Showing papers on "Electricity generation published in 2014"

A metal-free organic–inorganic aqueous flow battery

Abstract: Flow batteries, in which the electro-active components are held in fluid form external to the battery itself, are attractive as a potential means for regulating the output of intermittent renewable sources of electricity; an aqueous flow battery based on inexpensive commodity chemicals is now reported that also has the virtue of enabling further improvement of battery performance through organic chemical design. Flow batteries differ from the conventional type in that the electro-active components of flow batteries are held in fluid form external to the battery itself, enabling such systems to store arbitrarily large amounts of energy. Flow batteries are therefore attractive as a potential means for regulating the output of intermittent sources of electricity such as wind or solar power. But an important limitation of most such systems is the abundance and cost of the electro-active materials. To overcome this limitation, Brian Huskinson and colleagues have developed an aqueous flow battery on the basis of inexpensive, non-metallic commodity chemicals, with the added advantage of enabling the tuning of key battery properties through chemical design. As the fraction of electricity generation from intermittent renewable sources—such as solar or wind—grows, the ability to store large amounts of electrical energy is of increasing importance. Solid-electrode batteries maintain discharge at peak power for far too short a time to fully regulate wind or solar power output1,2. In contrast, flow batteries can independently scale the power (electrode area) and energy (arbitrarily large storage volume) components of the system by maintaining all of the electro-active species in fluid form3,4,5. Wide-scale utilization of flow batteries is, however, limited by the abundance and cost of these materials, particularly those using redox-active metals and precious-metal electrocatalysts6,7. Here we describe a class of energy storage materials that exploits the favourable chemical and electrochemical properties of a family of molecules known as quinones. The example we demonstrate is a metal-free flow battery based on the redox chemistry of 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulphonic acid (AQDS). AQDS undergoes extremely rapid and reversible two-electron two-proton reduction on a glassy carbon electrode in sulphuric acid. An aqueous flow battery with inexpensive carbon electrodes, combining the quinone/hydroquinone couple with the Br2/Br− redox couple, yields a peak galvanic power density exceeding 0.6 W cm−2 at 1.3 A cm−2. Cycling of this quinone–bromide flow battery showed >99 per cent storage capacity retention per cycle. The organic anthraquinone species can be synthesized from inexpensive commodity chemicals8. This organic approach permits tuning of important properties such as the reduction potential and solubility by adding functional groups: for example, we demonstrate that the addition of two hydroxy groups to AQDS increases the open circuit potential of the cell by 11% and we describe a pathway for further increases in cell voltage. The use of π-aromatic redox-active organic molecules instead of redox-active metals represents a new and promising direction for realizing massive electrical energy storage at greatly reduced cost.

Harvesting Wireless Power: Survey of Energy-Harvester Conversion Efficiency in Far-Field, Wireless Power Transfer Systems

Abstract: The idea of wireless power transfer (WPT) has been around since the inception of electricity. In the late 19th century, Nikola Tesla described the freedom to transfer energy between two points without the need for a physical connection to a power source as an ?all-surpassing importance to man? [1]. A truly wireless device, capable of being remotely powered, not only allows the obvious freedom of movement but also enables devices to be more compact by removing the necessity of a large battery. Applications could leverage this reduction in size and weight to increase the feasibility of concepts such as paper-thin, flexible displays [2], contact-lens-based augmented reality [3], and smart dust [4], among traditional point-to-point power transfer applications. While several methods of wireless power have been introduced since Tesla?s work, including near-field magnetic resonance and inductive coupling, laser-based optical power transmission, and far-field RF/microwave energy transmission, only RF/microwave and laser-based systems are truly long-range methods. While optical power transmission certainly has merit, its mechanisms are outside of the scope of this article and will not be discussed.

A review on Integrated Renewable Energy System based power generation for stand-alone applications: Configurations, storage options, sizing methodologies and control

Abstract: Uneconomical extension of the grid has led to generation of electric power at the end user facility and has been proved to be cost effective and to an extent efficient. With augmented significance on eco-friendly technologies the use of renewable energy sources such as micro-hydro, wind, solar, biomass and biogas is being explored. This paper presents an extensive review on various issues related to Integrated Renewable Energy System (IRES) based power generation. Issues related to integration configurations, storage options, sizing methodologies and system control for energy flow management are discussed in detail. For stand-alone applications integration of renewable energy sources, performed through DC coupled, AC coupled or hybrid DC–AC coupled configurations, are studied in detail. Based on the requirement of storage duration in isolated areas, storage technology options can be selected for integrated systems. Uncertainties involved in designing an effective IRES based power generation system for isolated areas is accounted due to highly dynamic nature of availability of sources and the demand at site. Different methodologies adopted and reported in literature for sizing of the system components are presented. Distributed control, centralized and hybrid control schemes for energy flow management in IRES have also been discussed.

