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This review is inspired by the increasing shortage of fresh water in areas of the world, and is written in response to the expanding demand for sustainable technologies due to the prevailing crisis of depleting natural water resources. It focuses on comprehending different solar energy-based technologies. Since the increasing population has resulted in the rising demand for freshwater, desalination installation volume is rapidly increasing globally. Conventional ways of desalination technologies involve the use of fossil fuels to extract thermal energy which imparts adverse impacts on the environment. To lessen the carbon footprint left by energy-intensive desalination processes, the emphasis has shifted to using renewable energy sources to drive desalination systems. The growing interest in combining solar energy with desalination with an emphasis on increasing energy efficiency has been sparked by the rapid advancements in solar energy technology, particularly solar thermal. This review paper aims to reflect various developments in solar thermal desalination technologies and presents prospects of solar energy-based desalination techniques. This paper reviews direct and indirect desalination techniques coupled with solar energy, and goes on to explain recent trends in technologies. This review also summarizes the emerging trends in the field of solar thermal desalination technologies. The use of nanoparticles and photo-thermal materials for localized heating in solar desalination systems has decreased energy consumption and enhanced the efficiency of the system. Solar power combined with emerging processes like membrane distillation (MD) has also a recent resurgence.

In this article, the concept of an electric vehicle (EV) as a sustainable development (SD) is discussed, and the viability of the development of electric vehicles is assessed. This study broadens the conventional definition of sustainable development by incorporating and prioritizing crucial areas of technology, environment, and policy performance. The proposed review studies have summarized the elements that can promote the integration of electric vehicle technology. The innovation of the EV has just become a modern innovation. At the same time, some obstacles, such as policy and lower adoption, are resisting its goals. To overcome this situation, electric cars have to adopt some innovative approaches that can be another path to success. The review result shows that the proposal discusses the technological advancements of electric vehicles worldwide and paves the way for further improvements. The results also mentioned technological development to reduce emissions and help us understand the impact on the environment and health benefits. However, the summary would be advantageous to both scholars and policymakers, as there is a lack of integrative reviews that assess the global demand and development of EVs simultaneously and collectively. This review would provide insight for investors and policymakers to envisage electric mobility.

This research investigates the hydro dynamical features of steady rectilinear torsional flow of pseudoplastic fluid between two infinite coaxial cylinders. Rotation of both cylinders about common axis yields the motion in the fluid. Three cases has been considered i.e. (i) when the inner cylinder rotates and the outer cylinder is at rest, (ii) when the outer cylinder is rotated, and inner is at rest and (iii) when the inner is rotated, and outer is removed. Governing equation describing the flow of pseudoplastic fluid has been derived and analytical solution are obtained by employing Langlois Recursive Approach (Langlois, 1963). Analytical solution for velocity profile of rotating cylinders and its special cases are calculated up to third order. The corresponding solution for viscous fluid is obtained as a limiting case. The impact of various evolving parameter on the flow, i.e. angular velocity (ω), radius ratio (R), gap width (r) and non-Newtonian parameter (β) are examined and illustrated graphically. The analytical approximate solutions acquired are in accordance with the existing literature if the non-Newtonian behaviors vanishes.

Humans put their own lives aside to save other human’s life and perform risky and dangerous activities. The risk can be reduced by using new technologies. This research study focuses on telepresence and teleoperation systems with motion and force control systems that replace humans in hazardous workspaces. In telepresence, the system helps humans to visualize the environment in real-time. In teleoperation, the system provides sensation to assist human beings in performing out-of-reach and dangerous operations safely as in real, providing a shadow hand to the operator. In this study, a system is developed that consists of a slave robotic arm and a master wearable device with bidirectional communication between the robotic arm and operator (master wearable device). It also presents a gesture-controlled robotic arm that uses sensors to read and translate human arm movements as commands. The slave robotic arm, senses applied force on an object and a master wearable device develops the force according to sensed force, in a result operator senses/feels the same object in the control room at distance. The slave robotic arm also mimics the operator arm to reach the proper position of an object. Several experiments were conducted with untrained personnel and satisfactory results were yielded, which showed that the motion and force replication is 90-95% accurate.

