Mengxue Lu , Joseph H.K. Lai , Roger T.H. Ng , Betty W.Y. Chiu
{"title":"Review on building retro-commissioning: a systematic-cascade literature analysis with expert validation","authors":"Mengxue Lu , Joseph H.K. Lai , Roger T.H. Ng , Betty W.Y. Chiu","doi":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116116","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116116","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To optimize the energy performance of buildings, governments worldwide have introduced retro-commissioning (RCx), a systematic investigation of opportunities to improve the performance of existing buildings. However, RCx studies and applications are not as prevalent as those in the other building energy related domains. The past and recent states of RCx research have not been thoroughly investigated, and future research directions remain unclear. Therefore, a review is conducted to address these gaps using a systematic-cascade approach that includes: retrieval of RCx publications from the ScienceDirect and Scopus databases; bibliometric analysis of the publications using the VOSviewer software; in-depth qualitative analysis of key RCx publications and real case studies; and expert validation of the analysed findings. Key results include the identification of the regions of the past RCx studies, types of buildings and building systems investigated, data types, and data collection and analysis methods used in the studies. Distinct from the continual growth of research in the building energy domain, there was no discernible trend of RCx research. Among the past studies utilizing empirical data, universities and schools are mainly selected for testing RCx scenarios or hypotheses. Barriers and enablers for RCx implementation were found to fall into six categories: knowledge, manpower, finance, motivation, time, and data/information. Nine research gaps and corresponding future research directions were also identified. In addition to contributing to the existing body of RCx knowledge, the results of this study serve as a reference for RCx stakeholders and offer guidance for researchers to pursue further RCx studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":418,"journal":{"name":"Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 116116"},"PeriodicalIF":16.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144672231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A comprehensive review on hydrogen production, purification, storage, and utilization: Challenges and future directions","authors":"Vasupalli Tharun, Pachamuthu Senthil Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116067","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116067","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing carbon footprint of the Earth to increased fossil fuel usage, has raised concerns regarding global temperatures. Urging the development of technologies towards carbon-neutral energy sources. In this scenario, Hydrogen promises a carbon-neutral energy source. This review provides an in-depth analysis and stage-wise assessment on the latest technological advancements and research trends in hydrogen technology from well to wheel. i.e, from production, purification, storage, and utilization. this review includes a series of comparative tables quantifying key parameters such as system level efficiency, cost involved, energy requirements, and purity. In addition, each section is further summarised with potential research gaps, possible solutions and thrust areas which require further research. The research gaps and future directions were prioritized and identified relying on the cause for the transition towards hydrogen in sectors that demand high energy such as, automotive, power generation, energy storage sectors. The research gaps were further prioritized based on environmental considerations by providing insights for reducing the hazardous byproducts. Furthermore, focused on techno-economic factors by providing insights on enhancing their overall efficiency and durability thereby making hydrogen value-chain self-sustainable and economical in both capital and running costs. As a highlight, the study provides a novel approach to utilize hydrogen through hydrogen carriers in IC engines concerning its volumetric energy density, storage safety, and embrittlement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":418,"journal":{"name":"Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 116067"},"PeriodicalIF":16.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chanhee You, Thai Ngan Do, Hegwon Chung, Hyeon Yang, Jiyong Kim
{"title":"Beyond storage to value: Barriers, potential and accelerating policies for carbon capture and utilization in energy production","authors":"Chanhee You, Thai Ngan Do, Hegwon Chung, Hyeon Yang, Jiyong Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116117","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, we systematically investigate the barriers, potential, and accelerating policies of carbon capture and utilization for energy (CCU4E) production as a key strategy to reduce CO<sub>2</sub> emissions and mitigate climate change. We develop an economically optimized model tailored for major CO<sub>2</sub>-emitting regions, covering the period from 2030 to 2050. The proposed model outlines a structured CCU4E strategy by identifying the optimal pathway configurations under nation-specific constraints such as H<sub>2</sub> production