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Green energy storage systems play a vital role in enabling a sustainable future by facilitating the efficient integration and utilization of renewable energy sources. The main problems related to two‐dimensional (2D) materials are their difficult synthesis process, high cost, and bulk production, which hamper their performance. In recent years, MXenes have emerged as highly promising materials for enhancing the performance of energy storage devices due to their unique properties, including their high surface area, excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, and exceptional chemical stability. This paper presents a comprehensive scientific approach that explores the potential of MXenes for empowering green energy storage systems. Which indicates the novelty of the article. The paper reviews the latest advances in MXene synthesis techniques. Furthermore, investigates the application of MXenes in various energy storage technologies, such as lithium‐ion batteries, supercapacitors, and emerging energy storage devices. The utilization of MXenes as electrodes in flexible and transparent energy storage devices is also discussed. Moreover, the paper highlights the potential of MXenes in addressing key challenges in energy storage, including enhancing energy storage capacity, improving cycling stability, and promoting fast charging and discharging rates. Additionally, industrial application and cost estimation of MXenes are explored. As the output of the work, we analyzed that HF and modified acid (LiF and HCl) are the established methods for synthesis. Due to high electrical conductivity, MXene materials are showing extraordinary results in energy storage and related applications. Making a composite hydrothermal method is one of the established methods. This scientific paper underscores the significant contributions of MXenes in advancing green energy storage systems, paving the way for a sustainable future driven by renewable energy sources. To facilitate the research, this article includes technical challenges and future recommendations for further research gaps in the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption is increasing rapidly; hence, the energy demand cannot be fulfilled using traditional power resources only. Power systems based on renewable energy, including solar and wind, are effective and friendly for the environment. Islanded hybrid microgrid systems (IHMS) are relatively new in this industry and combine two or more sustainable sources, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic (PV), and other renewable alternatives, ocean, wave, and geothermal energy, etc. While sustainable, long-lasting power sources are the best choice to satisfy the growing energy demands, they are still not yet ready to be used on a large scale due to their stochastic characteristics. Furthermore, integrating these sources into the existing energy system can cause high technical difficulties, due to the stochastic nature of solar and wind in the conventional grid system and common stand-alone framework. A review of research and applications of the effective hybridization of renewable energy sources is therefore essential to address those technical and economic issues and ensure system stability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. This article discusses the challenges that might arise when a PV plant and a wind power station are combined to produce power for the conventional main grid or in a stand-alone system. In addition, this analysis provides light on optimization approaches for improving power quality and cost-effectiveness in a solar and wind integrated IHMS. Voltage fluctuation, frequency deviation, and the uncertain nature of solar irradiation and wind sources are significant challenges for both grid-connected and standalone hybrid systems. This study then provides an overview of the control strategies which might help enhance the integration of the IHMS in producing electricity for distribution to the grid-connected load and the islanded load. In this study, the possible issues that can hinder the smooth integration of these renewable sources have been discussed. Finally, this study discusses the recent platforms being used in IHMS as well as the potential of dispatch strategies on solar and wind-integrated IHMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy storage has become an important part in renewable energy technology systems. Solar thermal systems, unlike photovoltaic systems with striving efficiencies, are industrially matured, and utilize major part of sun's thermal energy during the day. Yet, it does not have enough (thermal) backup to keep operating during the low or no solar radiation hours. New materials are selected, characterized, and enhanced in their thermo-physical properties to serve the purpose of a 24 h operation in an efficient thermal energy storage system (TESS). Solar absorption refrigeration system requires a continuous operation in many of its applications (food storage, space cooling etc), which in turn requires an efficient TES system utilizing material with high heat of fusion, eg. phase change materials (PCMs). This review is a comprehensive evaluation of suitable PCM selection, methodologies of integration, enhancements and challenges for operating temperatures of each component in a single-effect solar absorption system affecting its performance. Observations and lessons from previous studies are discussed in detail. Recommendations based on investigation results, advantages and drawback of PCMs, PCM enhancement options, energy, exergy and cost analysis are made for the future research direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal energy storage is at the height of its popularity to harvest, store, and save energy for short-term or long-term use in new energy generation systems. It is forecasted that the global thermal energy storage market for 2015–2019 will cross US$1,300 million in revenue, where the highest growth is expected to be in Europe, Middle East, and Africa followed by Asia-Pacific region. Thermal energy storage has become an inevitable component of fluctuant renewable energy systems due to their significant role in increasing efficiency and Quality of Service (QoS). Currently, one major research stream in such systems is improving the efficiency of heat exchangers and heat carriers. Hence, studying thermal behavior and thermophysical properties of heat storages is of great importance. In this study, we review a common but not very well-known problem of supercooling of Phase Change Materials (PCM). Supercooling is a thermophysical