Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100507
Saroj K. Sadangi, Rudra P. Pradhan
Despite major policy reforms in India’s coal and power sectors — including third-party sampling at both dispatch and receipt points and the shift from as fired to as received GCV measurement — large discrepancies in gross calorific value (GCV) between mine and plant continue to be reported. This paradox is striking, as both sectors now follow identical, standardized procedures, yet even pithead plants located just kilometres from mines show substantial GCV losses. This study applies statistical analysis and national rainfall data to test whether these reported losses align with sectoral norms and global research benchmarks. The findings reveal that observed transit-related (GCV) losses often exceed physically plausible limits, pointing to systemic inconsistencies, sampling deviations, or procedural flaws. Understanding the nature and extent of these gaps is vital to reduce unnecessary coal procurement, lower electricity tariffs, and improve sustainability across India’s coal-to-power value chain.
{"title":"The inexplicable energy sink: Addressing efficiency and sustainability gaps in india’s coal-to-power value chain","authors":"Saroj K. Sadangi, Rudra P. Pradhan","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100507","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100507","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite major policy reforms in India’s coal and power sectors — including third-party sampling at both dispatch and receipt points and the shift from <em>as fired</em> to <em>as received</em> GCV measurement — large discrepancies in gross calorific value (GCV) between mine and plant continue to be reported. This paradox is striking, as both sectors now follow identical, standardized procedures, yet even pithead plants located just kilometres from mines show substantial GCV losses. This study applies statistical analysis and national rainfall data to test whether these reported losses align with sectoral norms and global research benchmarks. The findings reveal that observed transit-related (GCV) losses often exceed physically plausible limits, pointing to systemic inconsistencies, sampling deviations, or procedural flaws. Understanding the nature and extent of these gaps is vital to reduce unnecessary coal procurement, lower electricity tariffs, and improve sustainability across India’s coal-to-power value chain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100507"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145883695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100508
Yuan Wei , Jianchen Yi , Ruicheng Fu, Yingchao Hu
Calcium looping (CaL) process can convert solar energy into chemical energy in a concentrating solar power system, which will be further converted to heat energy to generate electricity. The calcium-based heat carrier in the CaL is considered to be a highly prospective future medium for thermochemical energy storage (TCES) because of its excellent energy storage performance, low input cost, and high cycle operating temperature. However, sintering occurs when the heat carriers are cycled at elevated temperatures, leading to a substantial reduction in their energy storage capacity and hindering their practical applications. In this work, the sintering problem was highly mitigated, and the TCES capacity of calcium-based heat carriers was obviously promoted by doping with alkali meal salts, which are usually considered adverse for the carbonation and calcination reaction of the heat carriers. Based on the modification experiments, it can be reasonably inferred that during the high-temperature operation process, part of the alkali metal salts sublimates and escapes to provide abundant porosity for calcium-based heat carriers. Simultaneously, the other part covers the surface of the calcium particles in a molten state to maintain the stability of the pore skeleton, which greatly enhances the energy storage performance of the heat carriers. As a result, "0.5 K2CO3/CaO" showed the best energy storage performance improvement. During high-temperature cycling, the performance of the heat carrier initially increased gradually, followed by an extremely slow decline. Even after 20 cycles, the energy storage capacity still remained at a high level of 1977.23 kJ/kg. This final energy storage capacity was 2.85 times higher than that of unmodified CaO. The microstructural characterizations showed that the "0.5 K2CO3/CaO" obtained richer small particles and pore structure after cycles, benefiting from the doping of K2CO3 and providing good pore channels for carbonation to inhibit sintering. Therefore, CaO-based heat carriers promoted by alkali metal salts hold significant potential for advancing the application of the TCES system in concentrated solar power plants.
