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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A: Sustainable Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 32535

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Prof. Dr. Siddharth Jain

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Guest Editor

Mechanical Cluster, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
Interests: renewable energy; internal combustion engines; greenhouse gas mitigation (bioenergy and biofuels); biomass energy systems; energy simulation; solar thermal energy
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Dear Colleagues,

Economic development has led to a huge increase in energy demand. As a result, the consumption of energy in all forms has been steadily rising all over the world. This growing consumption of energy has also resulted in the world becoming increasingly dependent on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Rising prices of oil and gas and potential shortages in the future lead to concern about the security of the energy supply needed to sustain our economic growth. The increased use of fossil fuels also causes environmental problems both locally and globally. To resolve these issues sustainably, researchers are widely working to fulfil energy requirements via renewable-energy-based energy resources including hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy. Many advancements are being made for the betterment of technological improvements in terms of sustainability, energy conversion, etc. Computing techniques are also playing a vital role in maximizing energy generation.

The aim of the present Special Issue is to cover the integration of various technological advancements in the field of renewable energy technologies for sustainable development. The Guest Editors of this Special Issue therefore encourage both academic and industrial researchers to present their latest findings concerning the technological advancement in the field of renewable energies.

Prof. Dr. Siddharth Jain
Guest Editor

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Keywords

biomass and bioenergy
hydropower
solar photovoltaic energy
solar thermal energy
wind energy

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 13650 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication and Performance Analysis of the Aero-Leaf Savonius Wind Turbine Tree

by Mukesh Kumar Rathore, Meena Agrawal, Prashant Baredar, Anoop Kumar Shukla, Gaurav Dwivedi and Puneet Verma

Energies 2023, 16(7), 3015; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16073015 - 25 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2860

Abstract

Large wind turbines of the horizontal axis are commonly used to gather wind energy; however, their performance is found to be constrained in conditions of erratic and low-speed wind flow. In contrast, low wind conditions—which are typically present in dense urban areas—are found to favour vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). These turbines have a simple design, are inexpensive and quiet, and are discovered to be better in low wind situations. In this research, we have chosen wind tree applications to absorb the most available wind energy. The new Aeroleaf Savonius Wind Turbine was developed numerically and a computational fluid dynamics simulation was performed on this new type of Savonius tree to predict its performance. The results indicated that the system could accept wind from any direction and could start rotating as soon as the site had a cut in wind speed of 3.3 m/s. The rotor speed increased by 10.4% from 5.5 to 6.3 m/s wind speed at 0.45 tip speed ratio. The tip speed ratio is 0.52 at the site’s high wind speed, and under these circumstances, the maximum Cp is 12.9%. The turbine was able to produce superior performance coefficients, according to the results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research in Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development)

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16 pages, 4401 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Assessment of the Operation and Emission Characteristics of a Diesel Engine Powered by a New Biofuel Prepared Using In Situ Transesterification of a Dry Spirogyra Algae–Jatropha Powder Mixture

by Siddharth Jain

Energies 2023, 16(3), 1470; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16031470 - 2 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1544

Abstract

The present work deals with the optimization of the process parameters of in situ transesterification of dry spirogyra Algae–Jatropha powder along with engine efficiency and combustion analysis of the prepared biofuel. Three operational parameters, namely catalyst concentration (0–5 wt.%), methanol to dry algae–Jatropha curcas powder (v/v) (20–60%), and reaction time (60–180 min) at a constant reaction temperature of 50 °C, were selected. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to design the experiments. The maximum biodiesel yield of 88.5% was obtained under the optimized conditions of a catalyst concentration of 3.396% (w/w), methanol/oil ratio of 19.86, and reaction time of 180 min. At varying loads, the performance and emissions of a diesel engine linked to a power source and fueled with various biodiesel mixes (Diesel, B5, B10, and B20) were tested. It was found that BSFC decreased as the applied load increased for all of the evaluated fuels. All of the biodiesel blends had greater BSFC than the diesel fuel. However, a substantial decrease in the emissions, including hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO), was observed with the increase in NOx emissions. This method of preparing biodiesel will be beneficial in order to cater to the needs of the transportation sector because it has a lower energy consumption and less engine emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research in Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development)

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28 pages, 5922 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Technical Analysis of a Large-Scale Solar Updraft Tower Power Plant

by Varun Pratap Singh and Gaurav Dwivedi

Energies 2023, 16(1), 494; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16010494 - 2 Jan 2023

