sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 18492

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

At present, with the rise in environmental problems around the world, such as global warming and drought, interest in green technologies has increased. Energy is the most important issue of the green technologies. Conventional sources of energy are running out rapidly, and this is one of the main concerns of all governments that need to find, utilize, and provide other sources of energy. Renewable energy is one type of energy source which does not pollute the environment and can also be reproduced. The concern of this Special Issue is to identify new research, innovations, and activities on green technology and renewable energy projects. Research on the impact of green technology and renewable energy, on societies, viability, as well as economic analysis compared to conventional technologies and energy are welcomed. Further, the Special Issue welcomes research on the effect of green technology and renewable energy at different parts of the world and the relation of some advanced technologies such as nanotech, biotech, and so on with green technology and renewable energy, and how effective they can be in solving the problems of the world in the new era.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mostafa Ghasemi Baboli
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • renewable and nonrenewable energy
  • green technology
  • environmental protection
  • economic viability
  • fuel
  • social impact
  • global warming

Published Papers (6 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

10 pages, 306 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Roles of Renewable Energy, Education Spending, and CO2 Emissions towards Health Spending in South Asian Countries
by Usman Mehmood, Ephraim Bonah Agyekum, Salah Kamel, Hossein Shahinzadeh and Ata Jahangir Moshayedi
Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3549; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14063549 - 17 Mar 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2300
Abstract
This research is mainly aimed at determining the effect of renewable energy (RE), education expenditures, and CO2 emissions on health expenditures in selected South Asian countries. There is an insufficient number of studies that investigate the linkages between health expenditures (HE) and [...] Read more.
This research is mainly aimed at determining the effect of renewable energy (RE), education expenditures, and CO2 emissions on health expenditures in selected South Asian countries. There is an insufficient number of studies that investigate the linkages between health expenditures (HE) and CO2 emissions in South Asian countries. This study combined RE and gross domestic product (GDP) to identify their effect on health spending. We utilized the annual data of 1990–2018, and applied FMOLS and DOLS estimators over the panel data of five South Asian countries. According to the DOLS and FMOLS long-run results, GDP, RE, and education expenditures are negatively associated with health expenditures. This suggests that renewable energy puts less pressure on environmental quality, which leads to less health spending in the five South Asian countries studied. The empirical results also show that HE and CO2 emissions are positively and significantly related, which implies that an increase in CO2 emissions increases the financial burden on the various countries’ health sector. This study, therefore, recommends the usage of renewable sources to improve public health and to help lower health expenditures. To achieve sustainable development, it is also important to increase investment in the educational sector in the various countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects)
23 pages, 6142 KiB  
Article
Lookup Tables for Power Generation Performance of Photovoltaic Systems Covering 40 Geographic Locations (Wilayats) in the Sultanate of Oman, with and without Solar Tracking, and General Perspectives about Solar Irradiation
by Osama A. Marzouk
Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13209; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132313209 - 29 Nov 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4038
Abstract
An energy modeler for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems may be limited to climatic data of certain major cities, not covering the one for which the PV system is intended. Additionally, a person not skilled in solar PV modeling may still desire a quick [...] Read more.
An energy modeler for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems may be limited to climatic data of certain major cities, not covering the one for which the PV system is intended. Additionally, a person not skilled in solar PV modeling may still desire a quick estimate of PV system electricity generation to help decide the level of investment in PV systems. This work addresses these points by establishing lookup tables to summarize predicted electricity generation, solar irradiation, and optimum orientation at various locations in the Sultanate of Oman. The results are produced by processing simulation data using the online open-access tool PVGIS (Photovoltaic Geographical Information System) of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC). The tables cover 40 out of the country’s 61 s-level administrative divisions (wilayats) and cover fixed and movable PV panels. The results show that the yearly electricity generation can change up to 11.86% due to the change of location. Two-axis PV tracking offers a small improvement (about 4% on average) over single-vertical-axis tracking but offers noticeable improvement (about 34% on average) over optimally oriented fixed PV panels. Monthly profiles of expected PV electricity generation, as well as the generation drop due to changing the PV mounting from free standing to building integrated, were examined for three locations. As general perspectives that may be of interest to global readers, this work provides quantitative evidence of the overall accuracy of the PVGIS-SARAH database through comparison with ground-measured global horizontal irradiation (GHI). In addition, a full example is presented considering 12 different countries in the northern and southern hemispheres that brings the attention of solar energy modelers to the level of errors they may encounter when the impact of longitude (thus, the exact location) is ignored for simplicity, while focus is given to the latitude. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects)
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 27330 KiB  
Article
Carbon Nanotube/Pt Cathode Nanocomposite Electrode in Microbial Fuel Cells for Wastewater Treatment and Bioenergy Production
by Mostafa Ghasemi, Mehdi Sedighi and Yie Hua Tan
Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 8057; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13148057 - 19 Jul 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2071
Abstract
In this paper, we reported the fabrication, characterization, and application of carbon nanotube (CNT)-platinum nanocomposite as a novel generation of cathode catalyst in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for sustainable energy production and wastewater treatment. The efficiency of the carbon nanocomposites was compared by [...] Read more.
