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Despite the global importance of solar energy, its variability requires energy storage to balance production during peak and off-peak periods. Moreover, the transport sector is undergoing a global transition from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. Since vehicles are idle 95% of the time, electric vehicle batteries, when connected to a grid, can effectively regulate intermittent photovoltaics using vehicle-to-grid technology. This conceptual study investigates the feasibility of a nationwide energy infrastructure that relies solely on solar energy, replacing other electricity sources, such as solid fuels, petroleum products, and natural gas, and utilizes electric vehicles as the sole battery energy storage system. This study aims to demonstrate the significant potential and benefits of such collaboration. The theoretical study combines historical data, assumptions, and conditions to build a simulation model that is modelled similarly as in previous conceptual studies of nationwide energy systems based solely on photovoltaics and electric vehicles, referenced in this article. In Slovenia, the total surface size suitable for the installation of photovoltaic systems is estimated to be 280 km². The calculations show that a surface size of 217 km² for photovoltaic systems can produce enough energy to cover Slovenia’s entire energy demand, Slovenia’s final energy consumption. However, simulations comparing photovoltaic production, total energy consumption (electricity, solid fuels, etc.), and the capacity of electric vehicle batteries show that a surface size of more than 500 km² with photovoltaic systems and a 200% share of electric vehicles in the Slovenian vehicle fleet in 2022 will provide satisfactory results. Therefore, for a country like Slovenia, in addition to a solar power plant with a surface size of 280 km², additional renewable energy sources are needed to cover the total energy demand, as well as additional battery energy storage systems in addition to electric vehicles. Full article

To meet Colombia’s energy needs by 2050, a total installed capacity of 42 MW across its power generation infrastructure is required. To achieve this, transitioning to cleaner energy sources, such as biomass—a non-conventional renewable energy—is necessary. Biomass is a promising renewable source for thermal and electrical energy production. This study researched the production of biogas from swine manure using a UASB reactor to valorize this waste. Swine manure was collected every 20 days from a pig farm with a capacity of 200 sows, located in Santa Rosa de Osos, Antioquia. The flow rate was increased three times (1.30 L d⁻¹, 1.62 L d⁻¹, and 2.08 L d⁻¹) to reduce the hydraulic retention time (HRT) and enhance biogas production. The volatile and total solids, chemical oxygen demand (COD), alkalinity, and biogas composition were measured over one year. The proposed system achieved 87.40% COD remotion from the feed stream and generated a yield of 507 mLCH₄ g_VS⁻¹, with an HRT of 19 days and an OLR of 4.27 gCOD L⁻¹ d⁻¹. The reactor produced biogas with a CH₄ content of 67.7%, CO₂ content of 18.1%, and H₂S content of 1413 ppm. This study highlights the effectiveness of the UASB reactor for biogas production using swine manure as a substrate. Full article

The transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) is gaining momentum due to their significant environmental and economic benefits. This study addresses the challenges of integrating renewable energy sources, particularly solar power, into EV charging infrastructures by using deep learning models to predict photovoltaic (PV) power generation and EV charging demand. The study determines the optimal battery energy storage capacity and charging schedule based on the prediction result and actual data. A dataset of a 15 kWp rooftop PV system and simulated EV charging data are used. The results show that simple RNNs are most effective at predicting PV power due to their adept handling of simple patterns, while bidirectional LSTMs excel at predicting EV charging demand by capturing complex dynamics. The study also identifies an optimal battery storage capacity that will balance the use of the grid and surplus solar power through strategic charging scheduling, thereby improving the sustainability and efficiency of solar energy in EV charging infrastructures. This research highlights the potential for integrating renewable energy sources with advanced energy storage solutions to support the growing electric vehicle infrastructure. Full article

Power electronics plays a key role in the management and conversion of electrical energy in a variety of applications, including the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydrogen energy, as well as in electric vehicles, industrial technologies, homes and smart grids. These technologies are essential for the successful implementation of the green transition, as they help reduce carbon emissions and promote the production and consumption of cleaner and more sustainable energy. The present work presents a new generation of power electronic devices and systems, which includes the following main aspects: advances in semiconductor technologies, such as the use of silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN); nanomaterials for the realization of magnetic components; using a modular principle to construct power electronic devices; applying artificial intelligence techniques to device lifecycle design; and the environmental aspects of design. The new materials allow the devices to operate at higher voltages, temperatures and frequencies, making them ideal for high-power applications and high-frequency operation. In addition, the development of integrated and modular power electronic systems that combine energy management, diagnostics and communication capabilities contributes to the more intelligent and efficient management of energy resources. This includes integration with the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) for automated task solving and work optimization. Full article