{"title":"Alkali-promoted calcium-based heat carriers for solar-driven thermochemical energy storage","authors":"Yuan Wei , Jianchen Yi , Ruicheng Fu, Yingchao Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Calcium looping (CaL) process can convert solar energy into chemical energy in a concentrating solar power system, which will be further converted to heat energy to generate electricity. The calcium-based heat carrier in the CaL is considered to be a highly prospective future medium for thermochemical energy storage (TCES) because of its excellent energy storage performance, low input cost, and high cycle operating temperature. However, sintering occurs when the heat carriers are cycled at elevated temperatures, leading to a substantial reduction in their energy storage capacity and hindering their practical applications. In this work, the sintering problem was highly mitigated, and the TCES capacity of calcium-based heat carriers was obviously promoted by doping with alkali meal salts, which are usually considered adverse for the carbonation and calcination reaction of the heat carriers. Based on the modification experiments, it can be reasonably inferred that during the high-temperature operation process, part of the alkali metal salts sublimates and escapes to provide abundant porosity for calcium-based heat carriers. Simultaneously, the other part covers the surface of the calcium particles in a molten state to maintain the stability of the pore skeleton, which greatly enhances the energy storage performance of the heat carriers. As a result, \"0.5 K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>/CaO\" showed the best energy storage performance improvement. During high-temperature cycling, the performance of the heat carrier initially increased gradually, followed by an extremely slow decline. Even after 20 cycles, the energy storage capacity still remained at a high level of 1977.23 kJ/kg. This final energy storage capacity was 2.85 times higher than that of unmodified CaO. The microstructural characterizations showed that the \"0.5 K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>/CaO\" obtained richer small particles and pore structure after cycles, benefiting from the doping of K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> and providing good pore channels for carbonation to inhibit sintering. Therefore, CaO-based heat carriers promoted by alkali metal salts hold significant potential for advancing the application of the TCES system in concentrated solar power plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100508"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100504
K.J. Rajimon, Rajiv Gandhi Gopalsamy
Perovskite, oxide, organic, and dye-sensitised solar cells are studied from 2015 to 2025, and their current standing and future Mott-Schottky (MS) analysis in photovoltaic (PV) research are highlighted in this review. The incorporation of MS characterisation methodology with solar cell capacitance simulator one dimension (SCAPS-1D) simulations, ab-initio calculations, impedance spectroscopy, and nascent data-driven models is addressed. The MS approach will always be at the forefront in the extraction of the flat band potential, doping concentration, depletion region width, and built-in potential. This is the link between the energetics of the semiconductors and the charge transport of the solar cells and other PV. With MS-validated doping profile optimisation, interface engineering achieves (37.66%) power conversion efficiencies, 1.52 V (open-circuit voltages) and fill factors above (87%). Unfortunately, there are limitations of the frequency-dependent capacitance, parasitic elements, trap states, and non-ideal depletion layer of some architectures, like organic and hybrid ones. The MS and simulations to be used together, and machine learning adoption and analytical models to improve the electronic characterisation, have the potential to resolve the problems. This study offers a critical evaluation of current methods and inherent constraints in MS analysis, offering a strategic framework for the systematic design of efficient, durable, and sustainable solar technologies.
{"title":"Interface engineering via Mott-Schottky analysis in photovoltaics: A review","authors":"K.J. Rajimon, Rajiv Gandhi Gopalsamy","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100504","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100504","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Perovskite, oxide, organic, and dye-sensitised solar cells are studied from 2015 to 2025, and their current standing and future Mott-Schottky (MS) analysis in photovoltaic (PV) research are highlighted in this review. The incorporation of MS characterisation methodology with solar cell capacitance simulator one dimension (SCAPS-1D) simulations, ab-initio calculations, impedance spectroscopy, and nascent data-driven models is addressed. The MS approach will always be at the forefront in the extraction of the flat band potential, doping concentration, depletion region width, and built-in potential. This is the link between the energetics of the semiconductors and the charge transport of the solar cells and other PV. With MS-validated doping profile optimisation, interface engineering achieves (37.66%) power conversion efficiencies, 1.52 V (open-circuit voltages) and fill factors above (87%). Unfortunately, there are limitations of the frequency-dependent capacitance, parasitic elements, trap states, and non-ideal depletion layer of some architectures, like organic and hybrid ones. The MS and simulations to be used together, and machine learning adoption and analytical models to improve the electronic characterisation, have the potential to resolve the problems. This study offers a critical evaluation of current methods and inherent constraints in MS analysis, offering a strategic framework for the systematic design of efficient, durable, and sustainable solar technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100504"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-27DOI: 10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100494
D. Rajanikant, M. Premalatha, Prabhat Bhuddha Dev S, N. Anantharaman
The bioenergy sector is rapidly evolving, driven by sustainable policies. The study presents a comparative evaluation of bioenergy development across 6 countries: Brazil, Sweden, the United States, Japan, Canada, and Colombia, spanning the period from 2013 to 2022. It highlights key milestones and policy frameworks that have shaped national trajectories. Brazil has established itself as a global leader in biofuel production by capitalizing on its favorable climate, vast agricultural resources, and advanced ethanol and biodiesel technologies. Sweden focuses on long-term energy security through waste-to-energy projects, second-generation biofuels, and carbon-neutral initiatives. The U.S. expands bioenergy through R&D and diverse biofuel feedstocks. Japan has significantly advanced its bioenergy capabilities by implementing cutting-edge waste-to-energy solutions, developing algae-based biofuels, and promoting public-private partnerships to address feedstock limitations. Canada has made notable progress in utilizing biomass and agricultural residues despite geographical challenges, with British Columbia showing great potential for further expansion. Meanwhile, Colombia, still in the early stages of bioenergy growth, is gradually strengthening its industry by focusing on biogas and bioethanol production from sugarcane. Collectively, these countries demonstrate how strategic policy frameworks and effective implementation of sustainable practices have shaped the development of bioenergy. The observed trends highlight the sector’s potential to contribute to climate change mitigation, energy security, and sustainable economic growth.