In this paper, we reported the fabrication, characterization, and application of carbon nanotube (CNT)-platinum nanocomposite as a novel generation of cathode catalyst in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for sustainable energy production and wastewater treatment. The efficiency of the carbon nanocomposites was compared by platinum (Pt), which is the most effective and common cathode catalyst. This nanocomposite is utilized to benefit from the catalytic properties of CNTs and reduce the amount of required Pt, as it is an expensive catalyst. The CNT/Pt nanocomposites were synthesized via a chemical reduction technique and the electrodes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, electronic dispersive X-Ray analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The nanocomposites were applied as cathode catalysts in the MFC to obtain polarization curve and coulombic efficiency (CE) results. The catalytic properties of electrodes were tested by linear sweep voltammetry. The CNT/Pt at the concentration of 0.3 mg/cm2 had the highest performance in terms of CE (47.16%), internal resistance (551 Ω), COD removal (88.9%), and power generation (143 mW/m2). In contrast, for the electrode with 0.5 mg/L of Pt catalyst, CE, internal resistance, COD removal, and power generation were 19%, 810 Ω, 96%, and 84.1 mW/m2, respectively. So, it has been found that carbon nanocomposite cathode electrodes had better performance for sustainable clean energy production and COD removal by MFC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3581 KiB  
Article
Performance of Conventional and Innovative Single U-Tube Pipe Configuration in Vertical Ground Heat Exchanger (VGHE)
by Adel Eswiasi and Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6384; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13116384 - 04 Jun 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2351
Abstract
A ground source heat pump system (GSHP) with a ground heat exchanger (GHE) is a renewable and green technology used for heating and cooling residential and commercial buildings. An innovative U-Tube pipe configuration is suggested to enhance the heat transfer rate in the [...] Read more.
A ground source heat pump system (GSHP) with a ground heat exchanger (GHE) is a renewable and green technology used for heating and cooling residential and commercial buildings. An innovative U-Tube pipe configuration is suggested to enhance the heat transfer rate in the vertical ground heat exchanger (VGHE). Laboratory experiments are conducted to compare the thermal efficiency of VGHEs with two different pipe configurations: (1) an innovative U-Tube pipe configuration (single U-Tube with two outer fins) and (2) a single U-Tube. The results show that the difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures for the innovative U-Tube pipe configuration was 0.7 °C after 60 h, while it was 0.4 °C for the single U-Tube after the same amount of time. The borehole thermal resistance for the innovative U-Tube pipe configuration was 0.680 m·K/W, which is 29.22% lower than that of the single U-Tube. The heat exchange rate in the innovative U-Tube pipe configuration is increased by 57.95% compared to the conventional single U-Tube. Measured ground temperatures indicate that compared to single U-Tube pipe configuration, the innovative U-Tube pipe configuration has superior heat transfer performance. Based on the experimental results presented in this paper, it was concluded that increasing the surface area significantly by introducing external fins to the U-Tube enhances the heat transfer rate, resulting in increased thermal efficiency of the VGHE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 12472 KiB  
Article
Determination of Dehumidification Capacity of Water Wall with Controlled Water Temperature: Experimental Verification under Laboratory Conditions
by Katarina Cakyova, Frantisek Vranay, Marian Vertal and Zuzana Vranayova
Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5684; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13105684 - 19 May 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2297
Abstract
Water elements with flowing water on the surface are common in buildings as a form of indoor decoration, and they are most often perceived as passive humidifiers. However, by controlling water temperature, they can be also used for air dehumidification. The dehumidification capacity [...] Read more.
Water elements with flowing water on the surface are common in buildings as a form of indoor decoration, and they are most often perceived as passive humidifiers. However, by controlling water temperature, they can be also used for air dehumidification. The dehumidification capacity of indoor water elements was investigated experimentally under laboratory conditions. For the experimental verification of dehumidification capacity, a water wall prototype with an effective area of falling water film of 1 m2 and a measuring system were designed and developed. A total of 15 measurements were carried out with air temperatures ranging from 22.1 °C to 32.5 °C and relative humidity from 58.9% to 85.6%. The observed dehumidification capacity varied in the range of 21.99–315.36 g/h for the tested measurements. The results show that the condensation rate is a dynamic process, and the dehumidification capacity of a water wall strongly depends on indoor air parameters (air humidity and temperature). To determine the dehumidification capacity of a water wall for any boundary conditions, the equations were determined based on measured data, and two methods were used: the linear dependence between humidity ratio and condensation rate, and nonlinear surface fitting based on the dependence between the condensation rate, air temperature, and relative humidity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects)
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 556 KiB  
Article
The AgTech Startup Perspective to Farmers Ex Ante Acceptance Process of Autonomous Field Robots
by Friedrich Rübcke von Veltheim and Heinke Heise
Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10570; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su122410570 - 17 Dec 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3452
Abstract
Autonomous vehicles not only provide a new impetus in the development of car models in the automotive industry—even in agriculture there has recently been talk of autonomous field robots (AFR). Great expectations are placed on these digital assistants from a wide variety of [...] Read more.
Autonomous vehicles not only provide a new impetus in the development of car models in the automotive industry—even in agriculture there has recently been talk of autonomous field robots (AFR). Great expectations are placed on these digital assistants from a wide variety of perspectives. However, it is still unclear whether they will make the transition from market niches to broad-based distribution. Apart from various factors, this depends on user acceptance of this new technology expected by the innovators, since this is likely to be essential for the further development of AFR. For this purpose, the ex ante user acceptance of farmers from the perspective of various AgTech startups with AFR involvement in Europe was investigated in this exploratory and qualitative study. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) served as the basis for the developed interview guideline. In summary, the results confirm that a variety of factors potentially influence farmer acceptance and AFR diffusion from the perspective of AgTech startups, with perceived usefulness being considered the main motivation for using AFR. The interviewed experts believe that AFR will initially be used in crops that have relatively high costs for crop protection treatments before becoming economically attractive for other crops. The basic prerequisite for a successful market launch is an adjustment of the legal framework, which sets standards in relation to AFR and thus, provides security in the production process. The results could support political decision-makers in dealing with this new technology and AFR manufacturers in the promotion of AFR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop