dynamic controlled atmosphere together with raised temperatures. The integration of advanced monitoring and control systems, coupled with data analytics and energy management in apple storage is also discussed. These sustainable strategies can be implemented without cost-intensive construction measures in standard storage facilities. Furthermore, beneficial side effects of higher storage temperatures in terms of a reduced occurrence of storage disorder symptoms and higher maintenance of quality attributes are also discussed for this special issue on sustainable horticultural production systems and supply chains.

Different severe energy crises episodes occurred in the world in the last five decades. Energy crises lead to deterioration of international relations, economic crises, changes in monetary systems and social problems in countries. This paper aims to show the essential determinants of energy crises by developing a binary logit model which estimates the predictive ability of thirteen indicators in a sample that covers the period from January 1973 to December 2022. The empirical results show that the energy crises are mainly due to energy supply-demand imbalances (petroleum stocks, fossil energy production-consumption imbalance and changes in energy imports by country groups), energy investments (oil and natural gas drilling activities), economic and financial disruptions (inflation, dollar index, index of global real economic activity) and geopolitical risks. Additionally, the model is capable of accurately predicting the world energy crisis event months with 99% probability.

Among the electrochemical energy storage (EES) technologies, rechargeable batteries (RBs) and supercapacitors (SCs) are the two most desired candidates for powering a range of electrical and electronic devices. The RB operates on Faradaic processes, whereas the underlying mechanisms of the SC vary as non-Faradaic in the electrical double layer capacitors (EDLCs), Faradaic at the surface of the electrodes in the pseudo capacitors (PCs), and a combination of both non-Faradaic and Faradaic in the hybrid capacitors. The EDLCs offer high power density but low energy density. The hybrid capacitors take advantage of the Faradaic process without compromising their capacitive nature. Unlike batteries, supercapacitors provide high power density and numerous charge-discharge cycles; however, their energy density lags that of batteries. Here, we review recently published critically selected articles on supercapatteries, a generic term that refers to EES devices that can combine the merits of EDLCs and RBs. Also discussed are the properties, design strategies, and future perspectives of supercapatteries.

With the swift advancement of wearable electronic devices and the electronic textile industry, the energy storage components of these devices must possess the capability to maintain stable mechanical and chemical properties even after undergoing multiple bending or tensile deformations. This circumstance has expedited research efforts toward novel materials, processing techniques, and designs for flexible energy storage devices. Among the myriad of materials investigated thus far, biomass-derived architectures have garnered significant attention due to renewability, cost-effectiveness, and abundance in earthly resources. Notably, flexible carbon membrane/ monolithic derived from biomass serve as a particularly promising option for self-supporting electrodes, align seamlessly with the requirements of next-generation electronic devices, and obviate the need for additional costs, unnecessary weight, and the high contact resistance that additive insulating adhesives may entail. This review delves into the comprehensive analysis of biomass feedstocks and methodologies employed in the synthesis of flexible self-supporting carbon electrodes. Subsequently, the advancements in their application in energy storage devices are elucidated. Finally, an outlook on the potential of biomass self-supported carbon architectures and the challenges they face is provided.

The shortage of precooling equipment in litchi producing regions could lead to a high loss rate, poor quality of litchis. It is urgent to develop a portable precooling device for litchi producing regions. In this study, a novel spray hydrocooler with thermal energy storage (TES) were designed, fabricated, and tested. A simple mathematical model of TES capacity, ice coil thermal resistance and refrigeration system was employed to determine hydrocooler parameters. Then designed the structure of the spray hydrocooler. Maximum charging test was implemented with full TES capacity and litchi spray hydrocooling experiments were carried out at different charging times, spray flow rate, and litchi load with one-third TES capacity. Results showed that: (1) the spray hydrocooler allows for the rapid and effective precooling of litchis; (2) the hydrocooler can precool 299 kg litchis with one-third TES storage, meet the precooling requirements; (3) the effective TES capacity achieved 1.25×108 J at the maximum TES capacity of the hydrocooler, while the energy efficiency ratio (EER) is 2; (4) the precooling capacity was maximum and the average power consumption was minimum when the litchi load was 23 kg and the spray flow rate was 30 L min-1. Longer charging time is the most important factor in increasing precooling capacity and reducing average power consumption.

Cool roofs are roofing systems designed to reflect significant solar radiation, reducing heat absorption and subsequent cooling energy demands in buildings. This paper provides a comprehensive review of cool roof technologies, covering performance standards, material options, energy-saving potential, and hygrothermal considerations. The review examines provisions in current codes and standards, which specify minimum requirements for solar reflectance, thermal emittance, and solar reflectance index (SRI) values. These criteria often vary based on factors like roof slope, climate zone, and building type. Different cool roof materials are explored, including reflective paints and coatings that can be applied to existing roofs as cost-effective solutions. Several studies demonstrated the energy performance benefits of cool roofs, showing significant reductions in cooling loads, indoor air temperatures, peak cooling demand, and overall cooling energy consumption compared to traditional roofs. However, hygrothermal performance must be evaluated, especially in cold climates, to optimize insulation levels and avoid moisture accumulation risks, as reduced heat absorption can alter moisture migration patterns within the building envelope. While cool roofs provide substantial energy savings in hot climates, further research is needed to validate modeling approaches against real-world studies, investigate the impact of seasonality and green spaces on cool roof efficacy and urban heat island mitigation, and explore energy savings potential, moisture control, and condensation risks in cold and humid environments.

Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (BNT-BT) thin films were prepared by both chemical solution (CSD) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The microstructure, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties were investigated. High stability of the dielectric permittivity (∆ɛ/ɛ(150 °C) ≤ ± 15%) over a wide temperature range from room temperature to 300 °C was obtained. Distinctly, the CSD film showed high TCC stability with variation of ± 5% up to 250°C. Furthermore, the CSD film showed an unsaturated ferroelectric hysteresis loop characteristic of the ergodic relaxor phase, however the PLD one exhibited almost saturated loop signature of the coexistence of both ergodic and non-ergodic states. The energy storage properties of the prepared films were determined using the P–E loops obtained at different temperatures. The results showed that these films exhibit stable and improved energy storage density comparable to the ceramic capacitors. Moreover, the CSD film exhibited more rigidity and better energy storage density that exceeds 1.3 J/cm3 under low applied field of 317 KV/cm as well as interesting efficiency in a large temperature range. The obtained results are very promising for energy storage capacitors operating at high temperatures.

A medium scale household in South Africa consumes about 1000 kWh on average, and ae household spend about 3000 ZAR per month on energy supply using grid electricity. Grid electricity. South Africa’s energy is supplied by a huge governmental organization. Statistical analyses indicate that projected increase of the cost of grid electricity in South Africa is about 30% per annum for the next five years. Our research show that Photo-Voltaic (PV) technology can offer a viable alternative, provided a large initial capital outlay can be made. The technology is user-friendly and easy to operate. It is calculated that the cost of electricity, capitalized over 20 years, considering an 80 % supply of needs and assuming 20 sunny days per month, is about 2.80 ZAR. The study also shows that utilizing a hybrid combination of renewable energies, such as combining PV supply with solar thermal energy absorbers, and converting thermal energy to electricity, as energy supply systems, could reduce the current cost of electricity per household in South Africa to about half of national grid supply prize, R1,50 per kWhr. The study also shows that water provides as a most viable medium to store energy, instead of using expensive battery technology to perform such functions.

