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In recent years, Electric Vehicles (EVs) are contributing a major share in Thailand and benefit the environment. Most of the EV charging stations are sourced from solar energy as it becomes a carbon-free source of energy production. Secondly, Thailand is rich in solar irradiance, and higher irradiance leads to higher power production. On the other hand, in tropical conditions, solar Photovoltaic (PV) module temperature increases following the solar irradiance due to high ambient temperature, resulting negative impact on the efficiency and lifespan of photovoltaic (PV) modules. Further, to increase PV power production, in this study, different rates of cooling strategies are proposed. The study found that reducing the temperature by 5% to 25% resulted in increased average power outputs of 5947.94W, 6021.43W, 6094.92W, 6168.41W, and 6241W, respectively. Notably, 25% of the cooling rate achieved higher production. However, it is lower than the nominal power production. Following that, economic analysis and environmental impacts are analyzed for Thailand’s EV charging station using a different cooling rate of PV module. Overall, it is concluded that, depending on the economic viability of the EV charging station, cooling technology can be applied, and it will benefit the EV charging station both economically and environmentally. To further enhance the solar PV power production approach for EV charging stations in Thailand, it is imperative to prioritize future endeavors towards optimizing cooling technology, integrating energy storage, and implementing supportive policies.

This investigation explored the intensive characteristics of biomass and biochar from oil palm trunk (OPT) and oil palm fronds (OPF) for supporting the increasing demand of solid biofuels in Thailand. The characteristics of these samples were also compared to low grade sub-bituminous coal (LGSBC). The results indicate that converting OPT and OPF to biochar not only enhanced the fuel ratio and atomic ratios, but it also improved the energy content. The higher heating values (HHV) of OPT and OPF biochars were 26.92 and 28.05 MJ/kg. The fuel ratio, atomic ratio and HHV of biochars were better than those of LGSBC and biomass forms. Thermal decomposition and combustion characteristics of biomass and biochar from OPT and OPF were clearly different in N2and air atmospheres. The biomass and biochar from OPT and OPF had high contents of alkali elements, consequently their ashes had high concentrations of some oxides like SiO2 and K2O. Biomass and biochar ashes from OPT and OPF had low initial deformation temperature (IDT). The IDT of OPT biochar ash was the lowest (907 °C), while the IDT of ash from LGSBC was above 1500 °C. The slagging and fouling indexes of biochars were clearly different from the LGSBC and biomass forms. Therefore, biomass and biochar from OPT and OPF have potential for solid biofuel use, and they are promising for further upgrading and applications. The user needs to be concerned with ash related problems like ash fusion, slagging, and fouling during combustion of these solid biofuels.

The structural alteration of carbon nitride (CN) for photocatalytic CO2 reduction is a promising research topic in the environmental and energy sectors. This work discusses the fabrication of photocatalyst through a heterojunction architecture obtained from the molecular engineering of electron-rich organic monomer 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDA) with CN precursor (CN/PDAx). The successful integration of PDA in the structure of CN served as a charge inducting entity to enhance charge separation and photocatalytic CO2 reduction under visible light (λ = 420 nm). The DFT results indicated that the upshift in the HOMO level of CN after integration of PDA in its framework was the most lawful for the charge separation and for obtaining a high reduction potential. As-synthesized photocatalysts were demonstrated for various integral analysises and after evaluating the process of photocatalytic CO2 reduction under visible light region (λ = 420 nm). The optimized sample CN/PDA10 has the most excellent photocatalytic activity producing 85.4 μmol/h of CO and 21.3 μmol/h of H2, achieving a 7.5-fold enhanced catalytic efficiency as compared to pure CN. We hope that this work will attract more attention to synthesizing efficient photocatalysts for energy production and environmental remediation.

