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Energy Engineering for Effective Pathways towards Green and Sustainable Global Demand

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 16154

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mohammad Nur-E-Alam

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Guest Editor

Electron Science Research Institute, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup 6027, WA, Australia
Interests: magneto-photonic/plasmonic crystals; thin film materials and coatings; micro/nano fabrication process; optical microstructures; energy harvesting clear glazing windows; surface engineering for efficiency enhancement of PV systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Mohammad Aminul Islam

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Guest Editor

Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Interests: renewable energy resources; solar photovoltaic technologies; solar cells and PV systems; microelectronics; nanotechnology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

For modern civilization and the development of sustainable globe for human civilization, energy is one of the most important elements. In addition to fossil fuel, energy, renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, wave, and tidal power are well-known worldwide. However, to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel energy and also to mitigate CO₂ emission into the environment, only one form of renewable energy, be it solar, wind or another, cannot be the ultimate choice. Thus, it is time to think of how to improve energy efficiency for a sustainable green globe while simultaneously maintaining a significantly low environmental impact. Thus, energy engineering, including the development of smart micro grids, hybrid renewable energy systems, and development of a single-source renewable energy, can play a vital role for a future green and sustainable globe for human civilization. This Special Issue invites researchers and scholars to submit articles including research concepts, original research, and reviews based on the following subject matter but not limited to these special keywords only:

Prospect and current challenges of global renewable energy;
Role of renewable energy and their new progress toward sustainable global energy transitions;
Different sources of energy and comparison of their transition scenarios;
Cost and benefits analysis toward having renewable energy-dependent sustainable infrastructure development;
Synergies between accelerated energy demand and efficiency of renewable energy sources;
Engineering, development, and enhancement of renewable energy systems;
Fabrication technique, surface engineering, and nanostructure development toward advanced solar PV systems;
Engineering of hybrid renewable energy systems for sustainable rural development and self-sustainable buildings and infrastructures.

Dr. Mohammad Nur-E-Alam
Dr. Mohammad Aminul Islam
Guest Editors

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 energy
Energy engineering
Hybrid energy systems
Optimization
Simulation
Infrastructure
Sustainable development
Energy material development

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 5318 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Synthesis and Characterization of CuO Nanoparticles Derived from Papaya Peel Extract for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)

by You-Kang Phang, Mohammod Aminuzzaman, Md. Akhtaruzzaman, Ghulam Muhammad, Sayaka Ogawa, Akira Watanabe and Lai-Hock Tey

Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020796 - 15 Jan 2021

Cited by 60 | Viewed by 5702

Abstract

In recent years, the green chemistry based-approach for the synthesis of nanoparticles has shown tremendous promise as an alternative to the costly and environmentally unfriendly chemically synthesized nanoparticles. In this study, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were synthesized through a green approach using the water extract of papaya (Carica papaya L.) peel biowaste as reducing as well as stabilizing agents, and copper (II) nitrate trihydrate salt as a precursor. The structural properties, crystallinity, purity, morphology, and the chemical composition of as-synthesized CuO NPs were analyzed using different analytical methods. The analytical results revealed that the synthesized CuO was observed as spherical-like in particles with measured sizes ranging from 85–140 nm and has monoclinic crystalline phase with good purity. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic results confirmed the formation of the Cu-O bond through the involvement of the potential functional groups of biomolecules in papaya peel extract. Regarding photocatalytic activity, the green-synthesized CuO NPs were employed as a photocatalyst for the degradation of palm oil mill effluent (POME) beneath the ultraviolet (UV) light and results showed 66% degradation of the POME was achieved after 3 h exposure to UV irradiation. The phytotoxicity experiment using mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) seed also showed a reduction of toxicity after photodegradation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Engineering for Effective Pathways towards Green and Sustainable Global Demand)

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Review

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18 pages, 3769 KiB

Open AccessReview

Fabrication of Black Silicon via Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching—A Review

by Mohammad Yasir Arafat, Mohammad Aminul Islam, Ahmad Wafi Bin Mahmood, Fairuz Abdullah, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam, Tiong Sieh Kiong and Nowshad Amin

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10766; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910766 - 28 Sep 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3169

Abstract

The metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) technique is commonly employed for texturing the wafer surfaces when fabricating black silicon (BSi) solar cells and is considered to be a potential technique to improve the efficiency of traditional Si-based solar cells. This article aims to review the MACE technique along with its mechanism for Ag-, Cu- and Ni-assisted etching. Primarily, several essential aspects of the fabrication of BSi are discussed, including chemical reaction, etching direction, mass transfer, and the overall etching process of the MACE method. Thereafter, three metal catalysts (Ag, Cu, and Ni) are critically analyzed to identify their roles in producing cost-effective and sustainable BSi solar cells with higher quality and efficiency. The conducted study revealed that Ag-etched BSi wafers are more suitable for the growth of higher quality and efficiency Si solar cells compared to Cu- and Ni-etched BSi wafers. However, both Cu and Ni seem to be more cost-effective and more appropriate for the mass production of BSi solar cells than Ag-etched wafers. Meanwhile, the Ni-assisted chemical etching process takes a longer time than Cu but the Ni-etched BSi solar cells possess enhanced light absorption capacity and lower activity in terms of the dissolution and oxidation process than Cu-etched BSi solar cells. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Engineering for Effective Pathways towards Green and Sustainable Global Demand)

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23 pages, 10188 KiB

Open AccessReview

Delamination-and Electromigration-Related Failures in Solar Panels—A Review

by Abdulwahab A. Q. Hasan, Ammar Ahmed Alkahtani, Seyed Ahmad Shahahmadi, Mohammad Nur E. Alam, Mohammad Aminul Islam and Nowshad Amin

Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6882; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126882 - 18 Jun 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 6481

Abstract

The reliability of photovoltaic (PV) modules operating under various weather conditions attracts the manufacturer’s concern since several studies reveal a degradation rate higher than 0.8% per year for the silicon-based technology and reached up to 2.76% per year in a harsh climate. The lifetime of the PV modules is decreased because of numerous degradation modes. Electromigration and delamination are two failure modes that play a significant role in PV modules’ output power losses. The correlations of these two phenomena are not sufficiently explained and understood like other failures such as corrosion and potential-induced degradation. Therefore, in this review, we attempt to elaborate on the correlation and the influence of delamination and electromigration on PV module components such as metallization and organic materials to ensure the reliability of the PV modules. Moreover, the effects, causes, and the sites that tend to face these failures, particularly the silicon solar cells, are explained in detail. Elsewhere, the factors of aging vary as the temperature and humidity change from one country to another. Hence, accelerated tests and the standards used to perform the aging test for PV modules have been covered in this review. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Engineering for Effective Pathways towards Green and Sustainable Global Demand)

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