This article has been developed to assess the economic feasibility of a roof-top photovoltaic installation of industrial self-consumption. Numerical models that enable an interested person to obtain the main expected parameters will be generated. To do this, a calculation methodology will be generated through which the reader, knowing the location of the facility and dimensions of the roof, will be able to calculate the maximum installable power, the main parameters related to production, the cost of the installation, and the LCOE of the plant. The use of actual costs will be facilitated in case they are known, but it will remain possible to apply the costs of the major equipment (modules, inverter, and structure) considered throughout the article. This developed calculation methodology will also allow a quick comparison of the forecasts of production, CAPEX, and LCOE of plants designed with different inclinations and different types of modules. Consequently, it will be especially useful for decision-making before developing the plant's basic engineering. Moreover, the calculations used for modeling the LCOE will be analyzed in depth. This analysis will allow evaluating how the different technical variables affect the profitability of a photovoltaic installation, such as the selected tilt, the location, the module's technology, or the available area.

The development of novel ionic liquid crystals for energy storage applications has gained significant attention in recent years due to their potential to develop the field of energy storage. Ionic liquid crystals represent a unique class of materials with high ionic conductivity and thermal stability, making them ideal candidates for use in advanced energy storage devices. This research aims to explore the fundamental properties, structure and liquid crystals performance of these novel materials, with the goal of advancing their practical application in next-generation energy storage technologies. By understanding the structure-function relationship of ionic liquid crystals, researchers can tailor their properties to meet specific energy storage requirements, such as high energy density, fast charging capabilities, and long cycle life. This study seeks to contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field of energy storage by investigating the potential of novel ionic liquid crystals as efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions. The two ionic liquid crystals show mesomorphic behavior and typical zwitterion characteristics that revealed by the cyclic voltammetry techniques. These materials uploaded with lithium ions for more stability and higher ionic conductivity.

Hybrid carbon-silicon, carbon-nitrogen, and carbon-boron clathrates are new classes of Type I carbon-based clathrates that have been identified by first-principles computational methods by substituting atoms on the carbon clathrate framework with Si, N, and/or B atoms. The hybrid framework is further stabilized by embedding appropriate guest atoms within the cavities of the cage structure. Series of hybrid carbon-silicon, carbon-boron, carbon-nitrogen, and carbon-silicon-nitrogen clathrates have been shown to exhibit small positive values of the energy of formation, indicating that they may be metastable compounds and amenable to fabrication. In this overview article, the energy of formation, elastic properties, and electronic properties of selected hybrid carbon-based clathrates are summarized. Theoretical calculations that explore the potential applications of hybrid carbon-based clathrates as energy storage materials, electronic materials, or hard materials are presented. The computational results identify compositions of hybrid carbon-silicon and carbon-nitrogen clathrates that may be considered candidate materials for use as either electrode materials for Li-ion batteries or as hydrogen storage materials. Prior processing routes for fabricating selected hybrid carbon-based clathrates are highlighted and difficulties encountered are discussed.

The flywheel is a widespread mechanical component used for the storage of kinetic energy and angular momentum. It typically consists of a cylindrical inertia rotating about its axis on rolling bearings, which involves undesired friction, lubrication, and wear. This paper presents an alternative mechanism that is functionally equivalent to a classical flywheel while relying exclusively on limited-stroke flexure-joints. This novel 1-degrees-of-freedom zero-stiffness mechanism has no wear and requires no lubrication: it is thus compatible with extreme environments, such as vacuum, cryogenics, or ionizing radiation. The mechanism is composed of two coupled pivoting rigid bodies whose individual angular momenta vary during motion but whose sum is constant at all times when the pivoting rate is constant. The quantitative comparison of the flexure-based flywheel to classical ones based on a hollow cylinder as inertia shows that the former stores typically 6 times less angular momentum and kinetic energy for the same mass while occupying typically 10 times more volume. The freedom of design of the shape of the rigid bodies offers the possibility of modifying the ratio of the kinetic energy stored versus angular momentum, which is not possible with classical flywheels. For example, a flexure-based flywheel with rigid pivoting bodies in the shape of thin discs stores 100 times more kinetic energy than a classical flywheel with the same angular momentum. A proof-of-concept prototype was successfully built and characterized in terms of reaction moment generation, which validates the presented analytical model.

The analysis presented is based on actual GHU energy demand. The special feature of this load is the existence of strong daily fluctuations in energy consumption, especially during the summer months. This study presents a methodology for managing such loads with the main objective of maximizing the operating efficiency of MG.

The paper presents a method to assess the effect of electrolyte additives on the energy capacity of Pb-acid batteries. The method applies to any chemically unreactive additive, including suspensions and gels. The approach is thermodynamically based and it leads to the definition of a region of admissible concentrations –the battery’s admissible range– where the battery can undergo an indefinite number of charge/discharge cycles without suffering permanent damage. An experimental procedure to determine this range is presented. The obtained results provide a way to assess the potential of electrolyte additives to improve the energy capacity of Pb-acid batteries. The same results also provide a means to determine the additive concentration that produces the maximum energy capacity increase of the battery. The paper closes with an example of application of the proposed approach to a practical case.

Demand for green technologies and energy is in continuous growth in the last years. Compact efficient antennas are crucial for energy harvesting portable systems. Small antennas have low efficiency. The efficiency of communication and energy harvesting systems may be improved by using efficient passive and active antennas. The system dynamic range may be improved by connecting amplifiers to the printed antenna feed line. Design, design considerations, computed and measured results of wearable meta-materials antennas with high efficiency for energy harvesting applications are presented in this paper. All antennas were analyzed by using 3D full-wave software. The antennas electrical parameters on human body are presented. The directivity and gain of the antennas with Split-ring resonators, SRR, is higher by 2.5dB than the antennas without SRR. The resonant frequency of the antennas with SRR is lower by 5% to 10% than the antennas without SRR.

The increasing global demand for efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions has driven the exploration of sulfur-based battery technologies. Sulfur’s abundance, low cost, and high theoretical energy density make it a promising candidate for next-generation energy storage, particularly in electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy systems. This paper reviews the development of sulfur-based batteries, including lithium-sulfur (Li-S), sodium-sulfur (Na-S), magnesium-sulfur (Mg-S), solid-state sulfur, sulfur-carbon nanocomposites, and hybrid sulfur flow batteries. Each technology is analyzed based on its advantages, challenges, and potential applications. Key research areas such as advanced electrolytes, nanomaterial integration, and sustainable manufacturing are highlighted, along with the current technological barriers to large-scale adoption. This review underscores the importance of continued research and innovation in sulfur-based battery technology to meet future energy storage demands.

