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Advances into Solar Energy Technologies and Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2026 | Viewed by 1301

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Educational Research, Engineering and Technological Development, University of the Valley of Mexico, Queretaro 25138, Mexico
Interests: virtual reality manipulation technology; system analysis

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Guest Editor
Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Constructions Engineering (D.E.S.T.eC), University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: fluid machinery; internal combustion engine; solar energy
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of innovative technologies in the field of solar energy has significantly transformed the global energy landscape, driving sustainable solutions to mitigate climate change and ensure access to clean energy. This Special Issue of Applied Sciences, aims to bring together original research articles and critical reviews that explore recent progress in materials, devices, systems, and methodologies for solar energy generation, storage, and management. We encourage the submission of works addressing innovations in photovoltaic cells, solar thermal collectors, hybrid applications, smart grid integration, and energy efficiency strategies. Interdisciplinary research combining engineering, materials science, computational modeling, energy policy, and techno-economic feasibility studies will also be highly valued. This Special Issue seeks to foster academic and technological dialogue that connects cutting-edge research with practical applications, contributing to the acceleration of the transition toward a cleaner, more resilient, and sustainable energy system. We invite the scientific, technical, and industrial communities to contribute their latest findings to consolidate knowledge and open new opportunities for the global adoption of solar energy.

Dr. Marco Antonio Zamora Antuñano
Dr. Marco Francesconi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • solar photovoltaic energy
  • solar thermal energy
  • next-generation solar cells
  • energy storage
  • smart grid integration
  • hybrid renewable systems
  • energy efficiency
  • advanced materials for solar energy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

29 pages, 5731 KB  
Article
Energy and Exergy Assessment of a Solar Power Tower Integrated Subcritical-CO2 Brayton–Rankine–Desalination Multigeneration System for Mediterranean Applications
by İsmail Üstün, Cuma Karakuş and Özkan Köse
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(21), 11544; https://doi.org/10.3390/app152111544 - 29 Oct 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 894
Abstract
Concentrated solar power technology offers an effective pathway for large-scale renewable electricity generation in areas with abundant solar resources. This study develops and evaluates a cascaded multigeneration system that integrates a solar power tower with a subcritical-CO2 Brayton cycle, a bottoming Rankine [...] Read more.
Concentrated solar power technology offers an effective pathway for large-scale renewable electricity generation in areas with abundant solar resources. This study develops and evaluates a cascaded multigeneration system that integrates a solar power tower with a subcritical-CO2 Brayton cycle, a bottoming Rankine cycle, and a multi-effect distillation unit designed for Mediterranean conditions. The system achieves a maximum net power output of 23.48 MW and a freshwater production rate of 14.25 kg/s during peak summer conditions. The analysis reveals that high solar availability enables CO2 mitigation of up to 27,434.55 kg-CO2/h, thereby emphasizing the strong environmental benefits of the proposed system. The integrated Sb-CO2–Rankine–Desalination configuration attains overall thermal efficiencies of 0.39–0.43, while exergy efficiencies reach 0.58 and 0.73 for the Sb-CO2 and Rankine subsystems, respectively. Sensitivity analysis further confirms the strong pressure dependence of the Sb-CO2 cycle, with an optimum operation condition around 10 bar and 1100 °C, whereas the Rankine cycle exhibits a steady efficiency enhancement with increasing pressure. The proposed system achieves a simple payback period of 15.3 years, demonstrating its economic feasibility under Mediterranean climatic conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances into Solar Energy Technologies and Applications)
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