costs, market demand variability, and CO<sub>2</sub> capture capacities. Our analysis reveals that CCU4E strategies demonstrate significant potential for CO<sub>2</sub> utilization, with substantial regional variations driven by differences in H<sub>2</sub> availability and H<sub>2</sub> price. The economic feasibility and environmental performance vary considerably across regions, with H<sub>2</sub> price identified as the dominant economic factor. Policy sensitivity analysis demonstrates that carbon taxes, H<sub>2</sub> economy promotion, and catalyst development significantly influence CCU4E effectiveness, with optimal strategies varying substantially by regional conditions. Synergistic integration of CCU4E with existing CCUS frameworks offers strategic pathways for enhanced CO<sub>2</sub> mitigation while improving economic efficiency. The comprehensive optimization framework provides practical insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders by identifying implementation barriers, quantifying economic potential, and developing targeted policy recommendations. This research contributes a valuable tool for strategic decision-making in CCU4E deployment, enabling evidence-based policy design and technology investment strategies that accelerate progress toward global climate targets while considering regional economic and technical constraints.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":418,"journal":{"name":"Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 116117"},"PeriodicalIF":16.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144665477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Research progress on microchannel enhanced heat transfer technology: Passive methods","authors":"Ying Kang, Zhen-bing Luo, Xiong Deng, Yin-xin Zhu, Zhi-xun Xia, Pan Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116089","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116089","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microchannel heat sinks (MCHS) represent a critical technology for thermal management in electronic devices. Enhancing their performance is imperative to address the escalating thermal challenges caused by high heat flux in advanced integrated systems. This article systematically reviews and critically discusses the latest research progress and development trends of passive heat transfer enhancement technology in MCHS, focusing on four key aspects: channel configuration, internal enhancement structure, surface treatment, and coolant. The article elucidates how different technologies affect MCHS performance (heat transfer efficiency and flow resistance), while innovatively systematizing their inherent advantages and limitations in heat transfer enhancement. Research has shown that different passive heat transfer enhancement technologies integration markedly improves device cooling. However, the performance improvement of MCHS requires a careful balance between cooling capability and flow resistance costs. This work consolidates current passive heat transfer enhancement technology of MCHS research advances. It further identifies pivotal future development directions and optimization strategies. These contributions deliver essential research foundations and design methodologies for high-performance, low-power MCHS in next-generation applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":418,"journal":{"name":"Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 116089"},"PeriodicalIF":16.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unlocking sustainable opportunities for sludge-derived aqueous phase via hydrothermal carbonization","authors":"Wei Meng , Lei Zheng , Shikun Cheng , Zifu Li","doi":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116084","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116084","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) minimises the volume and environmental hazards of sludge while generating useful products. However, the substantial volumes of toxic HTC-aqueous phase (HTC-AP) generated by this technology are often overlooked, posing a significant barrier to its advancement. This review thoroughly examines the characteristics, transformation mechanisms, treatment, and recycling technologies associated with sludge-derived HTC-AP. Additionally, it suggests utilizing machine learning to forecast the properties of HTC-AP. The characteristics of HTC-AP are closely linked to the chemical properties of the sludge and parameters of the HTC process, with higher proportions of high-nitrogen sludge and higher temperatures correlating with increased toxicity. Detoxification is essential before HTC-AP recycling. Achieving the full treatment and recycling of HTC-AP in a single process is challenging and necessitates greater integration and synergy between systems. A strong connection between the upstream sludge HTC process and downstream HTC-AP value-added strategy is vital for ensuring process sustainability. Furthermore, this review proposes a novel strategy that combines a machine learning approach with multi-process integration using systems thinking to enhance the energy yield and economic performance and optimize the HTC process. This comprehensive review provides guidance for optimizing sludge-derived HTC-AP recycling and HTC process regulations, with the goal of increasing the sustainability of HTC for sludge management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":418,"journal":{"name":"Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 116084"},"PeriodicalIF":16.