Promoting the use of solar energy resources has always faced the challenges of instability and supply-demand mismatch. The key to solving these issues is to efficiently store and utilize solar energy resources using high-performance heat storage devices. This study designed a high-performance shell-and-tube phase change thermal storage device and established a numerical model using ANSYS software to summarize the device's dynamic melting law. To verify the accuracy of the numerical simulation, a performance testing platform for the phase change thermal storage device was built to investigate the impact of factors such as inlet water temperature, inlet water flow rate, type of heat storage, and initial temperature of the device, and to reveal the change law of the device's performance. The results show that the inlet water temperature has the most significant impact on the device's heat storage and release performance. When the device's heat storage or release is used for heating, changing the inlet water flow rate has a weak and limited effect on the device's performance. However, when the device's heat release is used to provide domestic hot water, increasing the makeup water temperature and reducing the inlet water flow rate can significantly improve the device's effective heat release. Furthermore, based on the experimental validation of the model's correctness, this study further simulated and studied the impact of different factors on the device's heat storage process to optimize its structural design and provide technical references for the device's actual operation and installation. The results show that the placement of fins has a negligible effect on the performance of the heat storage device while reducing the fin spacing and increasing the fin thickness can significantly improve the melting efficiency of the phase change material (PCM). Additionally, the heat storage characteristics of the device are significantly better in the vertical installation mode than in the horizontal installation mode. This study provides theoretical guidance and technical references for the design and use of phase change thermal storage devices.

The design and integration of intelligent energy management systems in hybrid Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations, leveraging Industry 4.0 and renewable energy sources, is crucial for advancing sustainability, efficiency, and technological development. This paper introduces a pioneering hybrid EV charging station that employs hybrid power sources, combining photovoltaic panels, a battery, and a fuel cell, each operating at 240V and 14A. Utilizing wireless power transfer technology, the system comprises five integral blocks: a power source, a boost converter, a High-Frequency (HF) inverter, transfer coils, and EV batteries. The optimization process involves two key stages: i) maximum power point tracking optimization of the boost converter, ensuring maximum power generation by varying the duty cycle between 10% and 90%, and ii) the HF phase employing a class-ϕ2 inverter at 30 MHz, synchronized with the resonant frequency of wireless power transfer coils. Control is executed through a digital signal processor card utilizing zero-voltage switching for efficient operations. This design enhances sustainability in EV charging solutions by optimizing power transfer through the use of hybrid sources.

An off-grid solar energy storage system (ESS) in National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) was built and officially operated on Jun. 16th 2022. The system is installed in a 40' general container with PV panels of solar power 8250 W_p on top of the container. The ESS is made by repurposed lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries of 20 kWh capacity, where a battery management system (BMS) is adopted to ensured the safety of the battery system. An energy management system (EMS) is built to receive, process, analyse, store, and output the energy information. In this manuscript, a brief engineering report about the system is given.

More water utilities are adopting Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) to balance long-term water supply and demand. Due to large implementation and operation costs, ASR projects need to be optimized, particularly for energy use, which is a major operating expense. This study examines the relationships among energy use, recharge, and recovery at two ASR projects in the western United States. The major finding is an economy of scale for recovery processes, but not for gravity-fed recharge processes. The economy of scale found is as follows: the energy intensity recovered decreases with volume. This suggests it is more energy-efficient to recover large volumes of water in one interval instead of recovering smaller volumes at more frequent intervals. The H2Oaks recovery process experienced a 78% decrease in energy intensity from 0 to 50,000 m3 recovered, while the Sand Hollow site experienced a 43% decrease in energy intensity from 0 to 50,000 m3 recovered. Statistical analyses of the recovery process showed p values lower than 0.0001, R2 values between 0.43 and 0.57, and a RMSE value between 0.55 and 2.1, indicating the presence of a moderate correlation between energy and volume. This economy of scale has been observed in multiple instances in water and wastewater treatment. This finding not only has applications to ASR but also all recovery or recharge wells, whether or not they are paired with each other. Furthermore, this study confirms the need for more reliable and accessible energy data to fully understand the implications of the energy–water nexus.

This study explores the advanced integration of Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric systems in Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) to optimize performance. OTEC, a promising renewable energy source, needs help in efficiency maximization. We address this by implementing Bi2Te3 thermoelectric generators (TEGs), known for their high thermoelectric efficiency at low-temperature differences. Our research encompasses a comprehensive simulation and analysis of these TEGs in OTEC systems, examining material properties, system design, and environmental impact. We present a novel approach to integrating these TEGs, optimizing their arrangement, and interfacing with the OTEC cycle to enhance overall efficiency. The study also investigates the durability and cost-effectiveness of Bi2Te3 TEGs in marine environments. Results demonstrate a significant improvement in energy conversion efficiency, highlighting the potential of Bi2Te3 TEGs in sustainable ocean energy exploitation. This work advances material science in renewable energy, providing valuable insights into the practical application of thermoelectric materials in large-scale energy systems. It paves the way for future research on material optimization and system integration, essential for developing efficient and sustainable OTEC systems.

Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES), complemented by pumped hydropower storage (PHS), have become increasingly popular amidst the increase of renewable energy penetration. This con-figuration is even more prosperous in remote regions that are typically not connected to the mainland power grid, where the energy independence challenge intensifies. This research focuses on the design of such systems, from the perspective of establishing an optimal mix of renewable sources that takes advantage of their complementarities and synergies, combined with the versatility of PHS. However, this design is subject to substantial complexities, due to the multiple objectives and constraints to fulfill, on the one hand, and the inherent uncertainties as well, that span over all underlying processes, i.e., external, and internal. In this vein, we utilize a proposed HRES layout for the Aegean Island of Sifnos, Greece, to develop and evaluate a comprehensive simulation-optimization scheme in deterministic and, eventually, stochastic setting, revealing the design problem under the umbrella of uncertainty. In particular, we account for three major uncertain elements, namely the wind velocity (natural process), the energy demand (anthropogenic process), and the wind-to-power conversion (internal process, expressed in terms of a probabilistic power curve). Emphasis is also given to the decision-making procedure, which requires a thorough interpretation of the uncertainty-aware optimization outcomes. Finally, since the proposed PHS uses the sea as the lower reservoir, additional technical challenges are addressed.