Transitioning to Physics-of-Failure as a Reliability Driver in Power Electronics

Abstract: Power electronics has progressively gained an important status in power generation, distribution, and consumption. With more than 70% of electricity processed through power electronics, recent research endeavors to improve the reliability of power electronic systems to comply with more stringent constraints on cost, safety, and availability in various applications. This paper serves to give an overview of the major aspects of reliability in power electronics and to address the future trends in this multidisciplinary research direction. The ongoing paradigm shift in reliability research is presented first. Then, the three major aspects of power electronics reliability are discussed, respectively, which cover physics-of-failure analysis of critical power electronic components, state-of-the-art design for reliability process and robustness validation, and intelligent control and condition monitoring to achieve improved reliability under operation. Finally, the challenges and opportunities for achieving more reliable power electronic systems in the future are discussed.

A review of data center cooling technology, operating conditions and the corresponding low-grade waste heat recovery opportunities

Abstract: The depletion of the world's limited reservoirs of fossil fuels, the worldwide impact of global warming and the high cost of energy are among the primary issues driving a renewed interest in the capture and reuse of waste energy. A major source of waste energy is being created by data centers through the increasing demand for cloud based connectivity and performance. In fact, recent figures show that data centers are responsible for more than 2% of the US total electricity usage. Almost half of this power is used for cooling the electronics, creating a significant stream of waste heat. The difficulty associated with recovering and reusing this stream of waste heat is that the heat is of low quality. In this paper, the most promising methods and technologies for recovering data center low-grade waste heat in an effective and economically reasonable way are identified and discussed. A number of currently available and developmental low-grade waste heat recovery techniques including district/plant/water heating, absorption cooling, direct power generation (piezoelectric and thermoelectric), indirect power generation (steam and organic Rankine cycle), biomass co-location, and desalination/clean water are reviewed along with their operational requirements in order to assess the suitability and effectiveness of each technology for data center applications. Based on a comparison between data centers' operational thermodynamic conditions and the operational requirements of the discussed waste heat recovery techniques, absorption cooling and organic Rankine cycle are found to be among the most promising technologies for data center waste heat reuse.

The economic viability of battery storage for residential solar photovoltaic systems - A review and a simulation model

Abstract: Battery storage is generally considered an effective means for reducing the intermittency of electricity generated by solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, currently it remains unclear when and under which conditions battery storage can be profitably operated in residential PV systems without policy support. Based on a review of previous studies that have examined the economics of integrated PV-battery systems, in this paper we devise a simulation model that investigates the economic viability of battery storage for residential PV in Germany under eight different electricity price scenarios from 2013 to 2022. In contrast to previous forward-looking studies, we assume that no premium is paid for solar photovoltaic power and/or self-consumed electricity. Additionally, we run the model with a large number of different PV and storage capacities to determine the economically optimal configuration in terms of system size. We find that already in 2013 investments in storage solutions were economically viable for small PV systems. Given the assumptions of our model, the optimal size of both residential PV systems and battery storage rises significantly in the future. Higher electricity retail prices, lower electricity wholesale prices or limited access to the electricity wholesale market add to the profitability of storage. We conclude that additional policy incentives to foster investments in battery storage for residential PV in Germany will only be necessary in the short run. At the same time, the impending profitability of integrated PV-storage systems is likely to further spur the ongoing trend toward distributed electricity generation with major implications for the electricity sector.