2D field-effect transistors (FETs) fabricated with transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials are a potential replacement for the silicon-based CMOS. However, the lack of advancement in p-type contact is also a key factor hindering TMD-based CMOS applications. The less investigated path towards improving electrical characteristics based on contact geometries with low contact resistance (R_C) has also been established. Moreover, finding contact metals to reduce the R_C is indeed one of the significant challenges in achieving the above goal. Our research provides the first comparative analysis of the three contact configurations for a WSe₂ monolayer with different noble metals (Rh, Ru, and Pd) by employing ab initio density functional theory (DFT) and non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) methods. From the perspective of the contact topologies, the R_C and minimum subthreshold slope (SS_MIN) of all the conventional edge contacts are outperformed by the novel non-van der Waals (vdW) sandwich contacts. These non-vdW sandwich contacts reveal that their R_C values are below 50 Ω∙μm, attributed to the narrow Schottky barrier widths (SBWs) and low Schottky barrier heights (SBHs). Not only are the R_C values dramatically reduced by such novel contacts, but the SS_MIN values are lower than 68 mV/dec. The new proposal offers the lowest R_C and SS_MIN, irrespective of the contact metals. Further considering the metal leads, the WSe₂/Rh FETs based on the non-vdW sandwich contacts show a meager R_C value of 33 Ω∙μm and an exceptional SS_MIN of 63 mV/dec. The two calculated results present the smallest-ever values reported in our study, indicating that the non-vdW sandwich contacts with Rh leads can attain the best-case scenario. In contrast, the symmetric convex edge contacts with Pd leads cause the worst-case degradation, yielding an R_C value of 213 Ω∙μm and an SS_MIN value of 95 mV/dec. While all the WSe₂/Ru FETs exhibit medium performances, the minimal shift in the transfer curves is interestingly advantageous to the circuit operation. Conclusively, the low-R_C performances and the desirable SS_MIN values are a combination of the contact geometries and metal leads. This innovation, achieved through noble metal leads in conjunction with the novel contact configurations, paves the way for a TMD-based CMOS with ultra-low R_C and rapid switching speeds. Full article

The global shift towards sustainable transportation, primarily through vehicle electrification, is critical in addressing climate change. Qatar presents a knowledge gap with specific challenges and opportunities in this transition. This study calculates the potential reduction in CO₂-eq, NOx, and PM2.5 emissions resulting from substituting Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEVs) with Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) in Qatar, considering ICEV ban scenarios in 2030, 2035, and 2040, alongside five policy pathways. A Vehicle Stock Model (VSM) simulates Qatar’s fleet evolution from 2022 to 2050, focusing on the vehicle’s operational phase. An ICEV ban in 2030 would result in a 34% cumulative emission reduction in road transport between 2022 and 2050 compared with the Business-as-Usual (BAU) scenario. For NOx and PM2.5, cumulative emissions for the 2030 ICEV ban pathways are approximately 20% and 9% lower, respectively, compared with BAU. This study underscores the necessity of localising environmental strategies to meet Qatar’s specific needs and climate commitments, where results indicate significant emission reductions are possible through BEVs. Full article

Power Electronics Converters (PEC) play a crucial role in the operation of many modern electrical systems and devices. Despite their widespread use, the lack of an efficient and cost-effective disassembly process can limit their repairability, refurbishability, remanufacturability and, ultimately, recyclability, thus hindering the circularity of products. In order to improve their circularity, it is important to assess their ease of disassembly. Therefore, this paper investigates the applicability of the “ease of Disassembly Metric” (eDiM), which is referenced in the material efficiency standards, Benelux repairability assessment method, and Repair Scoring System (RSS), to analyze the ease of disassembly of energy-related products. After identifying the limitations of the eDiM method, we refined and adapted it to make it more suitable for Printed Circuit Board (PCB)-based PEC, and thus propose a PCB-based disassemblability assessment method allowing the implementation of quantifiable requirements supporting their circularity. This standardized approach, at the PCB level, can improve the circularity of such products by facilitating design enhancements. With this approach, policymakers and designers can contribute more effectively to the transition to a circular economy in PCB electronics, particularly in the field of power electronics. Full article