Incorporating renewables in the power grid presents challenges for stability, reliability, and operational efficiency. Integrating Energy Storage Systems (ESS) offers a solution by managing unpredictable loads, enhancing reliability, and serving the grid. Hybrid storage solutions have gained attention for specific applications, suggesting higher performance in some respects. This paper compares the performance of hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) to single battery, evaluating their energy supply cost and environmental impact through optimization problems. The model generates an optimized dispatch, minimizing cost or environmental impact of supplying energy to a generic load while considering battery degradation. Seven technologies are assessed, with an example applied to an industrial site contrasting vanadium redox flow (VRFB) and lithium batteries considering the demand of a local load (building). The results also indicates that efficiency and degradation curves have the highest impact in the final costs and environmental functions on the various storage technologies assessed. For the simulations of the example case, a single system only outperforms the hybrid system in cases where lithium efficiency is higher than approximately 87% and vanadium is lower approximately 82%.

This research paper presents a comprehensive study on the optimal planning and design of hybrid renewable energy systems for microgrid (MG) applications at Oakland University. The HOMER Pro platform analyzes the technical economic and environmental aspects of integrating renewable energy technologies. The research also focuses on the importance of addressing unmet load in the MG system design to ensure the university's electricity demand is always met. By optimizing the integration of various renewable energy technologies, such as solar photovoltaic (PV), energy storage system (ESS), combined heat and power (CHP), and wind turbine energy (WT), the study aims to fulfill the energy requirements while reducing reliance on traditional grid sources and achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed MG configurations are designed to be scalable and flexible, accommodating future expansions, load demands changes, and technological advancements without costly modifications or disruptions. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of technical, economic, environmental factors, and addressing unmet load, this research contributes to the advancement of renewable energy integration within MG systems. It offers a complete guide for Oakland University and other institutions to effectively plan, design and implement hybrid renewable energy solutions, fostering a greener and more resilient campus environment. The findings demonstrate the potential for cost-effective and sustainable energy solutions, providing valuable guidance for Oakland University in its search of energy resilience and environmental surveillance which has a total peak load of 9.958MW. The HOMER simulation results indicate that utilizing all renewable resources, the estimated net present cost (NPC) is a minimum of 30M$, with a levelized energy cost (LCOE) of 0.00274$/kWh. In addition, the minimum desired load will be unmeted on some days of September.

This article aims to analyze household energy data to predict electricity self-sufficiency and identify the key features that impact it. For this purpose, we use SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations), LightGBM (Light Gradient Boosting Machine), and a correlation heatmap-based framework to analyze 12 months of energy and questionnaire survey data collected from over 200 smart houses in Kitakyushu, Japan. We use the SHAP summary plot to identify the impact-wise order of key features influencing the electricity self-sufficiency rate (ESSR). Using SHAP, we demonstrated that key features are; housing types, average monthly electricity bill, floor heating, electric capacity, number of washing and drying machines, fee plans, occupation of household head, total floor area, average monthly gas bill, cooking equipment, etc. Furthermore, we adopted the LightGBM classifier with $\ell^1$ regularization to extract the most significant features and predict the electricity self-sufficiency rate of households. This LightGBM-based model can also predict the electricity self-sufficiency rate of households that did not participate in the questionnaire survey. A heat map is also used to analyze the correlation among household variables. The findings discussed in this article offer valuable insights for energy policymakers to achieve the targets of energy self-sufficient houses.

In Electrified Vehicles, the cost, efficiency, and durability of electrified vehicles are dependent on the energy storage system (ESS) components, configuration and its performance. This paper, pursuing a minimal size tactic, describes a methodology for quantitatively and qualitatively investigating the impacts of a full bandwidth load on the ESS in the HEV. However, the methodology can be extended to other electrified vehicles. The full bandwidth load, up to the operating frequency of the electric motor drive (20 kHz), is empirically measured which includes a frequency range beyond the usually covered frequency range by published standard drive cycles (up to 0.5 Hz). The higher frequency band is shown to be more efficiently covered by a Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) which in this paper is defined as combination of a high energy density battery, an Ultra-Capacitor (UC), an electrolytic capacitor, and a film capacitor. In this paper, the harmonic and dc currents and voltages are measured through two precision methods and then the results are used to discuss about overall HEV efficiency and durability. More importantly, the impact of the addition of high-band energy storage devices in reduction of power loss during transient events is disclosed through precision measurement based methodology.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a new technology considered to have the potential to decarbonise economies. However, nationally and internationally the use of CCS has also been raising concerns about its potential global risks and adverse impacts on the environment. CCS was part of the discussions at the 4th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in March 2019 and in side-events in the 26th UN Climate Change Conference which took place in Glasgow in November 2021. The UK Government aims to deploy CCS at scale during the 2030s, subject to cost reduction. At the same time the UK Government has recently enacted the Environment Act 2021 which provides a set of five environmental principles: the integration principle, the principle of preventative action, the precautionary principle, the rectification at source principle and the polluter pays principle. This work seeks to analyse the application of the UK environmental law principles to carbon capture and storage policies in the UK and its balance with other considerations. Given the concerns surrounding the use of CCS, the debate about its legality may arise in the UK and in other countries. To this end, this paper initially carries out a systematic review of CCS policy documents to discover the policy considerations which support the development of CCS. It then examines the application of the UK environmental law principles to CCS initiatives and its balance with other considerations, such as reduction of carbon emissions, security of energy supply, economic growth and technological leadership. In doing so, this paper aims at contributing to the debate surrounding recent technological developments which have been utilised to help address climate change and some of the legal challenges emerging through the use of CCS under UK environmental law.

Phase change materials (PCMs) have emerged as promising solutions for latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems, offering considerable potential for storing energy derived from renewable sources across various engineering applications. The present study focused on optimization of solar cooling system by integrating LHTES with different PCM tank configuration. TRNSYS simulation software was selected for the study and collected experimental data from laboratory system prototype was used for system validation. The results indicate that the use of PCM led to a noteworthy decrease of 6.2% in auxiliary energy consumption. Furthermore, the duration during which the heat carrier temperature flow exceeded 90°C from the storage tank to the auxiliary heater was extended by 27.8% when PCM was utilized, compared to its absence. The use of PCM in LHTES is more effective under variable weather conditions. On the day when changes in weather conditions were observed, around 98% of the cooling load was provided by produced sun energy. The results of the research can be used to optimize the solar cooling system, which will help reduce the environmental impact of cooling systems running on non-renewable fuels.

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) consists of PV panels that are integrated into the building as part of the construction. This technology has advantages such as the production of electricity without necessary additional land area. This paper provides a literature review about the recent developments in urban building energy modelling, including tools and methods, and how they can be used to predict the effect of PV systems on building outdoor and indoor environments. It is also intended to provide a critical analysis on how PV systems affect the urban environment, both from an energy and a comfort point of view. The microclimate, namelly the urban heat island concept, is introduced and related with the existence of PV systems. It is concluded that urban building energy modelling (UBEM) can be effective to study the performance of PV systems in the urban environment. It allows to simultaneously predict the building energy performance and the microclimate effect. However, there is a need to develop new methodologies to overcome the challenges associated to UBEM, especially in what concerns non-geometric data, which leads to a major source of errors. and to find an effective method to predict the effect of PV systems in the urban environment.