This paper investigates the long-run dynamic association of carbon dioxide emissions and economic progress using the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for Pakistan from 1972 to 2019. The other variables used along with the above indicators are urbanization, financial development, manufacturing, oil and gas energy consumption, and trade openness. The ARDL bounds testing methodology has been used and the results of the bound testing showed that a 1% increase in economic growth and financial development would increase CO

Increasing population and depleting natural gas (NG) reserves may cause NG shortage and it is necessary to balance the supply-demand gap by devising proper policies. This paper investigates the relationship between NG consumption and driving factors using logarithmic mean division index. A stochastic impact of regression for different variables and partial least square regression has been used for model validation and accuracy estimation. Results proved that fossil energy structure and per capita GDP are most influencing factors on NG consumption, followed by non-clean energy structure, energy intensity, and population. Forecasted results suggest that NG consumption would be 42.107 MTOE under the high development scenario which is twice the baseline scenario. It is projected that indigenous NG production will fall from 4 to 2 billion cubic feet/day and demand will increase by 1.5 billion cubic feet/day. Therefore, an optimized strategy is required for a long-term solution to cater this increasing supply-demand.

During the last decade, the abundance of wind, solar, and conventional energy sources have been widely utilized in Sindh, Pakistan, to meet the energy demand-supply gap of the country. Some of these energy projects have been approved, are under constructional and operational phases and have connected to the National grid successfully. However, these energy sources are being influenced by several constraints, which keep the project developmental phases away from their technological upgradation. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to perform a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis of existing energy projects in Sindh to examine its current conditions and future roadmap to promote its valuable utilization. The outcomes of the study have identified several socio-economic and environmental impacts on the sustainable development of renewable energy sources. The study concludes that energy strategic policy must contain financial profits, energy security, and environmental protection. This SWOT study will encourage local and foreign investors, researchers, and engineers to invest their financial and technical abilities towards Sindh to get benefit from the hub of energy sources. They can initiate independent power generation and distribution companies on stated sites and can provide cost-effective tariffs from green energy sources with more revenue and less payback period. It can ultimately increase profitable business as well as can boost the state’s economy efficiently.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are one of the major problems that the world is facing nowadays. The transportation sector, where vehicles run on oil, contributes a large amount of GHG. The development of electric vehicles to meet the allowed GHG limits has recently been the main focus of research worldwide. Research in electric vehicles (EVs) has observed a tremendous upsurge in recent years. However, reviews that analyze and present the demand and development of EVs comprehensively are still inadequate, and this integrative review is an effort to fill that gap. This study has revealed many thought-provoking understandings related to specific developments, specifically global demand and growth of EVs along with electricity and battery demand, current technological developments in EVs, energy storage technologies, and charging strategies. It also details the next generation of EVs and their technological advancements, such as wireless power transfer. The development of a smart city concept by EV implementation added a new aspect to this review. The summary would be advantageous to both scholars and policymakers, as there has been a lack of integrative reviews that assessed EVs’ global demand and development simultaneously and collectively. This review concludes the intuitions for investors and policymakers to envisage electric mobility.

In this research, biodiesel fuel is produced using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a catalyst and methanol as a co-solvent through the transesterification process. The analysis of particulate matter emissions from a compression ignition (CI) engine with pure diesel fuel (D100), biodiesel-mixed (B30), and clove oil (CL3000 ppm) was carried out. The findings obtained revealed 5.27% reduction of particulate matter in biodiesel-blended fuel, and furthermore, when clove was added to the biodiesel-blended fuel, 11.61% reduction of particulate matter was observed as compared to pure diesel. It may be due to the higher oxygen ratio present in clove oil. The engine was run for 100 h on each fuel sample, and the data were taken and tested per 25 h for elemental analysis. The results manifest that the metal concentration found different elements in lubricant oil, i.e., lead (51.84), (24.89%), and (23.255%); copper (47.41%), (28.71%), and (23.86%); nickel (37.88%), (32.32), and (29.78%); and cadmium (46.12), (29.87%), and (24.01%) in diesel, biodiesel-blended fuel, and biodiesel blended with clove oil, respectively. This study found better results for engine life, which shows the lower metal concentration in biodiesel-blended fuel and clove oil than diesel. Furthermore, the fuels investigated in this research can reduce the wear of engine parts because biodiesel and clove oil contain a high oxygen ratio. Moreover, it has been found that biodiesel and clove oil as an antioxidant have a positive impact on noise emission levels for the CI engine.

