The development of novel solar power technologies is considered to be one of many key solutions toward fulfilling a worldwide increasing demand for energy. Rapid growth within the field of solar technologies is nonetheless facing various technical barriers, such as low solar cell efficiencies, low performing balance-of-systems (BOS), economic hindrances (e.g., high upfront costs and a lack of financing mechanisms), and institutional obstacles (e.g., inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of skilled manpower). The merits and demerits of solar energy technologies are both discussed in this article. A number of technical problems affecting renewable energy research are also highlighted, along with beneficial interactions between regulation policy frameworks and their future prospects. In order to help open novel routes with regard to solar energy research and practices, a future roadmap for the field of solar research is discussed.

Solar energy: Potential and future prospects

Data Reduction And Error Analysis For The Physical Sciences

Energy storage devices that can deliver high powers have many applications, including hybrid vehicles and renewable energy. Much research has focused on increasing the power output of lithium batteries by reducing lithium-ion diffusion distances, but outputs remain far below those of electrochemical capacitors and below the levels required for many applications. Here, we report an alternative approach based on the redox reactions of functional groups on the surfaces of carbon nanotubes. Layer-by-layer techniques are used to assemble an electrode that consists of additive-free, densely packed and functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The electrode, which is several micrometres thick, can store lithium up to a reversible gravimetric capacity of approximately 200 mA h g(-1)(electrode) while also delivering 100 kW kg(electrode)(-1) of power and providing lifetimes in excess of thousands of cycles, both of which are comparable to electrochemical capacitor electrodes. A device using the nanotube electrode as the positive electrode and lithium titanium oxide as a negative electrode had a gravimetric energy approximately 5 times higher than conventional electrochemical capacitors and power delivery approximately 10 times higher than conventional lithium-ion batteries.

High-Power Lithium Batteries from Functionalized Carbon Nanotube Electrodes

Building energy-consumption status worldwide and the state-of-the-art technologies for zero-energy buildings during the past decade

The most significant threat that mankind faces in the 21th century is global warming. Buildings, which account for 40% of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, play a pivotal role in global warming. Estimates show that their destructive impact will grow by 1.8% per year through 2050, which indicates that future consumption and emissions will be worse than today. Therefore, the impact of cooling systems cannot be ignored, as they, along with ventilation and heating systems, account for 60% of the energy consumed in buildings. Passive cooling techniques are a promising alternative to conventional cooling systems. Of the various passive cooling strategies, thermal energy storage by means of latent heat is an efficient way to increase the thermal inertia of building envelopes, which would reduce temperature fluctuations, leading to the improved thermal comfort of occupants. Phase change materials (PCMs) with high density for thermal energy storage can be efficiently employed to this purpose. This paper reviews recent studies of the application of PCMs for passive cooling in buildings. From the literature, a comprehensive list of different organic, inorganic and eutectic PCMs appropriate for passive cooling in buildings are reviewed. Full-scale testing and numerical modeling were found to be the most popular investigative methods used for experimental and theoretical analysis of PCMs. The combination of these two methods can provide a detailed and valid technique for PCM investigations. Finally, incorporating PCMs into building walls with macro encapsulation was also a dominant interest in previous studies.

A review on phase change material (PCM) for sustainable passive cooling in building envelopes

A comparative study of thermal behaviour of a horizontal and vertical shell-and-tube energy storage using phase change materials

Transient modeling of a two-bed silica gel–water adsorption chiller

To reduce the dependence on oil and environmental pollution, the development of electric vehicles has been accelerated in many countries. The implementation of EVs, especially battery electric vehicles, is considered a solution to the energy crisis and environmental issues. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the technical development of EVs and emerging technologies for their future application. Key technologies regarding batteries, charging technology, electric motors and control, and charging infrastructure of EVs are summarized. This paper also highlights the technical challenges and emerging technologies for the improvement of efficiency, reliability, and safety of EVs in the coming stages as another contribution.

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Xiaolin Wang

Papers

A comparative study of thermal behaviour of a horizontal and vertical shell-and-tube energy storage using phase change materials

Transient modeling of a two-bed silica gel–water adsorption chiller

Technology development of electric vehicles: A review

Experimental investigation of an adsorption desalination plant using low-temperature waste heat

A review of air-cooling battery thermal management systems for electric and hybrid electric vehicles