Considering the actual world economical trends, one of the most important questions is now and in the future: how to reduce power consumption of electronic systems. Since the invention of computers, the electrical energy consumption step by step increased. Now when not only computers, but electric vehicles, robots, automation, and unmanned aerial vehicles play a very important role of our life, the main problem of system designers is how to reduce energy consumption in these systems. But also the existing already working systems must be revised in order to decrease their electric power consumption. The importance of this subject (energy control) shows that a huge number of research publications and survey papers deal with it. Just focusing on the last one or two years (2021 and 2022) the search hit 221000 titles (103000 hits only in 2022). Analyzing all the research areas is almost impossible, but focusing on some important research subjects, where one of the main topic is “energy saving methods” can give an overview about the subject. The paper focuses on the area of industrial robotic systems, electric vehicles, and embedded systems.

The planning and decision-making for a distributed energy supply concept in complex actor structures like in districts calls for the approach to be highly structured. Here, a strategy with strong use of energetic simulations is developed, the core elements are presented and research gaps are identified. The exemplary implementation is shown using the case study of a new district on the former Oldenburg airbase in northwestern Germany. The process is divided into four consecutive phases, which are carried out with different stakeholder participation and use of different simulation tools. Based on a common objective, a superstructure of the applicable technologies is developed. Detailed planning is then carried out with the help of a multi-objective optimal sizing algorithm and Monte Carlo based risk assessment. The process ends with the operating phase, which is to guarantee a further optimal and dynamic mode of operation. The main objective of this publication is present the core elements of the planning processes and decision-making framework based on the case study and to find and identify research gaps that will have to be addressed in the future.

As the global community shifts away from fossil fuels towards more environmentally friendly energy alternatives, there is an escalating demand for sophisticated energy storage solutions. Solid-State Batteries (SSBs) have emerged as a promising advancement, presenting a superior substitute to conventional lithium-ion batteries. This review provides an in-depth examination of SSBs, emphasizing their enhanced energy density, safety, and longevity. We evaluate conventional cathode materials, including lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4), and lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4). Additionally, we introduce emerging materials such as sulfides, oxides, and air-based cathodes, discussing their benefits, limitations, and their congruence with solid electrolytes. Special attention is devoted to the structural fine-tuning of cathode ma-terials, investigating approaches like nanostructuring, surface coatings, and composite strategies to counteract issues such as restricted conductivity and structural volatility. The review critically analyzes the electrical and thermal properties of these materials, which are essential for battery safety and efficacy. Moreover, we present a comparative assessment of cathode materials based on performance indicators and identify prevailing research voids and hurdles in the commerciali-zation of SSB cathodes. Concluding, we suggest prospective research directions and innovations, underscoring the revolutionary potential of SSB technologies in paving the way for a sustainable energy horizon.

Fractured media are seldom considered viable for storing excess thermal energy seasonally, compared to the more commonly used porous aquifers, due to their heterogeneity, lower storage capacity, and potential for unpredictable flow paths. This study employs COMSOL Multiphysics to create a numerical model of a fractured granite reservoir located below the Bedretto underground laboratory. The energy efficiency of both single-well and doublet systems was evaluated over 25 cycles, each comprising four 91-day phases: injection, storage, production, and resting. Results indicated that the single-well system was more efficient, with energy efficiency increasing with the flow rate. For an injection temperature of 60 °C, the system achieved energy efficiencies of up to 59.3% and 67.7%, after 10 and 25 cycles, respectively, aligning with porous Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system efficiencies at this temperature. Exploration of electricity production using water injected at 120 °C revealed it to be uneconomical and ineffective. However, the most promising use of the retrieved water was found to be direct ground heating for a greenhouse. This technology offers a potential alternative for thermal energy storage in regions lacking suitable porous aquifers, although identifying appropriate locations with the necessary geological characteristics may present significant challenges.

Energy storage systems will play a key role for individual users in the future smart grid. They serve two purposes: (i) handling the intermittent nature of renewable energy resources for a more reliable and efficient system, and (ii) preventing the impact of blackouts on users and allowing for more independence from the grid, while saving money through load-shifting. In this paper we investigate the latter scenario by looking at a neighbourhood of 25 households whose demand is satisfied by one utility company. Assuming the users possess lithium-ion batteries, we answer the question of how each household can make the best use of their individual storage system given a real-time pricing policy. To this end, each user is modelled as a player of a non-cooperative scheduling game. The novelty of the game lies in the advanced battery model, which incorporates charging and discharging characteristics of lithium-ion batteries. The action set for each player comprises day-ahead schedules of their respective battery usage. We analyse different user behavior and are able to obtain a realistic and applicable understanding of the potential of these systems. As a result, we show the correlation between the efficiency of the battery and the outcome of the game.

: Electric air conditioning and heating systems capacity is growing rapidly. So does the nameplate capacity of PV power plants. While demand in cooling has a positive correlation with solar irradiationirradiance, the demand in heating has an opposite relation. In this study, different approaches of to design (aggregation; energy storagethermal, battery and implicit systems storage) and control (frequency conversion; variable and adaptive load) and their effects on the efficiency of an off-grid active thermal stabilisation system based on a solar-powered heat pump are analysed. The case considered is permafrost thermal stabilisation system in Norway. It is shown that proper layout and control of the system with an adaptive load can reduce the capital expenses expenditures and the total cost of ownership by 30-40%. Increase in the efficiency capacity factor and cooling stability of the systems with the aggregated and threshold power consumervariable load due to the principle of aggregation is studied. The downside of that is the increase in compressors operation time by 50% with variable load and by 25% per unit with aggregation which means more frequent replacement in terms of motor-hours. But The the feasibility of this approaches considered are applicable for a wide range of solar-powered facilities, but the results are is quite case sensitive and depends on the prices for low-power heat pumps. The prospects of using the excess refrigerant and soil for thermal energy storage instead of traditional electrochemical batteries are considered.

This research project focuses on the optimization of the hybrid energy system together with the assistance of thin-film coatings aiming to achieve self-sustainable food and crop storage facilities which will run effectively with its own generated energy. An infrastructure will be designed and constructed that will comprise a hybrid power generation system accompanied by thin-film coated semitransparent and non-transparent construction materials for energy saving. Thin-film low emissivity (Low-E) type coatings will assist the transparent or semitransparent construction materials to reflect most of the infrared (IR-mostly heat) and UV spectra of sunlight without interrupting the visible spectrum and will lead to saving energy consumption by reducing the heat and lighting during day time

This paper presents a study about the integration of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Systems (PE-EHS) in building envelopes for powering Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors, enabling efficient and low-consumption monitoring with the objective to leverage Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). The research includes preliminary tests conducted in a real environment to validate the PE-EHS when fully integrated into the façade, capturing mechanical vibrations generated mainly by wind loads. Based on these activities, the final configuration of PE-EHS is defined to provide a complete system for façade monitoring. This integrated system includes the Piezoelectric Generator (PEG), Supercapacitor (SC), Power Conditioner Circuit (PCC), Fibre Optic Sensing (FOS) Interrogator, and the IoT Gateway trans-mitting measurement data within an Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring platform. This configuration is tailored to address the challenges related to the structural integrity of building envelopes. Results demonstrate a potential for a stand-alone solution in the façade sector, but, raising issues for certain limitations, requiring further investigation. In particular, the study emphasizes constraints related to the energy production of PE-EHS for façade integration. It highlights the necessity to carefully consider these limitations within the broader context of their applicability, providing insights for the informed deployment of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting technology in building envelope monitoring.