Solar energy has increasingly been employed for domestic and industrial water heating. Both conventional solar water heater (SWH) and photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems suffer from the drawback of poor energy conversion efficiency. In this article, a unique parallel serpentine-flow thermal collector has been designed and developed that has been employed as an isolated SWH and also integrated with a 32-cell monocrystalline photovoltaic (PV) module. Simulation models of both SWH and PVT systems have been built in TRNSYS to study their thermal performance numerically. Thereafter, outdoor experimental investigations have been conducted under the composite climates of Malaysia. Experimental results show very good agreement with the simulation outcomes with disparity less than 2%. At the optimum flow rate, the maximum thermal efficiencies of SWH and PVT are 82.5% and 74.62%, respectively. Superior water outlet temperature was obtained with SWH. Although SWH exhibits superior thermal performance, PVT’s additional electrical output might make it preferable for several applications.

Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems have emerged as a well-engineered upgradation of photovoltaic (PV) modules that deliver both electricity and heat simultaneously. However, practicable performance is yet to be realized from these systems on commercial basis. In the present research, nanoparticle enhanced phase change material (NePCM) has been incorporated to improve the thermal and electrical performance of a PVT system. Outdoor experimental investigation of five different systems, namely, PV, PVT, PV-PCM, PVT-PCM and PVT-NePCM has been carried out concurrently under real time Malaysian climatic conditions. Experiments have been conducted at flow rates from 0.5 to 4.0 L/min. Real time temperatures of the ambient, heat transfer fluid (HTF) and PV cell, humidity of air, wind velocity and fluid flow rate have been recorded through a digital data acquisition system. Performance of the systems have been analyzed applying both energy and exergy methods. Results show that PVT-NePCM system raised water outlet temperature by more than 46 °C. This system attained a maximum overall energy efficiency of 85% and a peak exergy efficiency of 12%. Integration of nano composite PCM in thermal regulation of PVT systems will pave the way for efficacious commercialization of these systems because of the possibility of their nighttime applications.

There is increased focus to harness renewable energy resources in the 21st century to contain climate change and attain energy security. In this context, wind energy is attaining a significant marketplace to meet the ever-increasing electricity demand. This study, as such, undertakes wind energy assessment and forecasts wind power market penetration in Pakistan considering three different scenarios for the period 2020–2050. The modeling approach of this study is based on the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm (LMA) optimization method, which is used to estimate the parameters of the logistic model to improve forecasting precision. It is revealed that around 55, 64, and 73% of wind potential could be technically exploited under each of the three scenarios, respectively. The Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) for each scenario are also estimated. The anticipated annual abatement of GHG emissions and CERs earnings at 30% capacity utilization factor is found to be 158 million CERs by the year 2050. These results suggest that wind energy offers great potential to attain energy security, environmental stability, and sustainable development in Pakistan. This study would assist energy professionals, government, and stakeholders to undertake wind energy market assessment and devise appropriate energy management plans.

The water-energy-carbon realms are interlinked together in all of the sectors and should be subjected to integrated management. In this study, Water-Energy-Carbon Nexus (WECN) of a 660 MW coal-fire...

The integration of distributed generation (DG) into a power distribution network allows the establishment of a microgrid (MG) system when the main grid experiences a malfunction or is undergoing maintenance. In this case, the power-generating capacity of distributed generators may be less than the load demand. This study presents a strategy for the effective utilization of deployed active and reactive power sources under power mismatch conditions in the islanded distribution networks. Initially, the DGs’ and capacitors’ optimal placement and capacity were identified using the Jaya algorithm (JA) with the aim to reduce power losses in the grid-connected mode. Later, the DG and capacitor combination’s optimal power factor was determined to withstand the islanded distribution network’s highest possible power demand in the event of a power mismatch. To assess the optimal value of the DG–capacitor pair’s operating power factor (pfsource) for the islanded operation, an analytical approach has been proposed that determines the best trade-off between power losses and the under-utilization of accessible generation. The test results on 33-bus and 69-bus IEEE distribution networks demonstrate that holding the islanded network’s load power factor (pfload) equal to pfsource during the power imbalance conditions allows the installed distributed sources to effectively operate at full capacity. As expected, the proposed strategy will assist the utility companies in designing efficient energy management or load shedding schemes to effectively cope with the power mismatch conditions.