{"title":"Policy impacts on bioenergy development: Cross-country evidence based on analysis","authors":"D. Rajanikant, M. Premalatha, Prabhat Bhuddha Dev S, N. Anantharaman","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100494","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100494","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The bioenergy sector is rapidly evolving, driven by sustainable policies. The study presents a comparative evaluation of bioenergy development across 6 countries: Brazil, Sweden, the United States, Japan, Canada, and Colombia, spanning the period from 2013 to 2022. It highlights key milestones and policy frameworks that have shaped national trajectories. Brazil has established itself as a global leader in biofuel production by capitalizing on its favorable climate, vast agricultural resources, and advanced ethanol and biodiesel technologies. Sweden focuses on long-term energy security through waste-to-energy projects, second-generation biofuels, and carbon-neutral initiatives. The U.S. expands bioenergy through R&D and diverse biofuel feedstocks. Japan has significantly advanced its bioenergy capabilities by implementing cutting-edge waste-to-energy solutions, developing algae-based biofuels, and promoting public-private partnerships to address feedstock limitations. Canada has made notable progress in utilizing biomass and agricultural residues despite geographical challenges, with British Columbia showing great potential for further expansion. Meanwhile, Colombia, still in the early stages of bioenergy growth, is gradually strengthening its industry by focusing on biogas and bioethanol production from sugarcane. Collectively, these countries demonstrate how strategic policy frameworks and effective implementation of sustainable practices have shaped the development of bioenergy. The observed trends highlight the sector’s potential to contribute to climate change mitigation, energy security, and sustainable economic growth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100494"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-26DOI: 10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100495
Sergio Freeman, Ertan Agar
Transportation electrification and the rapid deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs), including photovoltaics and battery energy storage systems, are transforming distribution grid operations. Traditional static hosting capacity assessments often fail to capture the dynamic, stochastic behavior of high DER penetrations, particularly when electric vehicles are integrated. This study applies a dynamic hosting capacity framework to a representative New England feeder using time-series simulations across five DER scenarios: baseline, unmanaged, time-of-use pricing, DER management systems (DERMS), and DERMS + vehicle-to-grid (V2G). Results reveal that unmanaged DERs more than double the factor of accelerated aging (FAA) in 18% of transformers and cause feeder voltage violations in 6.7% of operating hours. In contrast, DERMS coordination reduces voltage violations by 93% and FAA by over 50%. Hosting capacity increases from 25% under unmanaged conditions to 60% with DERMS + V2G. Dynamic hosting margin analysis indicates operational headroom rising from 18% (unmanaged) to over 40% (DERMS + V2G), with voltage regulator tap changes falling by 38% and reverse power flow events falling by 67%. These findings demonstrate that active coordination and V2G integration can substantially expand DER hosting capacity and enhance grid resilience without immediate infrastructure upgrades.