Energy storage is a foundational clean energy technology that can enable transformative technologies and lower carbon emissions, especially when paired with renewable energy. However, clean energy transition technologies need completely different supply chains than our current fuel-based supply chains. These technologies will instead require a material-based supply chain that extracts and processes massive amounts of minerals, especially critical minerals, which are classified by how essential they are for the modern economy. In order to develop, operate, and optimize the new material-based supply chain, new decision-making frameworks and tools are needed to design and navigate this new supply chain and ensure we have the materials we need to build the energy system of tomorrow. This work creates a flexible mathematical optimization framework for critical mineral supply chain analysis that, once provided with exogenously supplied projections for parameters such as demand, cost, and carbon intensity, can provide an efficient analysis of a mineral or critical mineral supply chain. To illustrate the capability of the framework, this work also conducts a case study investigating the global lithium supply chain needed for energy storage technologies like electric vehicles (EVs). The case study model explores the investment and operational decisions that a global central planner would consider in order to meet projected lithium demand in one scenario where the objective is to minimize cost and another scenario where the objective is to minimize ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ emissions. The case study shows there is a 6% cost premium to reduce ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ emissions by 2%. Furthermore, the ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ Objective scenario invested in recycling capacity to reduce emissions, while the Cost Objective scenario did not. Lastly, this case study shows that even with a deterministic model and a global central planner, asset utilization is not perfect, and there is a substantial tradeoff between cost and emissions. Therefore, this framework—when expanded to less-idealized scenarios, like those focused on individual countries or regions or scenarios that optimize other important evaluation metrics—would yield even more impactful insights. However, even in its simplest form, as presented in this work, the framework illustrates its power to model, optimize, and illustrate the material-based supply chains needed for the clean energy technologies of tomorrow. Full article

The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang), being a rapidly developing region and a comprehensive energy base, plays an important role in China’s low-carbon energy transition. This paper attempts to develop a hybrid approach integrating energy allocation analysis, Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition, and a system dynamics (SD) model to identify the driving factors of the energy system’s changes during 2005–2020, and to analyze future scenarios of the energy system from 2020 to 2060. The results indicate that in 2005–2020, coal and electricity consumption increased sharply, due to the expansion of the chemical and non-ferrous metal industries. Meanwhile, the natural gas flow also expanded greatly because of the construction of the Central Asia pipeline and the increase in local production. In the baseline scenario, energy-related carbon emissions (ERCE) will peak in 2046 at 628 Mt and decrease to 552 Mt in 2060. With a controlled GDP growth rate and an adjusted industrial structure, ERCE will peak in 2041 at 565 Mt and decrease to 438 Mt in 2060. With a controlled energy intensity and an adjusted energy structure, ERCE will peak in 2039 at 526 Mt and decrease to 364 Mt in 2060. If all policy measures are adopted, ERCE will peak in 2035 at 491 Mt and decrease to 298 Mt in 2060. Full article

The sustainability of the transport sector is targeted by various policies adopted by the European Union, and their impact must be constantly monitored in order to maximize the desired objective. This paper, through a two-stage investigation, aims to present a systemic approach of the sustainability dimensions in transport and to introduce an innovative technique to analyze the interdependencies between them. In the first stage, relevant indicators were selected from the Eurostat database for the content of four dimensions: economic, environmental, social and technological. The robustness of the developed dimensions was assessed and validated through a confirmatory factor analysis. In the second stage, a Gaussian graphical model was estimated as a technique integrating graphical and statistical modeling to identify complex structures of linkages between variables (as components of each dimension of sustainability). The structure of the network clearly highlights the dependence of transport on fossil fuel consumption as the main determinant of pollution in the sector (CO₂ emissions). In addition, the central role of railways in decarbonizing transport is highlighted, in contrast to the limited, and isolated at one end of the network, role of electric vehicles. The findings support that affordability of this new technology plays an important role in its impact on zero-emission transition. Concentrating on the period 2013–2022, at EU27 level, the results are relevant in the context of decarbonization policies, offering useful insights both for future research and policy makers. Full article

The effects of electro-pulse on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mn-Zr-V alloy were investigated, and the ageing mechanism was analyzed. As the current density increases, the size and quantity of precipitates gradually transit from continuous aggregation to dispersion at grain boundaries, and the mechanical properties are improved. When the current density is 15 A·mm⁻², the precipitates are smallest and the mechanical properties are best. The tensile strength is 443.5 MPa and the elongation is 8.1%, which are 51.7% and 42.1% higher than those of conventional ageing treatment, respectively. Once the current density exceeds 15 A·mm⁻², the precipitates will increase again and gather at grain boundaries, and the mechanical properties also decrease. An additional electrical free energy arising from an electro-pulse provides thermodynamic and kinetic conditions for the ageing precipitation of second phases. The electro-pulse can enhance the ageing diffusion coefficient, being improved by 34 times for 15 A·mm⁻². The electro-pulse improves the nucleation rate and decreases the critical nucleation radii of second phases. However, it also accelerates the grain growth, making the second phases become coarse. An electro-pulse with a current density of 15 A·mm⁻² can rapidly nucleate the second phase at 463 K while the precipitates are relatively small after growth. Full article