property of PCMs that is problematic in thermal storage applications. This review looks at supercooling from another point of view and investigates applications (such as specialized thermal storage applications) that can put supercooling into operation. To achieve this, development of techniques to increase state stability and designing reliable and stable supercooled heat storage systems will be investigated. The study will look at the thermal energy storage of supercooled liquids, degree and measurement of supercooling. Furthermore, factors that influence degree of supercooling and their effect on output capacity will be discussed. It looks at the supercooled material in four major categories and looks into the mechanisms for triggering crystallization in supercooled liquids. Applications including solar thermal storage will be the discussed in details. From the results discussed in this review researchers will identify and gain insight into supercooling control techniques, which are necessary for developing efficient heat exchangers, and also essential for promoting adoption of sustainable renewable energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy is the most available, environmental friendly energy source and renewable to sustain the growing energy demand. Solar energy is captured by solar collectors and an evacuated solar collector is the most efficient and convenient collector among various kinds of solar collectors. In this paper, a comprehensive literature on why evacuated collector is preferable, types of evacuated collectors, their structure, applications and challenges have been reviewed. Latest up to date literature based on journal articles, web materials, reports, conference proceedings and thesis have been compiled and reported. Applications of evacuated solar collectors in water heating, heat engines, air conditioning, swimming pool heating, solar cooker, steam generation and solar drying for residential and industrial sectors have been summarized and presented. Collector efficiency of different types of evacuated collectors and their performance based on different working fluids have been reported as well. Based on the available literature, it has been found that an evacuated tube collector has higher efficiency than the other collector. An evacuated tube collector is also very efficient to be used at higher operating temperature. There are few challenges that have been identified and need to be addressed carefully before installing an evacuated tube solar collector. However, after critically analyzing the available literature, authors have presented some future recommendations to overcome the barriers and for enhanced performance of an evacuated tube solar collector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present review is an extensive perspective of the research progress arisen in the performance of solar collector using nanofluids. The increase in the price of fossil fuels and rapid depletion of conventional energy sources are among the major energy concerns. Solar collector, as a kind of green and renewable energy device, can help us stay out of these energy concerns. Low efficiency and high cost of solar collectors compared with the conventional devices persuade scientists and engineers to make effort to increase performance of solar collectors. Nanofluid – the suspension of nanoparticles into a basefluid – has predominant characteristics because of nanoparticles' small size and high surface area. Many researchers evaluated these special properties of nanofluids, using several methods and techniques. Mathematical and numerical methods are practiced and experimental methods come to validate the results. Using nanofluid instead of conventional fluid improves heat transfer as well as optical and thermal properties, efficiency, transmittance and extinction coefficient of solar collector. Based on comprehensive studies, it has been also realized that the thermal properties of nanofluid such as thermal conductivity have significant effect on improving the efficiency of direct solar absorption collectors. On the other hand, using nanofluid is a big challenge in terms of economical aspects. Moreover, there is a lack of study on the effect of nanofluid's optical properties such as transmittance and extinction coefficient on the performance of solar collector. Similarly, effort should be made to perform two-phase analysis of nanofluid and study properties of nanofluid with more than one type of nanoparticle. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Global environmental concerns, increasing energy demands and developments in renewable energy technologies present a new possibility to implement renewable energy sources. Solar energy is the most prominent among renewable sources, as it is an inexhaustible resource and its exploitation has thus far been ecologically friendly. The potential amount of solar energy is considerably greater than current worldwide energy demands. Solar energy has been developing more rapidly than the other renewable energy sources for the last few decades. The best way to harvest the sun’s power is photovoltaic (PV) technology. This paper presents a study on solar energy in the form of a stand-alone and hybrid power generation system used to electrify off-grid locations. The stand-alone solar-PV system developed here is intended to be used to power a single house or a small community and it also functions as a mini-grid, generating power in places where adequate solar radiation is available throughout the year. However, many places throughout the world experience unsteady amounts of solar radiation and in those places, a hybrid solar-PV system is the most efficient solution for electrification. The main benefit of the hybrid system is that the weakness of one source is covered by the other source. This paper also presents some comparative case studies, project examples and demonstrations of stand-alone solar and hybrid solar systems implemented at various locations throughout the world over the last twelve years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