Harvesting water wave energy by asymmetric screening of electrostatic charges on a nanostructured hydrophobic thin-film surface

Abstract: Energy harvesting from ambient water motions is a desirable but underexplored solution to on-site energy demand for self-powered electronics. Here we report a liquid-solid electrification-enabled generator based on a fluorinated ethylene propylene thin film, below which an array of electrodes are fabricated. The surface of the thin film is charged first due to the water-solid contact electrification. Aligned nanowires created on the thin film make it hydrophobic and also increase the surface area. Then the asymmetric screening to the surface charges by the waving water during emerging and submerging processes causes the free electrons on the electrodes to flow through an external load, resulting in power generation. The generator produces sufficient output power for driving an array of small electronics during direct interaction with water bodies, including surface waves and falling drops. Polymer-nanowire-based surface modification increases the contact area at the liquid-solid interface, leading to enhanced surface charging density and thus electric output at an efficiency of 7.7%. Our planar-structured generator features an all-in-one design without separate and movable components for capturing and transmitting mechanical energy. It has extremely lightweight and small volume, making it a portable, flexible, and convenient power solution that can be applied on the ocean/river surface, at coastal/offshore areas, and even in rainy places. Considering the demonstrated scalability, it can also be possibly used in large-scale energy generation if layers of planar sheets are connected into a network.

Barriers of commercial power generation using biomass gasification gas: A review

Abstract: Gasification is one of the promising technologies to convert biomass to gaseous fuels for distributed power generation. However, the commercial exploitation of biomass energy suffers from a number of logistics and technological challenges. In this review, the barriers in each of the steps from the collection of biomass to electricity generation are highlighted. The effects of parameters in supply chain management, pretreatment and conversion of biomass to gas, and cleaning and utilization of gas for power generation are discussed. Based on the studies, until recently, the gasification of biomass and gas cleaning are the most challenging part. For electricity generation, either using engine or gas turbine requires a stringent specification of gas composition and tar concentration in the product gas. Different types of updraft and downdraft gasifiers have been developed for gasification and a number of physical and catalytic tar separation methods have been investigated. However, the most efficient and popular one is yet to be developed for commercial purpose. In fact, the efficient gasification and gas cleaning methods can produce highly burnable gas with less tar content, so as to reduce the total consumption of biomass for a desired quantity of electricity generation. According to the recent report, an advanced gasification method with efficient tar cleaning can significantly reduce the biomass consumption, and thus the logistics and biomass pretreatment problems can be ultimately reduced.

Material and manufacturing cost considerations for thermoelectrics

Abstract: Interest in thermoelectrics for waste-heat recovery and localized cooling has flourished in recent years, but questions about cost and scalability remain unanswered. This work investigates the fabrication costs and coupled thermal and electrical transport factors that govern device efficiency and commercial feasibility of the most promising thermoelectric materials. For 30 bulk and thin film thermoelectric materials, we quantify the tradeoff between efficiency and cost considering electrical and thermal transport at the system level, raw material prices, system component costs, and estimated manufacturing costs. This work neglects the cost of heat, as appropriate for most waste-heat recovery applications, and applies a power generation cost metric in $/W and a cooling operating cost metric in $/kWh. The results indicate material cost sa re too high for typical thermoelectric power generation applications at mean temperatures below 135 1C. Above 275 1C, many bulk thermoelectric materials can achieve costs below $1/W. The major barrier to economical thermoelectric power generation at these higher temperatures results from system costs for heat exchangers and ceramic plates. For cooling applications, we find that several thermoelectric materials can be cost competitive and commercially promising.

A Shape‐Adaptive Thin‐Film‐Based Approach for 50% High‐Efficiency Energy Generation Through Micro‐Grating Sliding Electrification

Abstract: Effectively harvesting ambient mechanical energy is the key for realizing self-powered and autonomous electronics, which addresses limitations of batteries and thus has tremendous applications in sensor networks, wireless devices, and wearable/implantable electronics, etc. Here, a thin-film-based micro-grating triboelectric nanogenerator (MG-TENG) is developed for high-efficiency power generation through conversion of mechanical energy. The shape-adaptive MG-TENG relies on sliding electrification between complementary micro-sized arrays of linear grating, which offers a unique and straightforward solution in harnessing energy from relative sliding motion between surfaces. Operating at a sliding velocity of 10 m/s, a MG-TENG of 60 cm(2) in overall area, 0.2 cm(3) in volume and 0.6 g in weight can deliver an average output power of 3 W (power density of 50 mW cm(-2) and 15 W cm(-3)) at an overall conversion efficiency of ∼ 50%, making it a sufficient power supply to regular electronics, such as light bulbs. The scalable and cost-effective MG-TENG is practically applicable in not only harvesting various mechanical motions but also possibly power generation at a large scale.