Semiconductor-based photocatalytic technology is regarded as an efficient pathway for resolving the energy scarcity across the globe. In this regard, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)-based materials could be alternatively employed in photochemical applications such as photovoltaic energy generation via CO2 photoreduction and water splitting, along with natural resource purification via organic/inorganic pollutant degradation. Indeed, this kind of assertion has been made by considering the intrinsic physicochemical properties of g-C3N4 nanomaterials, owing to their increased surface area, quantum yield, surface charge isolation, distribution, and ease of modification through material configuration or incorporation of preferred interfacial capabilities. This review article has been designed to provide the most up-to-date information regarding the further assessment of the important advancements in fabrication along with photochemical applications of various g-C3N4 nanomaterials, while specifically focusing on the scientific reason behind its success in each assessment. The discovery of interventions to alleviate such restrictions and boost photocatalytic performance has gained substantial interest. Following photo-excitation fundamentals, this work explains two distinct photoexcitation mechanisms, the carrier and charge transfer techniques, wherein the significant exciting state impact of g-C3N4 has still not been widely focused on in past studies. In this regards, we cautiously introduce the updated advances and associated functions of the alteration techniques, including morphological features, elemental dopants, deficiency engineering, and heterojunction implemented in photocatalytic performance, which are equated from the carrier and charge transport perceptions. The future perspectives in designing and properly tuning the highly active hierarchical or copolymer g-C3N4 nanoparticles in a photocatalytic system, which may improve the renewable energy cultivation and reduction efficiency are critically deciphered in detail and outlined thoroughly.

Bioenergy has gained great interest in the recent years for being environmentally friendly and renewable energy resource. Southern Thailand is well-known for agro-industry including rubber tree plantations and processing, which provide biomass that could be applied to produce bioenergy. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the energy potential of Rubber Wood Chips (RWC), Rubber Wood Pellets (RWP), Unburned Char (UBC) from rubber wood, blended RWC:UBC (50:50%) and blended RWP:UBC (50:50%). The physiochemical properties including bulk density, proximate composition, ultimate composition, heating value, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and lignocellulose content were determined for the biomass samples. The thermochemical conversion of biomass to syngas was performed using a downdraft gasifier operated at equivalence ratio 0.3. The results showed that the biomass was rich in carbon (content ranging from 44.77 to 58.54%) making it suitable for use as a solid fuel for gasification or combustion. The moisture contents of the biomass samples were below 10%. The contents of volatile matter in RWC and RWP were 74.40 and 75.40%, respectively. The UBC had a high fixed carbon content (50.60%) and comparatively low volatile matter (19%). The bulk densities of RWC, RWP and UBC were 193, 555 and 177 (kg/m3 ), respectively. The TGA showed the maximum weight loss of RWC and RWP around 400 °C, but this was at 800 °C for UBC. The higher heating values of RWC, RWP and UBC were 17.8 MJ/kg, 17.4 MJ/kg and 19.3 MJ/kg, respectively. The RWC and RWP had high cellulose and hemicellulose contents while UBC was rich in lignin. The syngas obtained from any of these biomass samples was mainly CO (10.81-22.67%) and CH4 (0.06-3.16%) with the lower heating value ranging from 2.78 to 4.72 MJ/Nm3 . These results indicate that rubber wood biomass in various forms has relatively high potential for bioenergy applications via gasification, and it can help to support the renewable energy sector in Thailand.

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In recent years, Electric Vehicles (EVs) are contributing a major share in Thailand and benefit the environment. Most of the EV charging stations are sourced from solar energy as it becomes a carbon-free source of energy production. Secondly, Thailand is rich in solar irradiance, and higher irradiance leads to higher power production. On the other hand, in tropical conditions, solar Photovoltaic (PV) module temperature increases following the solar irradiance due to high ambient temperature, resulting negative impact on the efficiency and lifespan of photovoltaic (PV) modules. Further, to increase PV power production, in this study, different rates of cooling strategies are proposed. The study found that reducing the temperature by 5% to 25% resulted in increased average power outputs of 5947.94W, 6021.43W, 6094.92W, 6168.41W, and 6241W, respectively. Notably, 25% of the cooling rate achieved higher production. However, it is lower than the nominal power production. Following that, economic analysis and environmental impacts are analyzed for Thailand's EV charging station using a different cooling rate of PV module. Overall, it is concluded that, depending on the economic viability of the EV charging station, cooling technology can be applied, and it will benefit the EV charging station both economically and environmentally. To further enhance the solar PV power production approach for EV charging stations in Thailand, it is imperative to prioritize future endeavors towards optimizing cooling technology, integrating energy storage, and implementing supportive policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil palm biomass is a non-woody lignocellulosic biomass that has a high potential at the south of Thailand for biofuels and bioenergy applications. Pyrolysis of oil palm biomass to produce biofuels such as bio-oil, biochar, and pyrolysis gas is still challenging. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the yields and qualities of pyrolysis products obtained from oil palm trunk (OPT), oil palm fronds (OPF), and oil palm shell (OPS) using an agitated bed pyrolysis reactor. These biomasses were pyrolyzed at pyrolysis temperatures of 400, 450, and 500°C while the other operating parameters were fixed. The results showed that the different types of oil palm biomass and pyrolysis temperatures affected the product yields and qualities. The OPF pyrolyzed at 500°C provided the highest liquid yield. The liquid product contained a relatively high water content with a low pH value, leading to highly-oxygenated compounds as indicated by gas chromatography-electron ionization/mass spectroscopy technique (GC-EI/MS). The higher heating value (HHV) of the liquid product was 18.95-22.52 MJ/kg. The biochar had a relatively high HHV ranging from 25.14 to 28.45 MJ/kg. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the resultant biochar had a porous structure surface with a surface area of 1.15-4.43 m2/g as indicated by BET. The pyrolysis gas contained a low composition of combustible gases, leading to a low HHV.