{"title":"Flexible hosting capacity: Integrating electric vehicles, photovoltaics, and battery energy storage into distribution grid planning in New England","authors":"Sergio Freeman, Ertan Agar","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100495","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100495","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transportation electrification and the rapid deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs), including photovoltaics and battery energy storage systems, are transforming distribution grid operations. Traditional static hosting capacity assessments often fail to capture the dynamic, stochastic behavior of high DER penetrations, particularly when electric vehicles are integrated. This study applies a dynamic hosting capacity framework to a representative New England feeder using time-series simulations across five DER scenarios: baseline, unmanaged, time-of-use pricing, DER management systems (DERMS), and DERMS + vehicle-to-grid (V2G). Results reveal that unmanaged DERs more than double the factor of accelerated aging (FAA) in 18% of transformers and cause feeder voltage violations in 6.7% of operating hours. In contrast, DERMS coordination reduces voltage violations by 93% and FAA by over 50%. Hosting capacity increases from 25% under unmanaged conditions to 60% with DERMS + V2G. Dynamic hosting margin analysis indicates operational headroom rising from 18% (unmanaged) to over 40% (DERMS + V2G), with voltage regulator tap changes falling by 38% and reverse power flow events falling by 67%. These findings demonstrate that active coordination and V2G integration can substantially expand DER hosting capacity and enhance grid resilience without immediate infrastructure upgrades.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100495"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-22DOI: 10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100488
Joseph Bloxham , Raj Venuturumilli
Green hydrogen is necessary for the production of many low-carbon fuels. Water electrolysis is the most developed technology for green hydrogen. Process simulations and multiphysics models are widely used in industry. With an accurate model, scientists and engineers can direct research efforts or give recommendations for investing in technologies or companies. For models to give meaningful results, it is essential that the thermophysical properties of the materials in the system be represented correctly. Without correct property data, models will be inaccurate even if the underlying physics is precisely captured. However, increasing accuracy in physical properties can increase the computational cost of modeling. This report reviews the available literature for fluids present in most modern electrolyzers at industrially important conditions: water, hydrogen, oxygen, aqueous potassium hydroxide, and their mixtures. The report then reviews the current best data and practices for estimating density, heat capacity, thermal conductivity, surface tension, electrical conductivity, solubility, and electrical conductivity while balancing accuracy and computing speed. These properties are reviewed for pure components and mixtures in both liquid and vapor phases. Additional experimental data for these properties is necessary as the energy industry adopts green hydrogen production, but the recommendations made here are the best available at the time of the report.
{"title":"Physical property recommendations for computational modeling of water electrolysis","authors":"Joseph Bloxham , Raj Venuturumilli","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100488","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100488","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Green hydrogen is necessary for the production of many low-carbon fuels. Water electrolysis is the most developed technology for green hydrogen. Process simulations and multiphysics models are widely used in industry. With an accurate model, scientists and engineers can direct research efforts or give recommendations for investing in technologies or companies. For models to give meaningful results, it is essential that the thermophysical properties of the materials in the system be represented correctly. Without correct property data, models will be inaccurate even if the underlying physics is precisely captured. However, increasing accuracy in physical properties can increase the computational cost of modeling. This report reviews the available literature for fluids present in most modern electrolyzers at industrially important conditions: water, hydrogen, oxygen, aqueous potassium hydroxide, and their mixtures. The report then reviews the current best data and practices for estimating density, heat capacity, thermal conductivity, surface tension, electrical conductivity, solubility, and electrical conductivity while balancing accuracy and computing speed. These properties are reviewed for pure components and mixtures in both liquid and vapor phases. Additional experimental data for these properties is necessary as the energy industry adopts green hydrogen production, but the recommendations made here are the best available at the time of the report.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100488"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alternative renewable fuels are the need of the hour due to limited petroleum fuel sources and environmental degradation caused by emissions. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing cattle dung bio-oil (CDBO) microemulsions as an alternative fuel in compression ignition engines by investigating their production, stability, performance, combustion, and emission characteristics. CDBO was produced through fast pyrolysis under optimized conditions and blended with high-speed diesel (HSD) using castor oil methyl ester as an additive to prepare stable microemulsions containing 5–20% bio-oil by volume. The experimental objectives included characterization of the bio-oil, development of microemulsions, and assessment of their influence on engine performance, combustion parameters, and emission profiles. The engine testing was conducted on a single-cylinder, 4-stroke, water-cooled, direct-injection diesel engine (Kirloskar AVI, 5 hp/3.73 kW) coupled with an eddy current dynamometer. The setup was equipped with sensors and transducers to measure all required parameters. The findings indicated that the microemulsions having 20% bio-oil exhibited higher brake specific energy consumption (BSEC) (16.4%) and lower brake thermal efficiency (13.2%) than that of diesel, while the brake power remained almost the same at full loads. The microemulsion fuels produced significantly lower carbon monoxide (27%) and hydrocarbon emissions (41.5%), and the temperature of exhaust gas was higher (10.4%). At high loads, the microemulsions generated 23.5% lower smoke emissions than HSD. The ignition delay was the same as for diesel operation at higher loads, while the cylinder peak pressure was 6.4% higher than that of diesel.