A review of thermoelectrics research – Recent developments and potentials for sustainable and renewable energy applications

Abstract: In recent years, thermoelectric (TE) devices have emerged as promising alternative environmental friendly applications for heat pumps and power generators since the environmental issues such as the global warming and the limitations of energy resources gradually drew worldwide attentions. Due to the green feature and distinct advantages, the thermoelectric technology have been applied to different areas in an effort of designing simple, compact and environmental friendly systems. The applied areas are extended from the earliest application on kerosene lamp to aerospace applications, transportation tools, industrial utilities, medical services, electronic devices and temperature detecting and measuring facilities. The application potentials of TE in directly conversing thermal energy into electrical power have been identified, especially for where the cost of thermal energy input need not to be considered, such as waste heat utilization, in the light of the present low efficiency of thermoelectric conversion. The capability of TE in producing thermal energy (in terms of cooling or heating) with the use of electrical power is also well identified. This paper reviews the status of the material development and thermoelectric applications in different areas and discusses the difficulties in terms of the commercialisations of advanced materials. Other than this, the main purpose of this paper is to present the great potential of achieving both environmental and economic benefits by exclusively utilizing thermoelectric applications in different areas. It also comes to the conclusion that the thermoelectric applications with the current conversion efficiency are economically and technically practical for micro/small applications. However, it would be transformed to a more significant green energy solution for improving the current environment and energy issues by using medium/large scale thermoelectric applications when the thermoelectric materials with a figure-of-merit over 2 come into commercial practice.

Greenhouse gas emissions from renewable energy sources: A review of lifecycle considerations

Abstract: Electricity and heat generation are key contributors to global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). In this paper, specific attention is paid to renewable energy technologies (RETs) for electricity and heat generation and reviews current understanding and estimates of life cycle GHG emissions from a range of renewable electricity and heat generation technologies. Comprehensive literature reviews for each RET were carried out. The 79 studies reviewed involved the life cycle assessment (LCA) of renewable electricity and heat generation based on onshore and offshore winds, hydropower, marine technologies (wave power and tidal energy), geothermal, photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, biomass, waste, and heat pumps. The study demonstrates the variability of existing LCA studies (results) in tracking GHG emissions for electricity and heat generation from RETs. This review has shown that the lowest GHG emissions were associated with offshore wind technologies (mean life cycle GHG emissions could be 5.3–13 g CO2 eq/kWh). Results compared with GHG estimates by fossil fuel heat and electricity indicated that life cycle GHG emissions are comparatively higher in conventional sources as compared to renewable sources with the exception of nuclear-based power electricity generation. In this present study, considering renewable energy sources, waste treatment and dedicated biomass technologies (DBTs) were found to potentially have high GHG emissions based on the feedstock, selected boundary and the inputs required for their production. The study identifies additional impacts associated with renewable electricity and heat technologies, points out the effectiveness of life cycle analysis (LCA) as a tool for assessing environmental impacts of renewable energy sources and concludes with opportunities for improvement in the future.

An electrochemical system for efficiently harvesting low-grade heat energy

Abstract: Efficient and low-cost thermal energy-harvesting systems are needed to utilize the tremendous low-grade heat sources. Although thermoelectric devices are attractive, its efficiency is limited by the relatively low figure-of-merit and low-temperature differential. An alternative approach is to explore thermodynamic cycles. Thermogalvanic effect, the dependence of electrode potential on temperature, can construct such cycles. In one cycle, an electrochemical cell is charged at a temperature and then discharged at a different temperature with higher cell voltage, thereby converting heat to electricity. Here we report an electrochemical system using a copper hexacyanoferrate cathode and a Cu/Cu(2+) anode to convert heat into electricity. The electrode materials have low polarization, high charge capacity, moderate temperature coefficients and low specific heat. These features lead to a high heat-to-electricity energy conversion efficiency of 5.7% when cycled between 10 and 60 °C, opening a promising way to utilize low-grade heat.