According to the source paper written in 2006, the Malaysian food industrial sector accounted for about 14% of the total manufacturing energy consumption. As energy costs rapidly increase, alternative energy sources and efficiency improvements become essential to energy planning, cost savings, resource optimization, and environmental protection in these industries. This article focuses on the energy savings, economic benefits, and emission reduction that can be obtained by applying various energy saving options. This study shows that significant power can be saved annually by utilizing energy efficient motors. The cost savings, payback period, and reduction in CO2 emissions are estimated for different motor loads. It is shown that sizeable amounts of energy can be saved using VSD, waste heat recovery, new efficiency lamps (T-5), and repairing leakages. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 32: 777-783, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Energy is the lifeblood of the modern world. Because of the negative environmental impacts and limited sources of fossil fuels, researchers are increasingly focusing on renewable energy sources, particularly solar energy due to its cleanliness and natural availability. Along with photovoltaic systems, solar thermal energy has been used over the last few decades to meet the refrigeration needs for both domestic and industrial purposes. This study presents a review of different solar thermal refrigeration systems, with a specific focus on solar absorption refrigeration systems and solar adsorption refrigeration systems within various working fluids. The different working pairs are illustrated by considering their coefficients of performance, specific cooling power, cooling capacity and minimum and maximum working temperatures. By considering cooling efficiency and other problems, such as swelling and agglomeration, the study also explores solar thermal hybrid cooling systems with heterogeneous composite pairs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One of the most important factors that can persuade human to use the renewable energy systems versus the conventional energy systems are the technical characteristics that include the reliability, maintenance requirements, availability, sustainability and environmental impacts. Technical characteristics of a system can affect the performance of the system. In the context of this work, the existent studies on the relation between the technical characteristic and the performance of the system are reviewed. It is concluded that there is a close relation between the performance of the system based on energy and exergy analysis and the technical characteristics. The systems which are more reliable and sustainable have less environmental impact and high energy and exergy efficiencies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fuel cells generate electricity and heat during electrochemical reaction which happens between the oxygen and hydrogen to form the water. Fuel cell technology is a promising way to provide energy for rural areas where there is no access to the public grid or where there is a huge cost of wiring and transferring electricity. In addition, applications with essential secure electrical energy requirement such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), power generation stations and distributed systems can employ fuel cells as their source of energy. The current paper includes a comparative study of basic design, working principle, applications, advantages and disadvantages of various technologies available for fuel cells. In addition, techno-economic features of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV) and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV) are compared. The results indicate that fuel cell systems have simple design, high reliability, noiseless operation, high efficiency and less environmental impact. The aim of this paper is to serve as a convenient reference for fuel cell power generation reviews. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Today, energy crisis turn out to be a serious threat towards sustainability for developing countries since their energy demand is growing more rapidly than developed countries. On the other hand, fossil fuels cannot sustain anymore in the near future because of environmental impacts and depletion of the reserves. Malaysia is experiencing drastic growth in population and economy and requires exploring alternative energy sources to support its population and commercial energy demand. Biomass as the fourth largest energy resource in the world is abundant in the country. Malaysia is blessed with tropical and humid climate all year round which is a magnificent opportunity for fully exploiting agriculture and tropical forests potential. Since late 1990, the concept of waste-to-wealth had been promoted and became popular widely. This concept is based on unwanted wastes which are converted into valuable energy while reducing waste generated and increase the economy-efficiency mainly used for cooking, space heating and power generation. Currently, concerted efforts and various biomass energy programs are supporting by the government for development, demonstration and commercialization. This paper intent to present the current state and prospects of biomass utilization and strategies promoted for future developments in Malaysia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Currently, fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas represent the prime energy sources in the world. However, it is anticipated that these sources of energy will deplete within the next 40–50years. Moreover, the expected environmental damages such as the global warming, acid rain and urban smog due to the production of emissions from these sources have tempted the world to try to reduce carbon emissions by 80% and shift towards utilizing a variety of renewable energy resources (RES) which are less environmentally harmful such as solar, wind, biomass etc. in a sustainable way. Biomass is one of the earliest sources of energy with very specific properties. In this review, several aspects which are associated with burning biomass in boilers have been investigated such as composition of biomass, estimating the higher heating value of biomass, comparison between biomass and other fuels, combustion of biomass, co-firing of biomass and coal, impacts of biomass, economic and social analysis of biomass, transportation of biomass, densification of biomass, problems of biomass and future of biomass. It has been found that utilizing biomass in boilers offers many economical, social and environmental benefits such as financial net saving, conservation of fossil fuel resources, job opportunities creation and CO2 and NO x emissions reduction. However, care should be taken to other environmental impacts of biomass such as land and water resources, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and deforestation. Fouling, marketing, low heating value, storage and collections and handling are all associated problems when burning biomass in boilers. The future of biomass in boilers depends upon the development of the markets for fossil fuels and on policy decisions regarding the biomass market. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since the beginning of industrialization, energy consumption has increased far more rapidly than the number of people on the planet. It is known that the consumption of energy is amazingly high and the fossil based resources may not be able to provide energy for the whole world as these resources will be used up in the near future. Hence, renewable energy expected to play an important role in handling the demand of the energy required along with environmental pollution prevention. The impacts of the wind energy on the environment are important to be studied before any wind firm construction or a decision is made. Although many countries showing great interest towards renewable or green energy generation, negative perception of wind energy is increasingly evident that may prevent the installation of the wind energy in some countries. This paper compiled latest literatures in terms of thesis (MS and PhD), journal articles, conference proceedings, reports, books, and web materials about the environmental impacts of wind energy. This paper also includes the comparative study of wind energy, problems, solutions and suggestion as a result of the implementation of wind turbine. Positive and negative impacts of wind energy have been broadly explained as well. It has been found that this source of energy will reduce environmental pollution and water consumption. However, it has noise pollution, visual interference and negative impacts on wildlife. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Air conditioners and refrigerator–freezers are major energy users in a household environment and hence efficiency improvement of these appliances can be considered as an important step to reduce their energy consumption along with environmental pollution prevention. Energy efficiency standards and labels are commonly used tools to reduce the energy uses for household appliances for many countries around the world. The first step towards adopting energy efficiency standards is to establish a test procedure for rating and testing of an appliance. It may be mentioned that an energy test procedure is the technical foundation for energy efficiency standards, energy labels, and other related programs. This paper reviews requirements and specifications of various international test standards for testing and rating of room air conditioners and refrigerators. A review on the development of the energy efficiency standards has been provided as well. Finally, energy labels that provide some useful information for identifying energy efficient products have been reviewed for these appliances. It may be stated that the review will be useful for the developing countries who wish to develop these energy savings strategies. It is also expected to be useful to revise the existing strategies for a few selected countries who already implemented these strategies earlier. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Generally, wind to power conversion is calculated by assuming the quality of wind as measured with a Weibull probability distribution at wind speed during power generation. We build on this method by modifying the Weibull distributions to reflect the actual range of wind speeds and wind energy density. This was combined with log law that modifies wind speed based on the height from the ground, to derive the wind power potential at windy sites. The study also provides the Levelized cost of renewable energy and hydrogen conversion capacity at the proposed sites. We have also electrolyzed the wind-generated electricity to measure the production capacity of renewable hydrogen. We found that all the sites considered are commercially viable for hydrogen production from wind-generated electricity. Wind generated electricity cost varies from $0.0844 to $0.0864 kW h, and the supply cost of renewable hydrogen is $5.30 to $ 5.80/kg-H 2 . Based on the findings, we propose a policy on renewable hydrogen fueled vehicles so that the consumption of fossil fuels could be reduced. This paper shall serve as a complete feasibility study on renewable hydrogen production and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major contributor to global warming is human-generated greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions that pollute the air. GHGs emissions are a global issue dominated by emission of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Notably, CO 2 accounts for an estimated 77% of GHGs and thus has a huge impact on the environment. The capture, sequestration, and utilization of CO 2 emissions from flue gas are now becoming familiar worldwide. These methods are a promising solution to promote sustainability for the benefit of future generations. Previously, many researchers have focused on capturing and storing CO 2 ; however, less effort has been spent on finding ways to utilize flue gas emissions. Moreover, several issues must be overcome in the field of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology, especially regarding the cost, capacity of storage and the durability of the storage reservoir. In addition, this paper addresses new technology in carbon capture and sequestration. To make CCS technology more feasible, this paper suggests a sustainable method combining CCS and biofuel production using CO 2 as a feedstock. This method offers many advantages, such as CO 2 emission mitigation and energy security through the production of renewable energy. Due to the many advantages of biofuels, the conversion of CO 2 into biofuel is a best practice and may provide a solution to pollution while encouraging sustainability practises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consciousness of the need to decrease our unnatural weather changes and of the critical increase in the costs of traditional sources of energy have motivated many nations to provide innovative energy strategies that promulgate renewable energy systems. For example, solar, wind and hydro related energies are renewable energy sources, and they are environmentally friendly with the potential for broad use. All of the load requirement conditions in comparison with single usage can provide more economical and dependable electricity, as well as environmentally friendly sources, by compounding such renewable energy sources using backup units to shape a hybrid scheme. Sizing the hybrid system elements optimally is one of the most important matters in this type of hybrid system, which could sufficiently meet all of the load demands with a minor financial investment. Although a number of studies have been performed on the optimization and sizing