{"title":"Assessment of performance, combustion, and emission characteristics of a diesel engine fueled with novel emulsions of cattle dung bio-oil in diesel stabilized by biodiesel","authors":"Lovepreet Kaur , Jayant Singh , Alaknanda Ashok , Harveer Singh Pali , Sachin Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100492","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100492","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alternative renewable fuels are the need of the hour due to limited petroleum fuel sources and environmental degradation caused by emissions. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing cattle dung bio-oil (CDBO) microemulsions as an alternative fuel in compression ignition engines by investigating their production, stability, performance, combustion, and emission characteristics. CDBO was produced through fast pyrolysis under optimized conditions and blended with high-speed diesel (HSD) using castor oil methyl ester as an additive to prepare stable microemulsions containing 5–20% bio-oil by volume. The experimental objectives included characterization of the bio-oil, development of microemulsions, and assessment of their influence on engine performance, combustion parameters, and emission profiles. The engine testing was conducted on a single-cylinder, 4-stroke, water-cooled, direct-injection diesel engine (Kirloskar AVI, 5 hp/3.73 kW) coupled with an eddy current dynamometer. The setup was equipped with sensors and transducers to measure all required parameters. The findings indicated that the microemulsions having 20% bio-oil exhibited higher brake specific energy consumption (BSEC) (16.4%) and lower brake thermal efficiency (13.2%) than that of diesel, while the brake power remained almost the same at full loads. The microemulsion fuels produced significantly lower carbon monoxide (27%) and hydrocarbon emissions (41.5%), and the temperature of exhaust gas was higher (10.4%). At high loads, the microemulsions generated 23.5% lower smoke emissions than HSD. The ignition delay was the same as for diesel operation at higher loads, while the cylinder peak pressure was 6.4% higher than that of diesel.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100492"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-17DOI: 10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100490
Zhen Wei Ko , Annas Wiguno , Jerry Joynson , Matthew J. Ashfold , Ianatul Khoiroh
The global shift toward renewable energy has intensified the need to improve photovoltaic (PV) efficiency, particularly in tropical climates where elevated temperatures degrade performance. This study evaluates 2 passive cooling methods, bio-based phase change materials (PCMs) and barium sulphate (BaSO₄) radiative cooling paint to mitigate PV overheating. Two eutectic PCM mixtures, lauric acid/oleic acid (LA/OA) and lauric acid/capric acid (LA/CA), were characterized via differential scanning calorimetry, revealing latent heats of 120.1 J/g and 172.1 J/g, respectively. Under simulated solar irradiance of 800 W/m², PCM-integrated panels demonstrated significant thermal regulation, with the LA/CA system reducing peak temperatures by 18.3 °C vs. the reference panel and improving power output by 26.0%. In contrast, radiative cooling paint applied to panel frames or side-mounted heat sinks lowered temperatures by up to 6.1 °C but unexpectedly reduced power generation due to power dissipation, highlighting a trade-off between thermal and electrical performance. The LA/CA PCM emerged as the superior solution for tropical climates, offering sustained cooling and enhanced efficiency, while paint formulations require further optimization to avoid compromising light absorption. This study provides critical insights into passive cooling strategies, emphasizing the importance of holistic performance evaluation for real-world PV applications.
{"title":"Enhancing passive cooling of photovoltaic modules using bio-based eutectic phase change materials and barium sulphate radiative cooling paint","authors":"Zhen Wei Ko , Annas Wiguno , Jerry Joynson , Matthew J. Ashfold , Ianatul Khoiroh","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100490","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100490","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global shift toward renewable energy has intensified the need to improve photovoltaic (PV) efficiency, particularly in tropical climates where elevated temperatures degrade performance. This study evaluates 2 passive cooling methods, bio-based phase change materials (PCMs) and barium sulphate (BaSO₄) radiative cooling paint to mitigate PV overheating. Two eutectic PCM mixtures, lauric acid/oleic acid (LA/OA) and lauric acid/capric acid (LA/CA), were characterized via differential scanning calorimetry, revealing latent heats of 120.1 J/g and 172.1 J/g, respectively. Under simulated solar irradiance of 800 W/m², PCM-integrated panels demonstrated significant thermal regulation, with the LA/CA system reducing peak temperatures by 18.3 °C vs. the reference panel and improving power output by 26.0%. In contrast, radiative cooling paint applied to panel frames or side-mounted heat sinks lowered temperatures by up to 6.1 °C but unexpectedly reduced power generation due to power dissipation, highlighting a trade-off between thermal and electrical performance. The LA/CA PCM emerged as the superior solution for tropical climates, offering sustained cooling and enhanced efficiency, while paint formulations require further optimization to avoid compromising light absorption. This study provides critical insights into passive cooling strategies, emphasizing the importance of holistic performance evaluation for real-world PV applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100490"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper evaluates the initiatives undertaken by research and policy institutions in Morocco regarding energy efficiency in buildings. It explores the potential of thermal insulation materials derived from bio-based composites and textile waste, as circularly, sustainable, economical and high-performance solutions. To meet this objective, a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology has been used with over 133 studies and 10 projects to analyse quantitatively and qualitatively the efforts made to integrate recycled and bio-based materials for more energy efficient buildings. The quantitative side has shown that over 30 different types of eco-friendly materials were experimentally and numerically characterised in Morocco during the last 25 years. The qualitative side was conducted through a U-value and thickness based evaluation and a classification by thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity to specify the most suitable materials. A critical analysis of the research methodology and the national policy strategy towards building energy efficiency has been carried out. The findings have highlighted the main challenges facing the integration of these insulation materials in the construction sector, particularly in terms of regulations, awareness and market access. Finally, recommendations were proposed to encourage the adoption of these innovative materials and strengthen public policies in favour of the energy transition.