Impacts of large-scale Intermittent Renewable Energy Sources on electricity systems, and how these can be modeled

Abstract: The electricity sector in OECD countries is on the brink of a large shift towards low-carbon electricity generation. Power systems after 2030 may consist largely of two low-carbon generator types: Intermittent Renewable Energy Sources (IRES) such as wind and solar PV and thermal generators such as power plants with carbon capture. Combining these two types could lead to conflicts, because IRES require more flexibility from the power system, whereas thermal generators may be relatively inflexible. In this study, we quantify the impacts of large-scale IRES on the power system and its thermal generators, and we discuss how to accurately model IRES impacts on a low-carbon power system. Wind integration studies show that the impacts of wind power on present-day power systems are sizable at penetration rates of around 20% of annual power generation: the combined reserve size increases by 8.6% (6.3–10.8%) of installed wind capacity, and wind power provides 16% (5–27%) of its capacity as firm capacity. Thermal generators are affected by a reduction in their efficiency of 4% (0–9%), and displacement of (mainly natural gas-fired) generators with the highest marginal costs. Of these impacts, only the increase in reserves incurs direct costs of 1–6€/MWhwind. These results are also indicative of the impacts of solar PV and wave power. A comprehensive power system model will be required to model the impacts of IRES in a low-carbon power system, which accounts for: a time step of

Analyzing operational flexibility of electric power systems

Abstract: Operational flexibility is an important property of electric power systems and plays a crucial role for the transition of today's power systems, many of them based on fossil fuels, towards power systems that can efficiently accommodate high shares of variable Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The availability of sufficient operational flexibility in a given power system is a necessary prerequisite for the effective grid integration of large shares of fluctuating power in-feed from variable RES, especially wind power and Photovoltaics (PV). This paper establishes the necessary framework for quantifying and visualizing the technically available operational flexibility of individual power system units and ensembles thereof. Necessary metrics for defining power system operational flexibility, namely the power ramp-rate, power and energy capability of generators, loads and storage devices, are presented. The flexibility properties of different power system unit types, e.g. load, generation and storage units that are non-controllable, curtailable or fully controllable are qualitatively analyzed and compared to each other. Quantitative results and flexibility visualizations are presented for intuitive power system examples.

Whole-Systems Assessment of the Value of Energy Storage in Low-Carbon Electricity Systems

Abstract: Energy storage represents one of the key enabling technologies to facilitate an efficient system integration of intermittent renewable generation and electrified transport and heating demand. This paper presents a novel whole-systems approach to valuing the contribution of grid-scale electricity storage. This approach simultaneously optimizes investment into new generation, network and storage capacity, while minimising system operation cost, and also considering reserve and security requirements. Case studies on the system of Great Britain (GB) with high share of renewable generation demonstrate that energy storage can simultaneously bring benefits to several sectors, including generation, transmission and distribution, while supporting real-time system balancing. The analysis distinguishes between bulk and distributed storage applications, while also considering the competition against other technologies, such as flexible generation, interconnection and demand-side response.

Power Smoothing of Large Solar PV Plant Using Hybrid Energy Storage

Abstract: This paper proposes a power smoothing strategy for a 1-MW grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant. A hybrid energy storage system (HESS) composed of a vanadium redox battery and a supercapacitor bank is used to smooth the fluctuating output power of the PV plant. The power management of the HESS is purposely designed to reduce the required power rating of the SCB to only one-fifth of the VRB rating and to avoid the operation of the VRB at low power levels, thus increasing its overall efficiency. The PV plant including the HESS has been modeled using MATLAB/Simulink and PLECS software environment. The effectiveness of the proposed power control strategy is confirmed through extensive simulation results.

Combined Central and Local Active and Reactive Power Control of PV Inverters

Abstract: The increasing amount of photovoltaic (PV) generation results in a reverse power flow and a violation of the overvoltage limits in distribution networks. PV inverters can curtail active power or consume reactive power to avoid these excessive high voltages. Local controllers of active and reactive power that are based on measurements of the produced PV power have a fast response to the changing production levels of the PV installation. The performance of these local controllers depends on the tuning of the control parameters, which are grid and time dependent. In this paper, local control functions are defined as piecewise linear functions. The parameters of all the local control functions are regularly reoptimized. This results in an optimal use of reactive power and a minimum amount of curtailed active power, while respecting network limitations. The optimization of these parameters is formulated as a convex optimization problem, which can be solved sufficiently fast. The performance of the control is evaluated on an existing three-phase four-wire distribution grid and is compared with different local control methods.