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2934

Abstract

This study investigates the possibility of applying a large-scale solar updraft tower power plant in India with local ground conditions as an environmentally friendly and economically viable energy source. A reference model Solar Updraft Tower Power Plant (SUTPP) is constructed to examine the influence of the most prominent plant dimensional parameters, including collector radius (R_Collector), tower height (H_Tower), and tower radius (R_Tower) with dimensional limits and intervals on the power output of the SUTPP. Udat, Rajasthan, India, is used as a reference location for meteorological conditions to evaluate SUTPP power output equations for a ranging power output, with position coordinates of 27°35′ and 72°43′. Multiple simulations for the objective function are carried out, and the outcomes are compared to the optimized dimensions of each set of plants. The model examines the effect of variation in ambient, plant geometry, and material conditions on power output and analyzes efficiency and power output for optimizing configuration. There exists no definitive approach to determining the proper correlation between the geometrical parameters of a SUTPP with optimized power output. For a fixed power output, the tower radius (R_Tower) serves as the most influencing dimensional parameter in SUTPP performance. A change in tower height (H_Tower) has a detrimental impact on SUTPP output and performance. An initial increase in collector radius (R_Collector) has a positive influence on SUTPP performance; however, this effect reduces as collector radius (R_Collector) increases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research in Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development)

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18 pages, 5154 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Experimental Investigation of a Diesel Engine Using Ternary Blends of Algae Biodiesel, Ethanol and Diesel Fuels

by Sujeet Kesharvani, Gaurav Dwivedi, Tikendra Nath Verma and Puneet Verma

Energies 2023, 16(1), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16010229 - 25 Dec 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2827

Abstract

Algae are regarded among the most favorable feedstocks for producing sustainable biodiesel and utilizing it in diesel engines. Additionally, ethanol addition further enhanced the performance and reduce greenhouse emission. Algae biodiesel was produced, and an experimental study was performed to understand the diesel engine performance and emissions characteristics using different fuel blends by varying the ratio of diesel, biodiesel, and ethanol, such as D100, B10, B20, B5E5, and B10E10 (where number shows the percentage of the respective fuel). It was found that brake thermal efficiency was reduced by 0.49% and 1.29% for B10 and B20 blends, while the addition of ethanol enhanced the BTE by 0.37% and 1.60% respectively. However, SFC increases by 1.45%, 2.14%, 3.18%, and 3.78% respectively for B10, B20, B5E5, and B10E10 with respect to diesel fuel. Combustion characteristics were increased with increasing concentration of biodiesel and ethanol addition. Particulate matter, smoke emissions, and CO₂ were slightly reduced by 3%, 4%, and 0.18%, respectively, while NOx emissions were increased by 26% for B10 blended fuel as compared to diesel fuel. Further addition of 5% (volume) ethanol in B5 fuel reduced particulate matter, smoke emissions, and CO₂ emissions by 26.4%, 22%, and 23% respectively. Among the tested blends (B10, B20, B5E5, and B10E10), ethanol blended fuel was found to be more promising due to its higher combustion and performance and to have lower emissions to diesel fuel. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research in Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development)

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25 pages, 8464 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance Analysis of an Optimized Asymmetric Multilevel Inverter on Grid Connected SPV System

by Devineni Gireesh Kumar, Aman Ganesh, Nagineni Venkata Sireesha, Sainadh Singh Kshatri, Sachin Mishra, Naveen Kumar Sharma, Mohit Bajaj, Hossam Kotb, Ahmad H. Milyani and Abdullah Ahmed Azhari

Energies 2022, 15(20), 7665; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15207665 - 17 Oct 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2644

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to develop an efficient single-phase grid-connected PV system using a better performing asymmetrical multilevel inverter (AMI). Circuit component reduction, harmonic reduction, and grid integration are critical criteria for better inverter efficiency. The proposed inverter’s optimized topology requires seven unidirectional switches, three symmetric dc sources, and three diodes to produce an asymmetric fifteen level output; whereas, the same configuration will generate 7, 11, and 15-level output with an appropriate choice of dc source magnitudes. It is possible to reduce inverter losses and boost efficiency by decreasing the number of switches used. The integration of an asymmetric 15-level inverter with a grid-connected solar photovoltaic system is discussed in this article. A grid-connected solar photovoltaic (GCSPV) system is modelled and simulated using an asymmetric 15-level inverter. The dc sources of the 15-level inverter are replaced with PV sources. The results were analyzed with different operating temperatures and solar irradiance conditions. The GCSPV system is controlled by a closed-loop control system using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Harris Hawk Optimization (HHO), and Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization-Genetic Algorithm (PSOGA) based Proportional plus Integral (PI) controllers. Grid voltage, grid current, grid power, and total harmonic distortion (THD) of grid currents were analyzed. The performance of the 15-level asymmetric inverter was evaluated by comparing the THD of the grid current and the efficiency of the grid-connected photovoltaic system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research in Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development)

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16 pages, 4361 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Distribution and Complementarity of Wind and Solar Energy in China

by Aifeng Lv, Taohui Li, Wenxiang Zhang and Yonghao Liu

Energies 2022, 15(19), 7365; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15197365 - 7 Oct 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2282