This research presents a maximum power point tracking of traditional single-ended primary converter (SEPIC) with the aid of fuzzy logic controller (FLC) for regulating the voltage and perturbation and observation(P&O) algorithms for regulating the reference voltage and reaching the maximum power point tracking. This is a promising technique for the conventional SEPIC converter to achieve maximum power point tracking with much less error. Moreover, the method is simple, reliable, and understandable for photovoltaic systems.

A Life Cycle Analysis was performed considering three existing power plants of comparable size operating with different sources of renewable energy: geothermal, solar and wind. Primary data were used for building the life cycle inventories. The geothermal power plant includes emissions treatment for removal of hydrogen sulfide and mercury. The scenario about the substitution of natural emissions from geothermal energy, with specific reference to the greenhouse effect, is also investigated performing a sensitivity analysis. The results are characterized employing a wide portfolio of environmental indicators employing the Recipe 2016 and the ILCD 2011 Midpoint+ methods; normalization and weighting are also applied using the Recipe 2016 method at endpoint level. The results demonstrate a good eco-profile of geothermal power plant with respect to other renewable energy systems and allow for a critical analysis to support potential improvements of the environmental performances.

Deploying Cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) devices in urban and remote areas faces significant energy efficiency challenges. This is especially true for Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices, which are expected to function on a single charge for up to 10 years while transmitting small amounts of data daily. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has introduced energy-saving mechanisms in Releases 13 to 16, including Early Data Transmission (EDT) and Preconfigured Uplink Resources (PUR). These mechanisms extend battery life and reduce latency by enabling data transmission without an active Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection or Random Access Procedure (RAP). This paper examines these mechanisms using the LENA-NB simulator in the ns-3 environment, which is a comprehensive framework for studying various aspects of NB-IoT. The LENA-NB has been extended with PUR, and our analysis shows that PUR significantly enhances battery life and latency efficiency, particularly in high-density environments. Compared to the default RAP method, PUR reduces energy consumption by more than 2.5 times and increases battery life by 1.6 times. Additionally, PUR achieves latency reductions of 2.5-3.5 times. The improvements with PUR are most notable for packets up to 125 bytes. Our findings highlight PUR’s potential to enable more efficient and effective CIoT deployments across various scenarios. This study represents a detailed analysis of latency and energy consumption in a simulated environment, advancing the understanding of PUR’s benefits.

Most of the phase change materials (PCMs) have been limited to use as functional additions or sealed in containers, and extra auxiliary equipment or supporting matrix is needed. The emergence of 3D printing technique has dramatically advanced the developments of materials and simplified production processes. This study focuses on a novel strategy to model thermal energy storage crystalline gels with three-dimensional architecture directly from liquid resin without supporting materials through light-induced polymerization 3D printing technique. A mask-projection stereolithography printer was used to measure the 3D printing test, and the printable characters of crystalline thermal energy storage P(SA-DMAA) gels with different molar ratios were evaluated. For the P(SA-DMMA) gels with small fraction of SA, the 3D fabrication was realized with higher printing precision both on mili- and micro-meter scales. As a comparison of 3D printed samples, P(SA-DMAA) gels made by other two methods, post-UV curing treatment after 3D printing and UV curing using conventional mold, were prepared. The 3D printed P(SA-DMAA) gels shown high crystallinity. Post–UV curing treatment was beneficial to full curing of 3D printed gels, but did not lead to the further improvement of crystal structure to get higher crystallinity. The P(SA-DMAA) crystalline gel having the highest energy storage enthalpy that reached 69.6 J·g⁻¹ was developed. Its good thermoregulation property in the temperature range from 25 to 40 °C was proved. The P(SA-DMAA) gels are feasible for practical applications as one kind of 3D printing material with thermal energy storage and thermoregulation functionality.

Considering the increasing rate of energy consumption and its environmental detrimental effects, as well as considering the use of non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels, energy management issues have become more important. Given the 40% share of the building industry's total energy consumption, as well as the 80% share of energy consumed during the operation period, attention to the areas of energy management and optimization during the operation period of the buildings can have a major impact on buildings’ energy performance. In this research, through identifying building energy management tools and studying previous studies and assessing the effects of building energy management systems, the economic and environmental impacts of using building energy management systems on the annual energy consumption in an office building in Tehran as a case study has been investigated. The results indicate a 32 percent reduction in energy consumption and a significant reduction in the release of the environmental pollutants in smart mode compared to the base mode. Moreover, considering the social costs associated with the emitted pollutants as well as the return period, it has been attempted to identify the factors contributing to the economic justification of using smart heating and cooling systems. According to the results, the use of smart energy management systems can be considered as an effective step in optimizing and managing energy consumption in the construction sector.

Underground storage of natural gas has the characteristics of clean and low-carbon, and has the ability to provide sustainable and stable supply. It is a very high-quality green energy that can increase the storage efficiency of gas storage through fracturing, achieving the sustainable development goal of "Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality". The accurate evaluation of the fracability of a reservoir is an important prerequisite for reservoir fracturing design and post fracturing productivity evaluation. At present, research on fracability is mainly based on qualitative characterization or quantitative evaluation based on rock mechanics and fracturing construction parameters, which cannot fully reflect the rock composition and structure of each stage. Firstly, based on logging data, this paper analyzes the evolution laws of strain energy such as elastic properties, pre-peak dissipation energy, and post-peak fracture energy during the transition of rock materials from plastic deformation to brittle fracture in an energy perspective, and determines the key energy that affects the brittle characteristics of rocks. Secondly, a brittleness index evaluation approach has been established that can comprehensively reflect the mechanical properties of rocks during pre-peak deformation and post-peak damage stages. In addition, this article focuses on the impact of reservoir stratigraphic environment by combining the influence of geo-stresses with the rock brittleness index, and proposes a new method for evaluating reservoir fracability. Finally, this paper conducts a study on the fracability evaluation of three wells in a gas storage facility in eastern China. The results indicate that low modulus and fracability coefficient are beneficial for fracturing, thereby improving the gas production and peak shaving ability of gas storage.

Energy storage has become a fundamental component in renewable energy systems, especially those including batteries. However, during the charging and the discharging process, there are some parameters that are not controlled by the user. That uncontrolled working leads to aging of the batteries and a reduction of their life cycle. Therefore, it causes an early replacement. Different control methods have been developed with the goal of protecting the battery and extending its life expectancy, being the most used the constant current-constant voltage. However, several studies show that charging time can be reduced by using Fuzzy Logic Control or Model Predictive Control. Other benefits are; temperature control and an extension of life expectancy. For all these reasons, FLC and MPC have proven to be more efficient than traditional charge control methods.