{"title":"Systematic review on bio-based insulation in Morocco: Research progress and policy challenges","authors":"Omar Iken , Oussama Rahmoun , Oumaima Imghoure , Mohamed Touil , Salma Ouhaibi , Miloud Rahmoune , Naoual Belouaggadia , Rachid Saadani","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100487","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100487","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper evaluates the initiatives undertaken by research and policy institutions in Morocco regarding energy efficiency in buildings. It explores the potential of thermal insulation materials derived from bio-based composites and textile waste, as circularly, sustainable, economical and high-performance solutions. To meet this objective, a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology has been used with over 133 studies and 10 projects to analyse quantitatively and qualitatively the efforts made to integrate recycled and bio-based materials for more energy efficient buildings. The quantitative side has shown that over 30 different types of eco-friendly materials were experimentally and numerically characterised in Morocco during the last 25 years. The qualitative side was conducted through a U-value and thickness based evaluation and a classification by thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity to specify the most suitable materials. A critical analysis of the research methodology and the national policy strategy towards building energy efficiency has been carried out. The findings have highlighted the main challenges facing the integration of these insulation materials in the construction sector, particularly in terms of regulations, awareness and market access. Finally, recommendations were proposed to encourage the adoption of these innovative materials and strengthen public policies in favour of the energy transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100487"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100489
Theodore Azemtsop Manfo
Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are emerging as critical technology for clean and efficient energy conversion, providing a path to worldwide decarbonization and renewable power generation. Their successful integration into renewable and hybrid systems necessitates a thorough understanding of the interconnected electrochemical, thermal, and fluid processes that regulate performance. However, many existing models oversimplify these dynamic interactions, resulting in an inadequate understanding of system-level behavior and control optimization. This study fills that gap by creating a dynamic MATLAB/Simulink-based model of a PEM fuel cell to investigate how integrated thermal and fluid management affect efficiency, gas usage, and operational stability under changing loads. The model includes several critical subsystems, including the membrane electrode assembly, gas flow routes, heat regulation, and purge control. Simulation findings show a peak electrical output of 95 kW with a power density of 1.116 W cm⁻². This highlights the need for active cooling and purging strategies in reducing hydrogen loss and preserving stack performance. The findings aid sustainable PEM fuel cell design and real-time control development.
质子交换膜（PEM）燃料电池正在成为清洁、高效能源转换的关键技术，为全球脱碳和可再生能源发电提供了一条途径。将其成功集成到可再生能源和混合动力系统中，需要对调节性能的相互关联的电化学、热和流体过程有透彻的了解。然而，许多现有的模型过度简化了这些动态交互，导致对系统级行为和控制优化的理解不足。本研究通过创建基于MATLAB/ simulink的PEM燃料电池动态模型来填补这一空白，以研究集成的热和流体管理如何影响效率、气体使用和变化负载下的运行稳定性。该模型包括几个关键子系统，包括膜电极组件，气体流动路线，热量调节和吹扫控制。模拟结果显示，峰值电输出为95 kW，功率密度为1.116 W cm⁻²。这突出了主动冷却和净化策略在减少氢损失和保持堆性能方面的必要性。这些发现有助于PEM燃料电池的可持续设计和实时控制的发展。
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