Tahir Khan

The need to move to more sustainable energy generation has become a major concern among world leaders due to the debilitating effect of greenhouse gases on the environment. Africa has the greatest potential to transition to more sustainable energy sources due to its enormous renewable energy resource potential, particularly solar. This study thus assessed the potential of generating power using a concentrated solar tower power plant (CSTP) at three different locations in Algeria. The study evaluated the system’s technical, environmental, economic, and employment creation potential and analyzed the hydrogen and ammonia creation potential using the electricity produced by the CSTP system. Naama, Laghouat, and Ghardaia recorded annual energies of 507 GWh, 502 GWh, and 547 GWh, with capacity factors of 57.6%, 57.6%, and 62%, respectively. A real levelized cost of energy ranging between 7.72 and 8.47 cent$/kWh was obtained. A total of 8530 tons of nitrogen and 1844 tons of hydrogen will be theoretically needed to produce ammonia (fertilizer) for 500,000 hectares of arable land for agricultural activities. In addition, using hydrogen from the CSTP system to produce the estimated ammonia will save 6124.56 tons of CO₂ emissions from polluting the environment annually. The creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs will significantly benefit Algerians. The study concluded with some policy recommendations based on its findings.

Significant attempts have been made to make the electrical grid more intelligent and responsive to better meet customers' requirements while boosting the stability and efficiency of current power systems. Smart grid technologies, which have just recently emerged, facilitated the incorporation of demand response (DR) by introducing an information and communication backbone to the current system. The Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a key technology for smart energy grids. Security concerns have emerged as a major obstacle to the widespread adoption of IoT‐enabled devices because of the inherent Internet connectivity of these smart gadgets. Therefore, security is a crucial factor to address before the widespread implementation of IoT‐based devices in power grids. In this study, the framework and architecture of smart grids that are enabled by the IoT are first examined. Then, the role of IoT for DR in smart grids and different approaches adopted worldwide to make DR schemes more effective, have been discussed in detail. Finally, the authors discuss how IoT‐enabled smart grids can benefit from cutting‐edge solutions and technologies that make them more secure and resistant to cyber and physical attacks.

The use of solar water heaters (SWH) in both residential and commercial facilities is one of the possible ways to reduce electricity bills and the release of greenhouse gases (GHG). This study assessed the technical, economic, and environmental performance of a SWH system at six different locations in China (i.e., Lhasa, Lauchang, Wuhan, Kashi, Yumen, and Harbin). A comparison between two different working fluids (i.e., water and glycol) were modeled in the System Advisor Model in all six cities. A sensitivity analysis was conducted on some key technical and economic parameters to assess the impact of such parameters on the performance of SWH systems in the country. According to the results, Lhasa recorded the highest capacity factor of 11% and 10.70% using water and glycol as the working fluid, respectively. Lhasa was identified as the best location among the studied locations due to its high solar irradiation. The optimization study indicates that the optimum azimuth for China is 190°. It was also found that a 25% reduction in the outlet set temperature of the water can reduce the capacity factor from 11% to about 9.2%. Using the SWH as simulated in this study can reduce carbon dioxide emissions from 1252.87–2014.85 kg per year to 138.20–330.23 kg per year; the extent of reduction depends on the location of the SWHS, and the solar energy available at the area. Net electricity bill savings of $156–296 could be obtained if SWH systems were installed and used at the studied locations.

Energy is very important in daily life. The smart power system provides an energy management system using various techniques. Among other load types, campus microgrids are very important, and they consume large amounts of energy. Energy management systems in campus prosumer microgrids have been addressed in different works. A comprehensive study of previous works has not reviewed the architecture, tools, and energy storage systems of campus microgrids. In this paper, a survey of campus prosumer microgrids is presented considering their energy management schemes, optimization techniques, architectures, storage types, and design tools. The survey is comprised of one decade of past works for a true analysis. In the optimization techniques, deterministic and metaheuristic methods are reviewed considering their pros and cons. Smart grids are being installed in different campuses all over the world, and these are considered the best alternatives to conventional power systems. However, efficient energy management techniques and tools are required to make these grids more economical and stable.