Condition monitoring of wind turbines is progressively increasing to maintain the continuity of clean energy supply to power grids. This issue is of great importance since it prevents wind turbines from failing and overheating, as most wind turbines with doubly fed induction generators (DFIG) are overheated due to faults in generator bearings. Bearing fault detection has become a main topic targeting the optimum operation, unscheduled downtime, and maintenance cost of turbine generators. Wind turbines are equipped with condition monitoring devices. However, effective and reliable fault detection still faces significant difficulties. As the majority of health monitoring techniques are primarily focused on a single operating condition, they are unable to effectively determine the health condition of turbines, which results in unwanted downtimes. New and reliable strategies for data analysis were incorporated into this research, given the large amount and variety of data. The development of a new model of the temperature of the DFIG bearing versus wind speed to identify false alarms is the key innovation of this work. This research aims to analyze the parameters for condition monitoring of DFIG bearings using SCADA data for k-means clustering training. The variables of k are obtained by the elbow method that revealed three classes of k (k = 0, 1, and 2). Box plot visualization is used to quantify data points. The average rotation speed and average temperature measurement of the DFIG bearings are found to be primary indicators to characterize normal or irregular operating conditions. In order to evaluate the performance of the clustering model, an analysis of the assessment indices is also executed. The ultimate goal of the study is to be able to use SCADA-recorded data to provide advance warning of failures or performance issues.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has a lower adoption rate than expected because of different weather conditions (sunny, cloudy, windy, rainy, and stormy) and high material manufacturing costs. To overcome the barriers to adoption, many researchers are developing methods to increase its performance. A photovoltaic–thermal absorber hybrid system may shift its performance, but to become more efficient, the technology could improve with some strong thermal absorber materials. A phase change material (PCM) could be a suitable possibility to enhance the (electrical and thermal) PV performance. In this study, a solar PVT hybrid system is developed with a PCM and analyzed for comparative performance based on Malaysian weather conditions. The result shows PV performance (both electrical and thermal) was increased by utilizing PCMs. Electrical and thermal efficiency measurements for different collector configurations are compared, and PV performance and temperature readings are presented and discussed. The maximum electrical and thermal efficiency found for PVT and PVT-PCM are 14.57% and 15.32%, and 75.29% and 86.19%, respectively. However, the present work may provide extensive experimental methods for developing a PVT-PCM hybrid system to enhance electrical and thermal performance and use in different applications.

Energy storage is becoming a critical issue due to the diminishing availability of fossil fuels and the intermittent nature of current renewable energy sources. As a result, thermal management (TM) and thermal energy systems have gained significant attention due to their crucial roles in various industries. Among the different TM materials, MXenes, a member of the transition metal carbide/nitride family, have emerged as a promising material due to their unique 2D nanostructure, changeable surface chemistry, high electrical/thermal conductivity, light absorptivity, and low infrared emissivity. This review outlines the synthesis methods of MXenes and their various features and applications in thermal management. These 2D materials exhibit outstanding optical and thermal properties, making them suitable for thermal energy generation and storage. The study also covers the potential applications of MXene in the desalination industry, hybrid photovoltaic thermal systems, solar energy storage, electronics, and other thermal management related industries. The findings suggest that MXene-based TM materials have remarkable features that significantly influence thermal energy storage and conversion and present opportunities for further research in efficiently using these materials.