Batch combustion in wood log stoves is a promising application for latent heat storage (LHS), due to the transient heat production with high peak effects. The current study aimed at designing a compact, passive and durable LHS system storing a substantial part of the heat release during batch combustion and effectively releasing the stored heat to the room for 6 to 10 hours after the last batch. The LHS system consists of a coaxial cylinder located at the top of the wood stove, replacing part of the regular stovepipe. Internal metallic fins were applied as heat transfer enhancement to homogenize the temperature distribution inside the PCM. The effect of radial fin lengths was numerically investigated through a parametric study using five different fin lengths within the PCM. Using 35-mm fins in the 70-mm PCM layer yielded the best trade-off for the application. This configuration enabled achieving a slow but close to complete melting of the PCM within a realistic combustion duration, while avoiding overheating the PCM above its degradation temperature. Thereafter, the discharge allowed releasing the stored latent heat for 6 hours. The exhaust gas inlet temperature proved to have a strong influence on the PCM thermal performance.

Abstract: With the continuous integration of various energy systems and the reform of energy trading marketization, the traditional power demand response can no longer meet the needs of multi-energy coupling. For the joint response problem of multi-energy, this paper proposes a comprehensive demand response optimization incentive model considering the user response characteristics, with the complete energy service providers and multiple users as the participants of the comprehensive demand response, to solve the response strategy for the optimal goal of all parties. The implementation architecture of integrated demand response and the electrothermal energy hub model is introduced first. Secondly, the integrated demand response collaborative optimization strategy of the integrated energy service providers and users is established, and the existence and uniqueness of the optimal solution are proved. Finally, the example analysis demonstrates that the proposed strategy can reduce the integrated energy service providers' response cost and user dissatisfaction under multiple scenarios.

This paper designed a new type of generator, transgenerator, that integrates the wind turbine and flywheel into one system, aiming to make the flywheel distributed energy storage (FDES) more modular and scalable than the conventional FDES. The transgenerator is a three-member dual-mechanical-port (DMP) machine with two rotating members (inner and outer rotors) and one stationary member (stator). The transgenerator-flywheel system is introduced with the system configuration, transgenerator overview, flywheel operation principle and power management strategies, and control system. Simulations are performed in MATLAB/ Simulink to verify the system viability, including control system verification and the flywheel storage performance evaluation. Results show that the inner and outer rotors can be controlled independently with accurate and fast control response, and the grid-side control works properly. The flywheel performs well with considerable charging power and storage capacity.

In response to escalating global concerns regarding climate change, nations worldwide have been undertaking structural adjustments in their energy sectors to promote diversification and decarbonization. This study conducts a comparative analysis of the policies and measures adopted by major economies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and France, focusing on climate change, energy structural adjustments, and carbon emission reduction. By analyzing recent carbon emission and highlighting achievements in renewable energy promotion, green industry development, industrial restructuring, and energy production decarbonization, this study aims to provide valuable insights and formulate strategies for constructing an innovative energy system that ensures economic and social development while facilitating rapid growth and wide applications of low-carbon energy sources.

High mountain rainforests are vital in the global energy and carbon cycle. Understanding the exchange of energy and carbon plays an important role to reflect responses to climate change. In this study, an eddy-covariance (EC) measurement system installed in the high Andean Mountains of South Ecuador was used. As EC measurements are affected by heterogeneous topography and vegetation height, the main objective was to estimate the effect of the sloped terrain and the forest on the turbulent energy and carbon fluxes considering the energy balance closure (EBC) and the heat storage. The results showed that the performance of the EBC was generally good and estimated to be 79.5%. This could be improved when the heat storage effect was considered. Based on the variability of the residuals in the diel modifications in the imbalances were highlighted. Particularly, during daytime residuals were largest (56.9 W/m² on average) with a clear overestimation. At nighttime mean imbalances were rather weak (6.5 W/m²) and mostly positive, while strongest underestimations developed in the transition period to morning hours (down to -100 W/m²). With respect to the Monin-Obukhov stability parameter ((z-d)/L) and the friction velocity (u*) it was revealed that largest overestimations evolved in weak unstable and very stable conditions associated with large u* values. In contrast, underestimation was related to very unstable conditions. The estimated carbon fluxes were independently modelled with a non-linear regression using a light-response relationship and reached a good performance (R²=0.52). All fluxes were additionally examined in the annual course to estimate whether both, energy and carbon fluxes, resembled the microclimatological conditions of the study site. This unique study demonstrated that EC measurements provide valuable insights into land surface -atmosphere interactions and contribute to our understanding of energy and carbon exchanges. Moreover, the flux data provide an important basis to validate coupled atmosphere ecosystem models.

The global climate change mitigation efforts have increased the efforts of national government to incentivize local households in adopting individual renewable energy as a mean to help reduce the usage of electricity generated using fossil fuels and to gain independence from the grid. Since the majority of residential generation is made by PV panels that generate electricity at off-peak hours, the optimal management of such installations often considers local storage that can defer the use of locally generated electricity at later times. On the other hand, the presence of distributed generation can affect negatively the operating conditions of low-voltage distribution networks. The energy stored in batteries located in optimal places in the network can be used by the utility to improve the operation of the network. This paper proposes a metaheuristic approach based on a Genetic Algorithm that considers three different scenarios of using energy storage for reducing the losses in the network. Prosumer and network operator priorities can be considered in different scenarios inside the same algorithm, to provide a comparative study of different priorities in storage placement. A case study performed on a real distribution network provides insightful results.

Energy conversion and distribution (heat and electricity) is characterized by long planning horizons, investment periods and depreciation times, and it is thus difficult to plan and tell the technology that optimally fits for decades. Uncertainties include future energy prices, applicable subsidies, regulation, and even the evolution of market designs. To achieve higher adaptability to arbitrary transition paths, a technical concept based on integrated energy systems is envisioned and described. The problem of intermediate steps of evolution is tackled by introducing a novel paradigm in urban infrastructure design.It builds on standardization, modularization and economies of scale for underlying conversion units. Building on conceptual arguments for such a platform, it is then argued how actors like (among others) municipalities and district heating system operators can use this as a practical starting point for a manageable and smooth transition towards more environmental friendly supply technologies, and to commit to their own pace of transition (bearable investment/risk). environmental friendly supply technologies. Merits are not only supported by technical arguments but also by strategical and societal prospects like technology neutrality and availability of real options.