Abstract

China is rich in wind- and solar-energy resources. In recent years, under the auspices of the “double carbon target,” the government has significantly increased funding for the development of wind and solar resources. However, because wind and solar energy are intermittent and their spatial distribution is uneven, the profits obtained by the developers of wind- and solar-energy resources are unstable and relatively low. For this reason, we analyze in this article the spatiotemporal variations in wind and solar energy resources in China and the temporal complementarity of wind and solar energy by applying a Spearman correlation coefficient based on the Daily Value Dataset of China Surface Climate Data V3.0. Finally, we also strive to harmonize regions where wind and solar resources are less complementary by introducing hydro-energy resources. The results reveal that wind energy and solar energy resources in China undergo large interannual fluctuations and show significant spatial heterogeneity. At the same time, according to the complementarity of wind and solar resources, over half of China’s regions are suitable for the complementary development of resources. Further research shows that the introduction of hydro-energy resources makes it feasible to coordinate and complement the development of wind- and solar-energy resources in areas where the complementarity advantage is not significant. This has a significant effect on increasing the profit generated by the complementary development of two or more renewable resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research in Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development)

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19 pages, 5222 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainability and Cost Effectiveness Analysis of Staggered Jet Impingement on Solar Thermal Collector

by Rajesh Maithani, Anil Kumar, Manoj Kumar and Sachin Sharma

Energies 2022, 15(19), 7345; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15197345 - 6 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1371

Abstract

The sustainability index, waste energy ratio and improvement potential of a staggered air jet impingement on the staggered spherical protrusions of a roughened absorber plate were derived for the present study to evaluate exergy losses and irreversibility in the system. The experimental analysis was carried out for selected parameters: relative streamwise pitch, relative spanwise pitch and relative jet diameter to hydraulic diameter ratio. The flow Reynolds number ranged from 4000–18,000. The augmentation in Nusselt number and friction factor compared to a smooth surface was 4.9 and 12.4 times, respectively. The statistical correlation developed determined the maximum thermohydraulic performance parameter and exergetic efficiency be 3.02 and 3.87%, respectively. The magnitude of the sustainability index, waste energy ratio and improvement potential was found to be 1.0347, 0.962 and 10.84, respectively, for the entire range of tested parameters. A cost analysis was also performed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the solar thermal system with and without turbulent promoters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research in Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development)

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16 pages, 858 KiB

Open AccessReview

Innovation in Green Building Sector for Sustainable Future

by Chandan Swaroop Meena, Ashwani Kumar, Siddharth Jain, Ateeq Ur Rehman, Sachin Mishra, Naveen Kumar Sharma, Mohit Bajaj, Muhammad Shafiq and Elsayed Tag Eldin

Energies 2022, 15(18), 6631; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15186631 - 10 Sep 2022

Cited by 65 | Viewed by 9807 | Correction

Abstract

Recent advancements in green building technologies (GBTs) have grown substantially, as an outcome of the environmental, economic and societal benefits. It has the potential to move toward sustainable development, specifically related to climate change. In GBTs, the main objective is to use energy, water and other resources in a balanced way, without using them extensively. This will improve the environmental conditions. Green buildings (GBs) are beneficial when it comes to energy consumption and emissions; low maintenance and operation costs; boosting health and productivity; etc. There is a lack of a critical review of the past or present research work in the area of the Green Building Technology (GBT) sector to identify the future roadmap for sustainable green building technologies. A critical review, with the help of proper research methodology, was identified. The scope of this study is to analyze the existing work on different issues, and find different key issues in green building research, which has minimal use of natural resources, is cost-effective and is designed and constructed for a longer duration, considering future prospects. This paper examines the state of green building construction today and makes recommendations for further study and development which will be necessary for a sustainable future. In order to encourage research, this study also identified a few possible future research directions in sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research in Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development)

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24 pages, 826 KiB

Open AccessReview

Developing a Theoretical Framework to Explain the Social Acceptability of Wind Energy

by Sigurd Hilmo Lundheim, Giuseppe Pellegrini-Masini, Christian A. Klöckner and Stefan Geiss

Energies 2022, 15(14), 4934; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15144934 - 6 Jul 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5170

Abstract

The social acceptability of wind farms has been researched for several decades now, with the first research tracing back to the 1980s. This paper aims to deliver a literature review within the structural framework proposed by the paper of variables influencing the acceptability of wind farms. The large amount of research published on the social acceptability of wind farms requires an effort to identify and categorise variables to deliver a holistic understanding of opposition and support to wind energy. We classify the variables into three main categories: first, ‘psychological variables’, including perceived benefits and costs, emotions, and attitudes; second, ‘contextual variables’, including community energy schemes and media influence; and finally, third, ‘personal resources’, including income or wealth, place of residence, and relevant knowledge in relation to the wind farm. In agreement with other scholars, we argue that NIMBYism (not in my backyard) is an outdated and simplistic explanation for opposition to wind farms. Instead, we provide a theoretical framework to explain the acceptability of wind energy and show how these variables might influence both acceptance and opposition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research in Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development)

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