Despite being a limited and scarce resource, the necessity and exploitation of fossil fuels are unstoppable in serving human demands. In order to supply energy demand without causing environmental damage, it is crucial to utilize a variety of renewable feedstock resources. Biochar, made up mostly of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, is the product of the thermochemical processes of pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, torrefaction, and hydrothermal liquefaction. Biochar, once activated, has the potential to act as a catalyst in a variety of energy generation processes, including transesterification and fermentation. Transesterification is the process that is used to produce biodiesel from a variety of oils, both edible and non-edible, as well as animal fats in the presence of either a homogeneous or a heterogeneous catalyst. When selecting a catalyst, the amount of free fatty acid (FFA) content in the oil is considered. Homogeneous catalysts are superior to heterogeneous catalysts because they are unaffected by the concentration of free fatty acids in the oil. Homogeneous catalysts are extremely hazardous, as they are poisonous, combustible, and corrosive. In addition, the production of soaps as a byproduct and a large volume of wastewater from the use of homogeneous catalysts necessitates additional pretreatment procedures and costs for adequate disposal. This article examines the biochar-based fuel-generation catalyst in detail. At first, a wide variety of thermochemical methods were provided for manufacturing biochar and its production. Biochar’s chemical nature was analyzed, and the case for using it as a catalyst in the production of biofuels was also scrutinized. An explanation of how the biochar catalyst can improve fuel synthesis is provided for readers. Biodiesel’s transesterification and esterification processes, biomass hydrolysis, and biohydrogen generation with the help of a biochar catalyst are all reviewed in detail.

Pakistan has been facing energy crises for more than a decade as a result of its reliance on imported fossil fuels, circular debt, political instability, and absurd energy policies. However, the country has abundant renewable energy resources which, if harnessed, may help to effectively cope with ever-increasing energy demand. This review study investigates the country’s economic and energy situations, energy crises, and energy sector performance. A critical analysis of studies conducted on Pakistan’s energy planning since its independence in 1947 is, and policies announced to date are assessed. This review reveals that the economic situation of the country has remained severely stressed, and energy sector performance has been compromised over the years for various underlying reasons. The energy policy narrative in the early decades of the post-independence period focused on water resource management, whereas energy concerns were only realized in the late 1960s as demand grew. The first-ever energy and power planning study in Pakistan was conducted in 1967, and since then, various studies have been conducted to support the medium-term development plans of the government. These planning studies inspired further development, and in 1994, the first-ever electricity-focused power policy was announced by the government in response to industrial growth and subsequent electricity demand. However, this and subsequent policies were fossil-fuel-centric until 2006, when the government announced the first-ever renewable energy policy. This 2006 policy focused on increasing renewable energy penetration in the overall energy mix by setting specific targets. However, these targets have rarely been accomplished as a result of a lack of an effective planning paradigm, as most of studies have been conducted without sound demand forecasting and without considering renewable energy’s potential to meet growing demand. As such, planning efforts based on proven methodologies/modeling tools and the undertaking of demand forecasts and renewable energy assessments are inevitable for countries such as Pakistan. Therefore, we suggest that sectoral energy demand forecasting, estimation of renewable energy potential with end use, and modeling of optimal penetration of renewable energy using energy modeling tools will be helpful to develop sustainable energy policies in Pakistan to eradicate the energy crisis.

To mitigate the consequences of climate change, there is an increasing need to minimize the usage of fossil fuels, especially in the industrial sector because the majority of the industrial sector primarily rely on fossil fuels to meet their needs for heat energy, and a practical strategy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels is to use energy from the sun. Due to their environmental advantages, energy security, and viability as a potential substitute for fossil fuels, solar thermal collectors are acknowledged as promising technology to harness solar thermal energy fir process heating applications. This review is a thorough compendium and evaluation of contemporary literature on solar thermal collectors and their applications in industry. Apart from applications, this review paper also assesses the challenges and limitations currently hindering the global acceptance of this technology in the industrial sector.

This paper reviews the optimization strategies for the optimal simultaneous allocation of distributed generation (DG) and shunts capacitor banks (SCBs) in electrical distribution networks. These optimization strategies aim to determine the optimal size, location, and combination of DGs and SCBs to constitute a techno-economic system while satisfying the constraints and energy demand of the load. The optimization strategies explicitly reviewed include the problem formulations, optimization techniques, restrictions posed for optimization problems, decision variables, and network operating modes typically assumed while allocating the DGs and SCBs. In addition, there is an attempt to highlight the limitations of the existing literature and future research directions. This study undertakes a comprehensive review of the literature that systematically considers the simultaneous application of DGs and SCBs to advance the existing literature, which lacks such a review. Expectedly, this review will serve as a principle platform for researchers intending to explore the subject area for further improvement.