of hybrid renewable energy systems, this study presents a full analysis of Artificial Intelligence optimum plans in the literature, making the contribution of penetrating extensively the renewable energy aspects for improving the functioning of the systems economically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Energy poverty and lack of electricity in rural areas exacerbate the poverty of the developing countries. In Malaysia, 3.8% of the population lives below the poverty line and most of them are settled in rural areas. The electricity coverage in poor states is about 79% in comparison with 99.62% in Peninsular Malaysia. The renewable energy sources can be considered the best alternative to reduce the energy poverty of the rural areas where the grid extension through a difficult terrain and thick jungle is not possible or economic. In this study, the potential for applying renewable sources – solar, wind and hydropower – for rural electrification is investigated, especially in the poorest States. A comparative study on rural electrification policies, in order to have community approval, appropriate siting and financial benefits for the rural community, while considering the three categories of social, institutional and economic issues, is also examined. Finally, the Malaysian policies of rural electrification by applying renewable sources are explained. It is found that in Malaysia, with a maximum solar radiation of about 6.027 kWh/m2 per day in Sabah and 5.303 kWh/m2 per day in Sarawak, the potential for applying solar energy for electrification is too high. However, the potential for micro-hydropower in Sabah and Sarawak is found to be 3182 kW and 6317 kW through 18 and 22 sites, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In line with sustainable development path, electrification with the aid of renewable energy resources is a key element for the developing countries. Cambodia with almost 85% rural population is one of the countries with high renewable energy resources but at the same time has a low installed capacity. In the context of this study, the potential and status of sustainable energy generation in Cambodia are studied in detail. The renewable energy policies, strategies and programs are investigated, and the implemented projects based on the determined policies are reviewed. Considering the existing governmental policy of enabling 70% of rural households to reach reliable electricity services by 2030, the renewable energy resources are found as the best option for rural electrification. The economic, regulatory, financial and institutional barriers are shown as the main cause of the significant deviation between the potential and installed capacity. It is essential to overcome the challenges in order to achieve a sustainable development in rural electrification in Cambodia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Wind energy as a clean, environmentally friendly and cost effective renewable energy resource, is taken into consideration by many developed and developing countries as a promising means to provide electrical energy. In feasibility study stage of the wind energy systems, the sustainability analysis is one of the main issues that can assure the investors and stockholders to invest in this renewable energy. Since a system can be truly sustainable by achieving the energetic, ecological and economic sustainability, the present study will focus on the technical characteristics and performance analysis of the wind energy systems. The relations between reliability, availability, energy and exergy efficiency, risk management and the environmental impact of the wind energy systems are investigated in the context of this study. It is concluded that the wind characteristics data and the wind speed are the main effective parameters on its reliability and availability. It is also revealed that considering the system loss, exergy efficiency results of the wind energy systems are more reliable than the energy efficiencies. Due to avoid future failure of the systems, the causes of the failure are investigated and it was concluded that the structural failures caused by storms and strong winds are known as the most prevalent failures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Solar energy is one of the cleanest sources of alternative energy. Due to high energy demand in one hand and environmental negative impact of fossil fuels, on the other hand, many countries consider the alternative energy sources as a suitable and feasible option in industry and domestic usage. It was discovered that the different applications of solar energy in industries are being accepted more than ever. The present study is a state of art on the numerous new and feasible technologies of solar energy applications in the agricultural sectors. It discusses about the importance of solar energy as environmental clean technologies and the most reliable energy source. This study covers different types of solar energy systems like as solar photovoltaic and solar thermal for pumping water, drying crops, cooling the storages and producing heating/cooling greenhouses. It has been proven that photovoltaic systems and/or solar thermal system would be the suitable options in agricultural application and especially for the distant rural area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To overcome the negative impacts on the environment and other problems associated with fossil fuels have forced many countries to inquire into and change to environmental friendly alternatives that are renewable to sustain the increasing energy demand. Solar energy is one of the best renewable energy sources with least negative impacts on the environment. Different countries have formulated solar energy policies to reducing dependence on fossil fuel and increasing domestic energy production by solar energy. This paper discusses a review about the different solar energy policies implemented on the different countries of the world. According to the 2010 BP Statistical Energy Survey, the world cumulative installed solar energy capacity was 22928.9MW in 2009, a change of 46.9% compared to 2008. Also this paper discussed the existing successful solar energy policies of few selected countries. Based on literatures, it has been found that FIT, RPS and incentives are the most beneficial energy policies implemented by many countries around the world. These policies provide significant motivation and interest for the development and use of renewable energy technologies. Also the status of solar energy policy for Malaysia is investigated and compared with that of the successful countries in the world. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Industrial sustainability has gained huge attention in the scientific community owing to the concern of global warming. Establishing sustainability indicators by the application of exergy analysis can guide and motivate industrial sustainability. In this context, an attempt is made to establish sustainability indicators for the industrial sector. Different measures to improve the sustainability of the industrial sector of Bangladesh are also discussed. Based on the energy consumption data from the year 2000–2015, energy, exergy, and sustainability analyses are performed. It is found that the energy efficiency varies from 55.01% to 59.67% and exergy efficiency varies from 53.11% to 56.97%. Exergy efficiency is found to be at lower side due to the accounting of irreversibility. Various sustainability indicators such as sustainability index, depletion number, exergetic renewable share, cumulative exergy loss, and non-renewable exergetic share have been studied as well. It is observed that depletion numbers vary from 43% to 45% and the sustainability index varies from 2.21 to 2.32. Non-renewable exergetic share is as high as 98% and maximum cumulative exergy loss is found to be 217.3 PJ in 2015. Improvement potential shows a continuous increase from 22.75% in 2000 to 101.89% in 2015. Waste heat recovery, energy audit, waste minimization, and adopting renewable energy sources are recommended to increase the efficiency and sustainability of this sector. The outcome of this study reveals that exergy analysis is an effective technique to develop energy conservation policies for this sector. Image 1 • Relation between exergy and sustainability of industrial sector is analyzed. • A case study of Bangladesh Industrial sector is presented. • Energy & exergy efficiency vary between 55.01% & 59.67% and 53.11% & 56.97%. • SI, depletion number, ERS &NRES are used as sustainability indicators. • Exergetic renewable share is less than nonrenewable exergetic share. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of solar thermal collectors is one of the promising options for heating and/or cooling due to the green nature (pollution free) and abundance of the solar energy in many parts of the world. Improvement of thermal performance of solar collectors is important for better energy conversion. In this regard, many studies reported in literature tried to modify geometry of the collectors. On the other hand, nanofluids as heat transfer fluids could be a promising option for the efficiency enhancement of solar collectors. In this study, heating performance of an evacuated tube solar collector system initially operated with water is considered for improvement using nanofluid. The collector (about 20 kW heating capacity) is a part of an absorption cooling system. The aim of the present study is to analyze the effect of Single Walled Carbon Nanotube–water nanofluid on the collector performance. Thermal efficiency improvement is assessed based on comparative analyses between collector working with ordinary water and that with nanofluid. The results indicate that up to 56.7% and 66% of efficiencies are observed when the collector is operated with water and 0.2 vol% nanofluid, respectively. Therefore, nanofluids are promising to enhance the efficiencies of solar collectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, industries and manufacturing sectors consume a major portion of the total consumption of energy, where most of the energy is used for low, medium or high temperature heat generation to be used for process applications known as process heat. The necessity to commercialize clean, cheap and efficient renewable sources of energy in industrial applications emerges from increasing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and global warming and decreasing fossil fuel use in commercial sectors. As an abundant source of energy, solar energy technologies have proven potential. Recent research shows currently only a few industries are employing solar energy in industrial processes to generate process heat while replacing fossil fuels. Solar thermal power generation is already very well-known and getting popular in recent years while other potential applications of the concentrated heat from solar radiation are little explored. This review paper presents a detailed overview of the current potential and future aspects of involving solar industrial process heating systems in industrial applications. In order to keep pace with this emerging and fast growing sector for renewable energy applications, it is necessary to get in depth knowledge about the overall potential of industrial processes in individual industrial sector where solar process heat is currently in use and identifying industrial processes are most compatible for solar system integration depending on temperature level and the type of solar collector in use. Furthermore, the promising sectors needs to be identified for the use of solar heat using industrial processes for the integration of solar heat, so that countries with immense solar energy potential can use those technologies in future to reduce fossil fuel consumption and develop sustainable industrial systems. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the potential industrial processes that can adopt solar process heating systems and thus driving towards sustainable production in industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative renewable energy sources are immensely important in view of the increase in worldwide energy needs and environmental effects. The thermoelectric (TE) technology is being seen as the perfect solution for both issues due to its ability to convert heat directly into electricity without CO 2 emission. However, the application of TE materials for commercial devices is still limited due to their low conversion efficiency of ~10–15%. Currently the improvement of TE efficiency is challenging due to the relationship among physical properties, i.e., electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient which often counter each other and are restricted by the carrier concentrations. Fortunately, nanostructures have been shown to be able to disconnect the link among these physical properties to enhance the conversion efficiency of materials. Thus, the purpose of this review paper is to present the different nanostructured approaches for enhancing the TE properties of materials. The various techniques have been widely used to synthesize the bulk nanostructure and low dimensional systems were also described. A discussion on potential heat resources for the TE conversion, as well as the recent progress