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Review on renewable energy systems of unmanned marine vehicles and guidance for energy selection","authors":"Gongbo Wang , Tianyi Xu , Ming Yang , Wendong Niu","doi":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116085","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116085","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, the demand for unmanned marine vehicles (UMVs) has grown rapidly across various fields, and the energy supply for these vehicles has emerged as a key challenge that limits their endurance and operational range. The abundant marine renewable energies present a promising solution to this problem, but single renewable energy systems are insufficient for the long-endurance operational demands of UMVs in complex ocean environments. In this case, hybrid renewable energy systems have become a promising alternative. This paper undertakes a comprehensive review on the renewable energy systems of UMVs and explores the advantages and limitations of various energy combinations, involving solar energy, wave energy, wind energy, thermal energy, pressure potential energy, etc. The multi-criteria decision analysis method is introduced for optimizing the energy selection for UMVs, with decision-making guidance for the most suitable energy solutions of different UMVs. The findings suggest that the solar-wave combination is ideal for unmanned surface vehicles, while the solar-thermal energy-pressure potential combination is more suitable for unmanned underwater vehicles. This study offers a systematic framework for decision-making of the UMV energy system, which advances the application of marine renewable energies and provides theoretical guidance for practical decision-making in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":418,"journal":{"name":"Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 116085"},"PeriodicalIF":16.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gabriel E. Mejia-Ruiz , Ganesh Marasini , Zhihua Qu , Soumya Kundu , Sai Pushpak
{"title":"Cybersecurity challenges in power networks with distributed energy resources: A comprehensive survey","authors":"Gabriel E. Mejia-Ruiz , Ganesh Marasini , Zhihua Qu , Soumya Kundu , Sai Pushpak","doi":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116100","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into modern power networks is revolutionizing the energy sector, enhancing energy efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. However, their complex communication and control architectures introduce significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities. This survey provides a comprehensive analysis of the cybersecurity challenges facing power networks with high DER penetration, identifying key vulnerabilities at both device and network levels. The survey presents a five-layer attack surface model to categorise vulnerabilities and their associated communication protocols across DER-integrated power systems, while identifying major attack vectors and highlighting emerging threats at each layer. The paper also examines regulatory frameworks and cybersecurity standards. Furthermore, the paper reviews recent advancements in cyber defence, including model-based and machine learning-driven detection techniques, as well as mitigation and prevention strategies to ensure resilient operation of power systems with DER. The review concludes by addressing the key challenges, research gaps, and opportunities for future work, such as adversarial-aware AI defences, quantum-resilient cryptography, and real-time edge computing solutions. Additionally, it underscores the potential of emerging technologies like blockchain and 5 G/6 G networks in countering evolving cyber threats, emphasizing the critical demand for scalable and innovative cybersecurity strategies to address the increasing sophistication of DER systems and threat vectors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":418,"journal":{"name":"Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 116100"},"PeriodicalIF":16.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144665695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A.Z. Arsad , M.A. Hannan , H.C. Ong , Pin Jern Ker , Richard TK. Wong , R.A. Begum , Gilsoo Jang , T M Indra Mahlia
{"title":"Artificial intelligence in hydrogen energy transitions: A comprehensive survey and future directions","authors":"A.Z. Arsad , M.A. Hannan , H.C. Ong , Pin Jern Ker , Richard TK. Wong , R.A. Begum , Gilsoo Jang , T M Indra Mahlia","doi":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116121","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116121","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The urgent need to transition to sustainable energy sources has made hydrogen technology an essential part of achieving low-carbon goals. However, the shift to hydrogen is hindered by challenges such as low energy conversion efficiency, increasing costs, flammability concerns, and the continued reliance on fossil fuels. Implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in the hydrogen transition has been revealed to be beneficial in facilitating the monitoring, control, optimization, and management of hydrogen-driven systems. This work offers a thorough review of AI methods, including machine learning and optimization techniques, applied