The objective of this study was to investigate the production and properties of mixed pellets made from rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg) and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) waste with no added binder. Three different conditions of mixed pellets were developed to compare their chemical and physical properties to rubberwood pellets. The produced samples were subjected to both ultimate and proximate analyses. The contents of C, H, N, S, and Cl significantly increased with the increasing amount of refuse-derived fuel in the samples, resulting in reduction of the volatile matter. The mechanical durability of the pellet samples ranged between an average value of 98 and 99%. Mixed pellets containing 50% of rubberwood and 50% of refuse-derived fuel have improved heating values by 22.21% compared to rubberwood pellets. Moreover, mixed pellets having 50% of wood and 50% of refuse-derived fuel had the highest density and the highest energy compared to the other samples. Based on the findings of this study, it appears that the manufactured mixed pellets have the potential to be used as high-energy fuel.

This study assessed suitable smart grid areas for power generation and distribution from solar and small hydro energy resources in Western Uganda by employing the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) based on geographic information system (GIS) data. This was performed based on the selected economic, environmental, and technical criteria by the authors guided by the experts’ judgements in the weighing process. The main criteria also included various sub-criteria. The sub-criteria of the economic criterion included distance from transmission lines, topography, and distance to roads. The environmental sub-criteria covered land use, sensitive areas, and protected areas. The technical sub-criteria were on distance from demand centers, available potential energy resources (solar and hydro), and climate (rainfall and sunshine). The weights of the main criteria and the sub-criteria were calculated by using the fuzzy AHP. These weights were then used in the GIS environment to determine both the potential for power generation from the solar energy resource and the smart grid suitable areas. According to the weight results, the economic criteria has the highest weight, followed by environmental and technical criteria. The validation of the experts’ judgements for each criterion by comparing the results from fuzzy AHP with AHP confirmed insignificant differences in weights for all criteria. The obtained suitable smart grid areas in Western Uganda have been classified into three parts, that is, the South, North, and Central. Therefore, this is a one-of-a-kind study that, in the authors’ view, will provide the initial insights to the government, policymakers, renewable energy practitioners, and researchers to investigate, map, and embrace decarbonization strategies for the electricity sector of Uganda.

Light-driven heterogeneous photocatalysis has gained great significance for generating solar fuel; the challenging charge separation process and sluggish surface catalytic reactions significantly restrict the progress of solar energy conversion using a semiconductor photocatalyst. Herein, we propose a novel and feasible strategy to incorporate dihydroxy benzene (DHB) as a conjugated monomer within the framework of urea containing CN (CNU-DHBx) to tune the electronic conductivity and charge separation due to the aromaticity of the benzene ring, which acts as an electron-donating species. Systematic characterizations such as SPV, PL, XPS, DRS, and TRPL demonstrated that the incorporation of the DHB monomer greatly enhanced the photocatalytic CO2 reduction of CN due to the enhanced charge separation and modulation of the ionic mobility. The significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity of CNU–DHB15.0 in comparison with parental CN was 85 µmol/h for CO and 19.92 µmol/h of the H2 source. It can be attributed to the electron–hole pair separation and enhance the optical adsorption due to the presence of DHB. Furthermore, this remarkable modification affected the chemical composition, bandgap, and surface area, encouraging the controlled detachment of light-produced photons and making it the ideal choice for CO2 photoreduction. Our research findings potentially offer a solution for tuning complex charge separation and catalytic reactions in photocatalysis that could practically lead to the generation of artificial photocatalysts for efficient solar energy into chemical energy conversion.