in TE is provided in terms of material, process and technology. Nanostructured skutterudites, half - Heusler, oxides and Si-Ge binary system were focused in this review paper due to the fact that the TE materials are among the best candidates for high-temperature applications. We also included our estimation in output electrical power of thermoelectric generation (TEG) for these type TE materials. Besides that, some innovations for the development of TE materials were mentioned. In addition, we also discussed the estimation of the TE cost to shed some light on commercializing considerations. We concluded that the high cost of the heat exchanger and ceramic substrate system components proved to be barriers in reducing the cost of TEG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of populations of the world; especially in developing countries; are living in rural or remote areas those are geographically isolated from the grid connection. Power supply and uninterrupted fuel transportation to produce electrical power for these areas poses a great challenge. Using renewable energy in off grid hybrid energy system might be a pathway to solve this problem. Malaysia is a hilly land with the gift of renewable energy resources. There is a possibility to utilize these renewable resources to produce electrical power and to limit the dependency on the fossil fuel. In this perspective, a research is carried out to analyze the performance of an off-grid PV (photovoltaic)-wind-diesel-battery hybrid energy system for a remote area named “KLIA Sepang Station” located in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The system is designed as well as simulated to support a small community considering an average load demand of 33 kWh/day with a peak load of 3.9 kW. The simulation and optimization of operations of the system have been done by HOMER (Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable) software using the real time field data of solar radiation and wind speed of that area. The simulation ensures that the system is suitably feasible with respect to net present cost (NPC) and CO 2 emission reduction purpose. The result shows that NPC and CO 2 emission can be reduced about 29.65% and 16 tons per year respectively compared to the conventional power plants. The NPC of the optimized system has been found about USD 288,194.00 having the per unit Cost of Energy (COE) about USD 1.877/kWh. The analyzed hybrid energy system might be applicable for other region of the world where the climate conditions are similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically evaluates the introduction of hydrogen fuel into the Malaysian transportation system for a sustainable and environmental future. The Malaysian government climate road map and the emission reduction agenda are considered using a framework of environmental sustainability. The framework takes account of national macroeconomic issues considering several feasible options for a sustainable environmental future. Towards that end, there are certain critical developments, particularly as the hydrogen fuel option is considered one of the best possible alternatives compared with several other renewable energy choices for sustainable growth. While the benefits of prioritizing a modern emission-free future transport system are great, often issues raised regarding how a national economy can deliberate and implement such policy options become contentious. Therefore, this study will help national policymakers take into account sustainability and environmental considerations within the framework of introducing an effective hydrogen fuel economy into the modern transport system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having negative impacts on environment and the scarcity of resources of conventional fossil fuels, fuel cell technology draws more attention as an alternative for providing the electrical energy in parallel with thermal energy. In this study, a single tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with an electrolyte of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia 8 mol% ceramic powder was experimentally investigated. The investigation illustrated the effects of three different fuel flow-rates (175 ml/min, 250 ml/min and 325 ml/min) and two operating temperatures (650 °C and 750 °C) on the output electrical and thermal powers. The highest electrical voltage (open circuit) and overall output power of the cell were found to be 1.1 V and 5.30 W respectively for the fuel flow-rate of 250 ml/min at the operating temperature of 750 °C. The electrical power and efficiency were increased about 18.80% and 1.27% respectively for the increase of operating temperature from 650 °C to 750 °C for a constant fuel flow-rate of 250 ml/min, where; thermal power and efficiency were increased about 33.33% and 10.51% respectively for the same condition. The overall efficiencies of the fuel cell were obtained about 80.42%, 77.49% and 60.73% for the fuel flow-rates of 175 ml/min, 250 ml/min and 325 ml/min respectively for the operating temperatures of 650 °C. On the other hand, the overall efficiency of the cell was found to be 83.38% at the operating temperature of 750 °C and fuel flow-rate of 250 ml/min. The investigation recommends that for achieving higher efficiency, fuel flow-rate should be lower and operating temperature should be higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Present energy scenario, alternative energy resources and future prospect in Bangladesh have been reviewed comprehensively and presented in this paper. This work compiles latest literatures in terms of thesis, journal articles, conference proceedings, web materials, reports, books, handbooks on energy and renewable energy resources in Bangladesh. Deficiency in the energy sector is a major problem in Bangladesh, which hinders the smooth economic development workflows. Being the eighth most populated country in the world, Bangladesh is one of the most electricity deprived nations with a total electricity generation of only 5000MW. Thus, Bangladesh is facing difficulty to achieve an overall sustained progress in the economy due to the lack of a sound energy security. In this context, alternatives of conventional energy sources, renewable energy resources can be the sustainable solution for the energy security. This study has discovered the factors that are useful to lessen the existing power supply crisis and summarized the current energy scenario, lack of infrastructure and conventional energy sources to promote the renewable energy sources to fulfill the power demand in Bangladesh. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Efforts to improve the quality of life in rural areas rely upon the provision of electrical energy services. Globally, the focus is on identifying and maintaining sustainable and environmentally friendly energy resources, by means of the clean development mechanism (CDM). Supplying electricity by extending the grid to rural domains is, in most cases, economically unproductive, taking into account other related factors that pertain, especially in developing countries. Furthermore, an unfolding energy crisis in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region intensifies the need for decentralized bioenergy applications using modern conversion techniques. Biomass energy produced in rural areas provides a sustainable alternative to grid electricity. This paper presents an overview of the potential of agricultural biomass-based resources for decentralized energy in rural areas of Ghana. It emphasizes the strategic importance of biomass energy, especially in areas where it is economically attractive because of the ready availability of resources. Assimilation of past and current research reported in the literature on biomass resources and bioenergy technologies in the country underpins this study. A more detailed evaluation of agricultural biomass-based potential was carried out and 2010 was chosen as the base period for the assessment. The result suggests that Ghana has a suitable potential of bioenergy resources and this holds considerable promise for future energy delivery in the country. The paper concludes with discussion of various promising decentralized bioenergy technologies for the exploitation of resources in Ghana. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy poverty and lack of electricity in the rural area exacerbate the poverty of the developing countries. The sustainable renewable technologies can be considered as efficient tools to reduce energy poverty whenever they are conducted based on an appropriate policy. Electricity can improve the human''s lifestyle by increasing the level of health, education, welfare and technology. Currently, Sub-Sahara Africa with only 14.2% of rural electrification has the first rank in the world with lowest access to electricity, in that region around 585 million citizens has almost no access to electricity. The present study focuses on the general global policies to electrify the rural areas. In this regard, variety of plans and programs conducted by governmental and private institutes are investigated. In the year 2011, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has developed three global strategies based on the world energy market that defines the overall world energy approach. In the present work, different technologies for rural electrification are taken into account in two major categories of grid connected and off-grid systems. Furthermore, based on sustainable development with emphasis on environmental consideration, the feasibility of electrification by using different types of renewable energies such as solar, biomass, hydro, wind and wave have been studied. Despite reliability of grid connection, results indicate that renewable energy sources are the best choice especially in areas far from grid connections. Challenges between financial institutes and executive agencies result in resource management and technology development in order to overcome existing barriers and issues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Large quantity of animal waste production in Bangladesh has spurred the demand of potential applications for waste management. Therefore, biofuel production from animal waste has been projected as the solution for animal waste management along with the potential of a new source of renewable energy. This study aimed to evaluate the production of biogas from the farm wastes in Bangladesh and presented the potential biological applications for processing the wastes to convert into biogas. The study demonstrated that the highest amount of livestock waste, approximately 229 million ton was produced in 2016 and it was accounted for a total biogas production potential of 16988.97 million m3 which could be converted into 16.68 × 107 MWh of electricity. This study also presented the suitable conversion technologies as well as mechanisms of biogas production from animal waste and related mathematical equations to calculate the amount of total biogas productions. The latest advancements in large scale biogas production via government and non-government organizations have also been documented in this work. Besides biogas production analysis, this study also demonstrated the environmental impacts of biogas application. A net CO 2 emission reduction of 4.42 million tons could have been achieved over the diesel power generation along with 29 million ton of biofertilizer. The study also proposed a management plan to improve the current waste removal situation in Bangladesh. Along with that, this review comprehensively outlined the worldwide scenario of biogas production and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a hybrid system for potential electricity generation for Rohingya refugees in Kutupalong camp, Ukhia, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh is investigated. Six scenarios are considered, and an optimal configuration is chosen based on low cost of energy and low emission. The optimum system consists of a combination of Generator/PV Panel/Wind/Converter/Battery. The configuration has cost of energy of 0.35$ per kW, and the renewable fraction is found to be 87%. The proposed system is also environmentally friendly and the optimum system discharges less than 65%, 84%, and 61% emission when compared with grid, diesel, and kerosene respectively. From sustainability indicators, it was observed that the amount of diesel needed to be imported is 30%. Therefore, dependency on import is less, and this makes the proposed system highly reliable. Besides, this system does not use biomass to generate electricity. 87% resources come from renewable energy sources. So this system is highly sustainable. There is literally no idle time for equipment since their deployment is according to the demands of people. This idle time of equipment causes depreciation which in turn leads to less efficiency and higher cost. • First study to introduce hybrid energy system for Rohingya Refugee. • Homer software is used in optimization process. • Cost of Energy, net present cost, operational and Life Cycle Emissions are analysed. • Optimized model is economically feasible compared to SHSs and diesel only systems. • Sustainability indicators have been incorporated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]