This paper investigates the long-run dynamic association of carbon dioxide emissions and economic progress using the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis for Pakistan from 1972 to 2019. The other variables used along with the above indicators are urbanization, financial development, manufacturing, oil and gas energy consumptions, and trade openness. The ARDL bounds testing methodology has been used and the results of the bounds testing showed that a 1% increase in economic growth and financial development would increase CO2 emissions in the country by 4.277% and 0.0787%, respectively. Urbanization and manufacturing would increase CO2 emissions by 0.648% and 0.171%, respectively. Oil and gas energy consumption would also increase CO2 emissions by 0.130% and 0.1935%, respectively. On the other hand, trade openness decreases emissions by -0.087% in the long run. Besides, findings confirm the EKC hypothesis with the reversed U-shape relation for per capita CO2 emissions and economic progress. However, the threshold point of the economy is approximately 2735.19$ year per capita, where economic progress can mitigate the impact of pollution lies beyond the study period. Finally, for policy implications: (i) the government should focus on economic growth by overcoming CO2 emissions as per capita income is scarce. (ii) the control and proper expansion of urban areas and empowering the inhabitants with knowledge and awareness to play their role in mitigating the effects of CO2 emissions on society. (iii) a larger share of alternative energy from biomass, the solar, wind, and other less-polluting energies in the energy need model of the country, and (iv) by establishing advanced technology-based industries in the country for economic growth by controlling the impacts on the environment.

Energy is needed for all community activities, the production of all goods, and the provision of all services. It is extremely important to a country’s economy and wealth. Currently, conventional fossil fuels provide most of the world’s energy. In case of oil and gas fields their energy consumption is totally off-grid, their generation depends upon fossil fuels, the cost of energy consumption of oil and gas fields are too high because operational work of the field is totally depending upon fossil fuels. The development of off-grid renewable energy generation technologies offers the opportunity for tackling these challenges. This study provides a techno-economic feasibility analysis of an off-grid hybrid renewable energy system [HRES] for Pasakhi Satellite Oil & Gas Field, Tando Jam, Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan. The proposed hybrid energy system designed for field consists of the different combination of solar Photovoltaics [PVs], wind turbines, batteries, and generator to meet the required energy consumption demand. The renewable hybrid energy system is model and optimized configuration through powerful simulation software Hybrid Optimized Model for Electric Renewable [HOMER] Pro. The optimized configuration of the hybrid system consists of solar PV’s (50 kW), Wind turbines (60 kW), 40 lead-acid batteries (165 Ah and 12V each), 30 kw generator and 100 kW converter. The simulation results show that the proposed system can meet the power requirements of 250 kWh/day primary demand load with 40.21 kW peak load. This system configuration has the Capital Cost $71040, the Net Present Cost [NPC] of $253,159 and Cost of Energy [COE] of 0.215$/kWh. Furthermore, the results of the present study are compared with the literature because of which a cost-effective HRES with a low COE has been established.

In response to the global quest for a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of energy, most scientists’ discretion is solar energy, especially solar thermal. However, successful deployment of solar thermal technologies such as solar-assisted process heating (SAPH) systems in medium- to large-scale industries is still in quandary due to their inefficacy in raising ample temperatures. Cascaded SAPH system, which is essentially a series combination of two same or different types of thermal collectors, may provide a worthwhile solution to this problem. In this article, performance assessment and comparison of two cascaded SAPH systems have been presented: photovoltaic thermal (PVT) cascaded with flat-plate collector (PVT-FPC) and PVT coupled with heat pipe evacuated tube collector (PVT-HPETC). Simulation models have been presented for individual FPC, HPETC, and PVT as well as PVT cascaded with FPC and HPETC systems in TRNSYS and validated through outdoor experimentation. Both the first and the second laws of thermodynamics have been employed to reveal veritable performance of the systems. Results show that PVT-HPETC delivers better performance with 1625 W thermal energy, 81.59% energy efficiency, and 13.22% exergy efficiency. It cuts 1.37 kg of CO2 on an hourly basis. Cascaded systems can be effective in sustaining industrial process heat requirements.