One of the most frequent ways to widen the adsorption range of carbon nitride (CN) is to add a well-known photosensitizer into its basic structure. So far, such attachments have been accomplished by using weak van der Waals forces. However, using strong covalent bonding to attach such photosensitizer with CN is yet to be determined. Here, for the first time, we covalently bonded porphyrin (5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-(2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazinyl) phenyl)-Porphyrin (TDP)), a renowned photosensitizer, effectively with CN by thermally balanced molecular strategy. A photoreaction system was set up for the deoxygenated conversion of CO2 to CO under visible light, where cobalt acted as a redox controller to speed up the charge transportation, while CN-TDP worked as a CO2 activating photocatalyst. The subsequent photocatalyst has a broader absorbance range, a greater specific surface area, and intramolecular organic connections that help to decrease the electron-hole pairs’ recombination rate. Furthermore, the average weight ratio between urea and TDP was well-tuned, resulting in a fantastic CO2 photoconversion for CN-TDP7.0 compared to the blank sample. This substantial increase in photocatalytic activity predicts a significant shift in CN’s specific surface area, band gap, chemical composition, and structure, as well as the efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers from the ground state (HOMO) to the excited state (LUMO), making it a top candidate for CO2 photoreduction. At the same time, this approach paves the path for the bottom-up fabrication of carbon nitride nanosheets.

This study investigated the quantitative and qualitative attributes of liquid product and biochar obtained from pyrolysis of woody biomass (rubberwood sawdust (RWS)) and non-woody biomasses (oil palm trunk (OPT) and oil palm fronds (OPF)). The prepared biomass was pyrolyzed at temperatures of 500 °C, 550 °C, and 600 °C by using an agitated bed pyrolysis reactor, and then the yields and characteristics of liquid product and biochar were determined. The results showed that liquid product and biochar yields were in the respective ranges of 35.94–54.40% and 23.46–25.98% (wt.). Pyrolysis of RWS at 550 °C provided the highest liquid yield. The energy content of the water free liquid product was in the range 12.19–22.32 MJ/kg. The liquid product had a low pH and it mainly contained phenol groups as indicated by GC-MS. The biochars had high carbon contents (75.07–82.02%), while their oxygen contents were low (14.22–22%). The higher heating value (HHV) of biochar was in the range 26.42–29.33 MJ/kg. XRF analysis revealed that inorganic elements had higher contents in biochar than in the original biomass. The slagging and fouling indexes of biochar were also different from those of the biomass. High carbon content of the biochar confirms potential for its use in carbon sequestration. The specific surface of biochar was lower than that of biomass, while the average pore diameter of biochar was larger than for raw biomass as revealed by BET and SEM. These results on liquid product and biochar obtained from RWS, OPT, and OPF demonstrate that they are promising feedstocks for biofuels and other value-added products.

Recently, the growing demand for a renewable and sustainable fuel alternative is contingent on fuel cell technologies. Even though it is regarded as an environmentally sustainable method of generating fuel for immediate concerns, it must be enhanced to make it extraordinarily affordable, and environmentally sustainable. Hydrogen (H2) synthesis by electrochemical water splitting (ECWS) is considered one of the foremost potential prospective methods for renewable energy output and H2 society implementation. Existing massive H2 output is mostly reliant on the steaming reformation of carbon fuels that yield CO2 together with H2 and is a finite resource. ECWS is a viable, efficient, and contamination‐free method for H2 evolution. Consequently, developing reliable and cost‐effective technology for ECWS was a top priority for scientists around the globe. Utilizing renewable technologies to decrease total fuel utilization is crucial for H2 evolution. Capturing and transforming the fuel from the ambient through various renewable solutions for water splitting (WS) could effectively reduce the need for additional electricity. ECWS is among the foremost potential prospective methods for renewable energy output and the achievement of a H2‐based economy. For the overall water splitting (OWS), several transition‐metal‐based polyfunctional metal catalysts for both cathode and anode have been synthesized. Furthermore, the essential to the widespread adoption of such technology is the development of reduced‐price, super functional electrocatalysts to substitute those, depending on metals. Many metal‐premised electrocatalysts for both the anode and cathode have been designed for the WS process. The attributes of H2 and oxygen (O2) dynamics interactions on the electrodes of water electrolysis cells and the fundamental techniques for evaluating the achievement of electrocatalysts are outlined in this paper. Special emphasis is paid to their fabrication, electrocatalytic performance, durability, and measures for enhancing their efficiency. In addition, prospective ideas on metal‐based WS electrocatalysts based on existing problems are presented. It is anticipated that this review will offer a straight direction toward the engineering and construction of novel polyfunctional electrocatalysts encompassing superior efficiency in a suitable WS technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]