Technological advancement has propelled global economic growth, but it has also led to high rates of pollution emissions, underscoring the urgency of environmental issues. The transportation sector, particularly the rise in individual vehicle ownership, significantly contributes to atmospheric pollution. In this context, Brazil faces growing challenges, largely due to the high number of individual motor vehicles. Transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) is seen as a sustainable alternative to reduce emissions of polluting gases. However, it is important to consider that EVs may indirectly generate pollution due to energy production in thermal power plants. Nevertheless, EVs are often sought by countries to reduce dependence on imported fuels and to mitigate urban pollution. This study aims to understand the factors influencing the purchase decision of EVs in Brazil through a systematic literature review and validation by specialists using the fuzzy Delphi method. The results indicate 37 variables, grouped into five main blocks: psychological factors, performance factors, environmental factors, barriers, and prospects for the automotive sector. The validation of these variables by specialists provides a solid foundation for the next stage of the research, which involves administering the questionnaire to the general community. Considering these results will lead to strategies aimed at promoting EV adoption, in line with global sustainability challenges and the reduction in CO₂ emissions. Full article

An external electric field is an effective tool to induce the polymorphic transformation of molecular crystals, which is important practically in the chemical, material, and energy storage industries. However, the understanding of this mechanism is poor at the molecular level. In this work, two types of order parameters (OPs) were constructed for the molecular crystal based on the intermolecular distance, bond orientation, and molecular orientation. Using the K-means clustering algorithm for the sampling of OPs based on the Euclidean distance and density weight, the polymorphic transformation of TNT was investigated using a finite temperature string (FTS) under external electric fields. The potential of mean force (PMF) was obtained, and the essence of the polymorphic transformation between o-TNT and m-TNT was revealed, which verified the effectiveness of the FTS method based on K-means clustering to OPs. The differences in PMFs between the o-TNT and transition state were decreased under external electric fields in comparison with those in no field. The fields parallel to the c-axis obviously affected the difference in PMF, and the relationship between the changes in PMFs and field strengths was found. Although the external electric field did not promote the convergence, the time of the polymorphic transformation was reduced under the external electric field in comparison to its absence. Moreover, under the external electric field, the polymorphic transformation from o-TNT to m-TNT occurred while that from m-TNT to o-TNT was prevented, which was explained by the dipole moment of molecule, relative permittivity, chemical potential difference, nucleation work and nucleation rate. This confirmed that the polymorphic transformation orientation of the molecular crystal could be controlled by the external electric field. This work provides an effective way to explore the polymorphic transformation of the molecular crystals at a molecular level, and it is useful to control the production process and improve the performance of energetic materials by using the external electric fields. Full article

The green energy transition calls for various solutions to enhance environmental sustainability. One of these is represented by renewable energy communities, which may help transition from centralized energy production to distributed renewable generation. European countries are actively promoting incentive schemes for energy communities to foster local electricity self-consumption in order to balance demand and renewable generation. In this context, energy storage facilities can be employed to gather the energy production surplus and use it in periods of low generation. In this paper, we focus on the optimal operation of an incentive-based energy community in the presence of energy storage systems. A centralized optimization problem was formulated to optimally operate storage systems at the community level. Starting from this solution, distributed charging/discharging commands were found to optimally operate the single storage units. Moreover, conditions guaranteeing the convenience of using energy storage systems inside the community were derived. Numerical simulations were performed to validate the reported results and to evaluate the potential benefits of energy storage facilities inside renewable energy communities. Full article

The 2020 targets for sustainable development and circular economy encourage global leaders and countries to legislate laws and policies on several critical hot topics to prevent further global warming: (1) the increased utilization of renewable electrical power (wind turbine implants, as an example); (2) waste transformation into high-added-value materials based on the European Green Deal for energy transition; and (3) material and energy recovery and circularity. Accordingly, scholars and researchers have predicted that, hopefully, installed wind power capacity is going to increase dramatically by 2050. However, our ecosystem will have to face and deal with an enormous amount of decommissioned turbine blades. The disposal of these wastes via conventional methods could not only raise the possibility of microplastic formation, but could also boost the probability of environmental issues such as air pollution, soil, water contamination, etc. Moreover, these hazards will endanger wildlife and humans. As a result, the waste management of these retired blades composed of multi-lateral composite materials through a sustainable, effective, and feasible single/or hybrid process is necessary. This review aims to summarize all of the information about turbines, introduce all the various recycling pathways used for their blades, and provide a comparative analysis of these methods as well. In addition, the paper defines the possibility of microplastic formation from this waste (especially end-of-life turbine blade scraps), points out potential risks for the Earth, and suggests actions to inhibit their build-up and to keep the environment safe. Full article