Traditional lithium-ion batteries cannot meet the high flexibility and bendability requirements of modern flexible electronic devices due to the limitations of their electrode materials. Therefore, the development of high-performance flexible energy storage devices is of great significance for promoting flexible electronics. In recent years, one-dimensional flexible fiber lithium-ion batteries have been rapidly developed due to the advantages of high flexibility and bendability. However, it is still a big challenge to realize 1D flexible fiber lithium-ion batteries with excellent electro-chemical properties and good mechanical performance. In this work, a reduced graphene ox-ide-based printing ink is proposed to fabricate flexible Li4Ti5O12/graphene fiber electrodes through a 3D printing assembly strategy. It is noteworthy that the green reducing agent vitamin C was used to reduce graphene oxide in one step, which improved the conductivity of the fiber elec-trode. Furthermore, a 3D conductive network is constructed inside the fiber electrodes due to the high specific surface area of reduced graphene oxide, which enhances the electronic conductivity and ion mobility. The fiber electrode not only has good mechanical performance, but also has ex-cellent electrochemical properties. Equally important, the method is simple and efficient, and the working environment is flexible. It can precisely control the shape, size and structure of the one-dimensional fiber flexible electrode, which is of great significance for the development of fu-ture flexible electronic devices.

Bio-based glass-forming materials are now considered for thermal energy storage in building applications. Among them, Xylitol appears as a biosourced seasonal thermal energy storage material with high potential. It has a high energy density, a high and stable undercooling allowing storing solar energy at ambient temperature thus, reducing thermal losses and the risk of spontaneous nucleation (i.e., the risk of losing the stored energy). Generally when the energy is needed, the discharge triggering of the storage system is very difficult as well as reaching a sufficient power delivery. Both are indeed the mains locks for the use of pure Xylitol in seasonal energy storage. Different techniques have been hence considered to crystallize highly undercooled Xylitol. Nucleation triggering of highly undercooled pure Xylitol by using an air lift reactor has been proven here. This method should allow reaching performances matching with building applications (i.e., at medium temperatures, below 100 °C). The advantages of this technique compared to other existing techniques to activate the crystallization are discussed. The mechanisms triggering the nucleation are investigated. The air bubble generation, transportation of nucleation sites and subsequent crystallization are discussed to improve the air injection operating conditions.

This review paper addresses the growing challenges and developments in frequency control within power systems influenced by increasing penetration of renewable energy sources. It evaluates the advancements and limitations of renewable-based control technologies and explores the critical role of diverse energy storage technologies in providing fast frequency response ancillary services. Through a comprehensive analysis of global literature, this paper categorizes energy storage solutions according to their efficacy in meeting fast frequency response demands and potential for revenue generation. It reveals significant gaps in current research, which predominantly focuses on battery energy storage systems and microgrid applications, with insufficient attention to grid-scale storage solutions and innovative energy storage technologies. This analysis identifies a lack of detailed technical simulations and hybrid storage models for frequency control, as well as a minimal exploration of the environmental benefits, particularly in terms of carbon dioxide emission reductions, associated with deploying new energy storage technologies in ancillary service markets. The paper concludes by highlighting the necessity for further research incorporating detailed techno-economic evaluations and carbon dioxide reduction potential of modular, scalable energy storage technologies, facilitated by advanced network simulation models and comprehensive market analysis.

With the increasing prominence of renewable energy sources providing flexibility to the power grid, there is a growing recognition of the need to expand virtual Energy Storage Systems (ESS) to replace traditional ESS, which faces challenges in terms of supply and scalability. Grid-connected microgrids can supply power stably and are being built, so they can be used as virtual ESS to provide flexibility to the power system. This study proposes an approach to determine the optimal Power Conversion System (PCS) and battery capacity for a Virtual Energy Storage System(VEES) based on a grid-connected microgrid incorporating Photovoltaic (PV) and ESS. In this paper, it is assumed that microgrids can provide flexibility to the grid by participating in the energy trading market, there are corresponding profits and penalties for order. Numerical examples are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Modern building automation systems implement plenty of advanced control and monitoring functions considering various parameters like users’ activity, lighting, temperature changes etc. Moreover, new solutions based on Internet of Things and cloud services are also being developed for smart buildings to ensure comfort of use, user safety, energy efficiency improvements and integration with smart grids and smart city platforms. Such a wide spectrum of technologies and functions requires a new approach in building automation systems design to provide effective way of their implementation and flexibility during operation. At the same time, in the building design and operation industries, tools based on building information modeling and digital twins are being developed. In this paper, the authors discuss development directions and application areas of these solutions, identifying new trends and possibilities of their use in smart homes and buildings. In particular, the focus is on procedures for selecting automation functions, effective integration, and interoperability of building management systems with Internet of Things considering organization of prediction mechanisms and dynamic functional changes in buildings and smart networks. Chosen solutions and functions should consider the requirements from EN ISO 52120 standard and the guidelines defined for the Smart Readiness Indicator.

We live in the world that is completely entangled on energy and thus, Humankind can no longer do without it, power. With electricity being the main form of energy today, this has increased the complexity of our life today. In Uganda, electricity generation is mainly through hydropower which put the country in the bottleneck of over dependence on one source of energy. Yet, there are many energy systems out there that country can diversify its electricity generation. Therefore, the need to understand, the level of development and utilization of various energy systems has been the underlying question for this present study. Comprehensive literature survey was conducted from the electronic databases including ScienceDirect, Wiley, Sage, Scopus, Taylor & Francis, and Google Scholar. The publications in form of reports, conference papers, working papers, discussion papers, journal articles, book sections and textbooks were considered in this study. In total, 11 energy systems including human and animal energy, solid biomass (firewood), hydropower, wind, geothermal, solar, nuclear, peat, coal, petroleum, and non-solid biomass (methanol, hydrogen, ethanol, biodiesel, and biogas) are described. The current and the future development and utilization of these energy systems has been described. The challenges with their development and utilization were elaborated and the solution the challenges were presented. The hydropower with River Nile being the main river for large hydropower plant construction is the dominance energy system in Uganda. Nuclear energy will be the salvation for the country’s electric energy supply in the near future. Therefore, Uganda needs to bet big on nuclear energy.

Solar assisted hybrid cooling systems are promising for the energy saving of refrigeration systems. In most cases, the solar thermal gain is only able to power the heat-driven process of facilities in part of the working period. Therefore, the reduction of compressor power strongly depends upon the duration of heat-driven processes, which has not been addressed properly. Motivated by such knowledge gap, the thermodynamic understanding of solar assisted hybrid cooling systems is deepened through considering the duration in heat-driven processes. Three absorption-compression integrated cooling cycles were taken as examples. It is found that optimal parameters, e.g., inter-stage pressure and temperature, corresponding to various performance indicators trend to be identical, as the duration of heat-driven processes is taken into account. Furthermore, the optimal parameter for different working conditions was obtained. It is displayed that the dimensionless optimal intermediate temperature of layout with the cascade condensation process varies slightly, e.g., 4%, for different conditions. Moreover, the fall of compressor power in entire working periods is nearly independent upon the intermediate temperature. The paper is favorable for the efficient design and operation of solar assisted hybrid cooling systems.