Mathematical modeling of hybrid renewable energy system: A review on small hydro-solar-wind power generation

Abstract: Harnessing energy from alternative energy source has been recorded since early history. Renewable energy is abundantly found anywhere, free of cost and has non-polluting characteristics. However, these energy sources are based on the weather condition and possess inherited intermittent nature, which hinders stable power supply. Combining multiple renewable energy resources can be a possible solution to overcome defects, which not only provides reliable power but also leads to reduction in required storage capacity. Although an oversized hybrid system satisfies the load demand, it can be unnecessarily expensive. An undersized hybrid system is economical, but may not be able to meet the load demand. The optimal sizing of the renewable energy power system depends on the mathematical model of system components. This paper summarizes the mathematical modeling of various renewable energy system particularly PV, wind, hydro and storage devices. Because of the nonlinear power characteristics, wind and PV system require special techniques to extract maximum power. Hybrid system has complex control system due to integration of two (or more) different power sources. The complexity of system increases with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques employed in their subsystems. This paper also summarizes mathematical modeling of various MPPT techniques for hybrid renewable energy systems.

A Literature Review of Wind Forecasting Methods

Abstract: In this paper, an overview of new and current developments in wind forecasting is given where the focus lies upon principles and practical implementations High penetration of wind power in the electricity system provides many challenges to the power system operators, mainly due to the unpredictability and variability of wind power generation Although wind energy may not be dispatched, an accurate forecasting method of wind speed and power generation can help the power system operators reduce the risk of unreliability of electricity supply This paper gives a literature survey on the categories and major methods of wind forecasting Based on the assessment of wind speed and power forecasting methods, the future development direction of wind forecasting is proposed

Carbon flow electrodes for continuous operation of capacitive deionization and capacitive mixing energy generation

Abstract: Capacitive technologies, such as capacitive deionization and energy harvesting based on mixing energy (“capmix” and “CO2 energy”), are characterized by intermittent operation: phases of ion electrosorption from the water are followed by system regeneration. From a system application point of view, continuous operation has many advantages, to optimize performance, to simplify system operation, and ultimately to lower costs. In our study, we investigate as a step towards second generation capacitive technologies the potential of continuous operation of capacitive deionization and energy harvesting devices, enabled by carbon flow electrodes using a suspension based on conventional activated carbon powders. We show how the water residence time and mass loading of carbon in the suspension influence system performance. The efficiency and kinetics of the continuous salt removal process can be improved by optimizing device operation, without using less common or highly elaborate novel materials. We demonstrate, for the first time, continuous energy generation via capacitive mixing technology using differences in water salinity, and differences in gas phase CO2 concentration. Using a novel design of cylindrical ion exchange membranes serving as flow channels, we continuously extract energy from available concentration differences that otherwise would remain unused. These results may contribute to establishing a sustainable energy strategy when implementing energy extraction for sources such as CO2-emissions from power plants based on fossil fuels.

Tri-generation systems: Energy policies, prime movers, cooling technologies, configurations and operation strategies

Abstract: The serious energy supply problems along with the conventional resources depletion and the environmental conscience regarding global warming and climate change have urged the need for a complete change in the energy production, supply and consumption patterns. Therefore, the switch towards renewable energy resources including solar, biomass, wind and hydro-power in addition to the development of energy efficient technologies are two key factors to attain a secure and reliable energy sector and to mitigate the global warming problem. Tri-generation is one of the most promising technologies allowing the efficient simultaneous production of heat, coolth and power with potential technical, economic and environmental benefits. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the latest developments in the field of combined cooling, heating and power generation. Recent tri-generation supporting mechanisms, prime movers, cooling technologies, system configurations, fuels and renewable energy resources employed are presented and discussed. As the operation strategy is the critical factor governing the tri-generation system performance, the current work presents the recent strategies developed and implemented to optimize the system performance and improve its overall efficiency. While certain technologies employed in tri-generation systems as internal combustion engines, gas turbines and absorption cooling are well-established and have already found their way to the commercial market, other promising technologies including organic Rankine systems, fuel cells and liquid desiccant cooling, are still in the research and development phase with additional work needed to demonstrate their potential and reach commercialization. Based on the detailed and comprehensive review conducted, a summary with the main conclusions in addition to recommendations for future work are reported.