to hydrogen production, storage solutions, and utilization frameworks. Key findings highlight the ability of AI to improve system monitoring, fault detection, operational control, and energy flow optimization. AI-driven frameworks exhibit significant potential for improving energy flow, operational efficiency, detection capabilities, and safety. Important areas include AI-driven hydrogen management systems, material science, and hydrogen safety are discussed. Every AI method has merits and cons, yet hydrogen transition aspects require an efficient approach. The purpose is to promote hydrogen technology adoption and overcome AI implementation difficulties with hydrogen systems. The primary findings focus on constructing resilient AI-driven controllers that improve hydrogen production, storage, and use efficiency, dependability, stability, and safety. This work emphasizes the significance of intelligent, robust AI-based controllers and provides guidelines for surmounting technical challenges to expedite the transition to sustainable hydrogen solution research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":418,"journal":{"name":"Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 116121"},"PeriodicalIF":16.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144665696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gianluigi Lo Basso, Lorenzo Mario Pastore, Antonio Sgaramella, Ali Mojtahed, Alessandro Ciancio, Axel Riccardo Massulli, Domiziana Vespasiano, Livio de Santoli
{"title":"Status and perspectives of hydrogen role for decarbonising industry: a comprehensive review","authors":"Gianluigi Lo Basso, Lorenzo Mario Pastore, Antonio Sgaramella, Ali Mojtahed, Alessandro Ciancio, Axel Riccardo Massulli, Domiziana Vespasiano, Livio de Santoli","doi":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116083","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116083","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper aims at providing a broad overview over the last decade on the progress status of hydrogen application for decarbonising the heavy industries. In detail, it deepens and completes the content of previous dedicated sectorial reviews by including hitherto unreviewed aspects as far as possible. To do so, a holistic approach has been used by surveying, in the EU member States as well as worldwide, the current hydrogen demand for hard to abate industry sectors. The knowledge of that need is crucial for identifying the realistic potential substitution of grey hydrogen by the green one. Moreover, the readiness level associated to the direct and the indirect hydrogen-based technologies in the industrial sector, along with technical, environmental, economic features have been analysed. Besides, all the available technologies have been presented and sorted by the thermal processes’ temperature level, in which hydrogen can fruitfully take part instead of using electrified systems. In the end, the most relevant theoretical studies and the existing demo sites have been presented. The foreseeable policies and strategies to be implemented in the next future, have been also reported. From this analysis it emerges how the hydrogen direct use is limited to a few applications due to the thermal compatibility with processes and final products quality. Conversely, its exploitation as reactant for producing intermediate chemical compounds or electro fuels seems to be the most suitable and cost-effective strategy in these large-scale energy sectors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":418,"journal":{"name":"Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 116083"},"PeriodicalIF":16.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mona H. Delval , Nils Thonemann , Patrik J.G. Henriksson , Samantha E. Tanzer , Paul Behrens
{"title":"Life cycle assessment of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal approaches: A systematic literature review","authors":"Mona H. Delval , Nils Thonemann , Patrik J.G. Henriksson , Samantha E. Tanzer , Paul Behrens","doi":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116091","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rser.2025.116091","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As climate impacts worsen, novel technologies to draw down atmospheric carbon are gaining attention. One such approach is ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (OCDR). However, the potential environmental side-effects of large-scale OCDR deployment remain understudied. Here, we present a systematic literature review of the life cycle assessments (LCAs) of OCDR approaches. We find that current OCDR LCAs have a limited scope, often overlook environmental impacts beyond global warming, and that LCA as a method is currently limited in capturing aquatic impacts. We provide several recommendations for future work, such as using a functional unit of storing atmospheric carbon over a specified time horizon and in a specified medium, performing cradle-to-grave analysis, including more (marine) environmental impacts, and estimating uncertainties. We also emphasise the need to develop the LCA methodology further for better assessing marine environment impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":418,"journal":{"name":"Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 116091"},"PeriodicalIF":16.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144653936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}