Energy is the essential need for the development, modernization and economic growth of any nation in the industrial sector. About 32–35% of the total energy of the world is used in the industrial sector. Solar thermal energy application is an initiative towards the sustainable and zero-carbon energy future. Solar thermal collectors are recognized as promising alternatives for fossil fuels in the industrial sector for process heat due to energy security, economic feasibility and environmental benefits. This work is an extensive compilation and review of the recent literature concerning research works carried out to solar thermal collectors and its industrial applications, global advancements in solar thermal technologies, collectors and the solar thermal energy storage system with a focus on the sun tracking system, thermal performance, and modeling techniques. In this review paper, current industrial process-heat systems are classified based on solar collector technologies and heat demand temperatures for the identification of typical applications for solar process heat. These classifications are pertinent to every country within the same industry type along with similar weather and economic conditions. Moreover, future prospects to integrate solar heat in the heat supply level of an industrial company in Pakistan is outlined for a sustainable energy system. It is found that solar thermal technologies can be used for a variety of industrial applications for sustainable energy system in industries and these should be used for industrial applications which are more compatible to be integrated.

For over a decade, distributed generations (DGs) have sufficiently convinced the researchers that they are the economic and environment-friendly solution that can be integrated with the centralized generations. The optimal planning of distributed generations requires the appropriate location and sizing and their corresponding control with various power network types to obtain the best of the technical, economical, commercial, and regulatory objectives. Most of these objectives are conflicting in nature and require multi-objective solutions. Therefore, this paper brings a comprehensive literature review and a critical analysis of the state of the art of the optimal multi-objective planning of DG installation in the power network with different objective functions and their constraints. The paper considers the adoption of optimization techniques for distributed generation planning in radial distribution systems from different power system performance viewpoints; it considers the use of different DG types, distribution models, DG variables, and mathematical formulations; and it considers the participation of different countries in the stated DG placement and sizing problem. Moreover, the summary of the literature review and critical analysis of this article helps the researchers and engineers to explore the research gap and to find the future recommendations for the robust optimal planning of the DGs working with various objectives and algorithms. The paper considers the adoption of uncertainties on the load and generation side, the introduction of DGs with energy storage backups, and the testing of DG placement and sizing on large and complex distribution networks.

Low thermal conductivity is the major obstacle for the wide range utilization of phase change materials (PCMs), especially organic PCMs, for most practical applications in thermal engineering. This study investigates the potential of enhancing the charging and discharging rates of organic PCM (RT44HC) by introducing polyethylene glycol (PEG) and activated carbon macroparticles (ACMPs). Different concentrations of PEG and ACMPs ranging from 0.3 wt% to 2 wt% were tested separately. The optimized concentrations found were used as dual reinforcements to attain the highest possible thermal conductivity. The specimens were tested for a complete charging–discharging cycle using an improvised thermal apparatus. Use of ACMP alone resulted in a minimal reduction in complete charging–discharging time due to the settlement of ACMPs at the bottom after 2–3 heating–cooling cycles. However, the addition of PEG with ACMPs exhibited a reduction in charging–discharging time due to the formation of a stable dispersion. PEG served as a stabilizing agent for ACMPs. The lowest charging–discharging time of 180 min was exhibited by specimens containing 1 wt% PEG and 0.5 wt% ACMPs which is 25% lower compared to bare PCM.

Pakistan is not merely confronting the energy crisis but also dealing with the scarcity of economical technologies for the utilization of energy resources. From the basic resources, renewable energy is one of the considerable resources. Due to environmental issues related to greenhouse gases (GHGs) and air pollution in Pakistan, the other energy resources are constricted. In rural areas, biomass resources are a fundamental need for domestic purposes. The prominent reason for environmental degradation and deforestation is due to ineffective use of such resources. Biomass resources for heating and cooking purposes are abundantly available in rural areas of Pakistan. In this context, this study helps us select the applicable cookstove technologies for the Sindh province for the proper utilization of biomass resources. The AHP (analytical hierarchy process) was used as the central methodology for the cookstove ranking. Concerning its improvement, four main criteria corresponding to 12 sub-criteria were considered for the selection of three cookstove technologies, i.e., traditional cookstoves (TCS), efficient cookstoves (ECS), and biogas cookstoves (BCS). The final decision of the AHP framework exposed the ECS technology as the advantageous technology, followed by the BCS and TCS, respectively. To analyze the results, a sensitivity analysis of the major results has also been carried out, and under the final ranking matrix, the ECS alternative got the highest weightage, nearly 36.56%, based on the developed model.

Despite of being solar assisted, evaporative cooling devices in hot arid regions consume a substantial amount of electricity to produce sufficient cooling effect. This paper presents the design and performance analysis of a novel hybrid evaporative solar cooling system, aided by underground heat exchanger . A fan-assisted chamber composed of two vertical plenum space is intended to be cooling facade ; the first plenum space is made up of black aluminum transpired plate and the second plenum space is shaped from the sand tile wall. The sand tile wall is used as an evaporative pad and sand wall with a perforated aluminum plate as a solar collector to evaporate the sprayed water. Simulation model of this system is built in MATLAB and it has been validated through experimental investigation carried in the hot and dry regions of Tikrit, Iraq. Experimental outcomes agree reasonably well with simulation results with only 2.3% incongruity. When the cooling system is powered only with transpired solar collector (TSC), indoor air temperature reduces 5 °C less and relative humidity 15% higher than ambient. In contrast, when TSC is assisted by underground heat exchanger, indoor air temperature falls 12 °C below and relative humidity 26% higher than ambient. Hence, using underground heat exchanger reduces cooling load by 50%. This passive evaporative cooling system is found to maintain room temperature between 2° to 6 °C below the ambient. This hybrid evaporative cooling system ensures enhanced comfort at lesser energy consumption.

Demand for water resources has increased dramatically due to the global increase in consumption of water, which has resulted in water depletion. Additionally, global climate change has further resulted as an impediment to human survival. Moreover, Pakistan is among the countries that have already crossed the water scarcity line, experiencing drought in the water-stressed Thar desert. Drought mitigation actions can be effectively achieved by forecasting techniques. This research describes the application of a linear stochastic model, i.e., Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), to predict the drought pattern. The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) is calculated to develop ARIMA models to forecast drought in a hyper-arid environment. In this study, drought forecast is demonstrated by results achieved from ARIMA models for various time periods. Result shows that the values of p, d, and q (non-seasonal model parameter) and P, D, and Q (seasonal model parameter) for the same SPEI period in the proposed models are analogous where “p” is the order of autoregressive lags, q is the order of moving average lags and d is the order of integration. Additionally, these parameters show the strong likeness for Moving Average (M.A) and Autoregressive (A.R) parameter values. From the various developed models for the Thar region, it has been concluded that the model (0,1,0)(1,0,2) is the best ARIMA model at 24 SPEI and could be considered as a generalized model. In the (0,1,0) model, the A.R term is 0, the difference/order of integration is 1 and the moving average is 0, and in the model (1,0,2) whose A.R has the 1st lag, the difference/order of integration is 0 and the moving average has 2 lags. Larger values for R2 greater than 0.9 and smaller values of Mean Error (ME), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Percentile Error (MPE), Mean Absolute Percentile Error (MAPE), and Mean Absolute Square Error (MASE) provide the acceptance of the generalized model. Consequently, this research suggests that drought forecasting can be effectively fulfilled by using ARIMA models, which can be assist policy planners of water resources to place safeguards keeping in view the future severity of the drought.

The long-term forecasting of energy consumption has attained significant importance in fundamental research to provide sustainable solutions to the sectoral energy issues. An analysis of various fa...

Collective effort on energy sector mainly renewable energy, especially Wind Turbine design and development is of major concern. Nowadays, due to the energy crisis, the Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) is most commonly used due to its high height. Because we can attain high wind speeds and that results in self-starting capabilities of HAWT. Nevertheless, Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) titled Savonius Wind Turbines have many advantages over HAWT and Darrieus VAWT.This research aims to model, design and analyze the performance of different bladed Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) by considering different design parameters. Different bladed Savonius type VAWT were taken as testing objects and their performance was analyzed with respect to velocity and number of blades in terms of RPM, voltages, torque, and power. The results concluded that three bladed VAWT is much better than other different bladed VAWTs.