Browse Topic: Renewable energy
Two of the biggest hurdles to adoption of hydrogen fuel cells are still the availability of hydrogen and its affordability. Now Bosch has taken what is a small step toward addressing availability at its Farmington Hills, Michigan, engineering center, where the company just unveiled its new electrolyzer, which uses electrical current to split water into oxygen and hydrogen to power fuel cells.
Honda is promoting mobility electrification to realize a carbon-neutral society by 2050. Hybrid vehicles will remain advantageous over electric vehicles in terms of manufacturing cost and driving range until renewable energy usage increases, charging infrastructure is sufficiently developed, and battery costs are reduced. In response to this situation, Honda has developed a new control system, “Honda S+ Shift”, which further enhances the “emotional value of driving pleasure” inherent to the e:HEV system and creates new value for hybrid vehicles. Honda S+ Shift synchronizes the engine and vehicle speed and selects a virtual gear position according to the driver's operation such as acceleration, cornering, and deceleration. Subsequently, the system achieves the required system output in cooperation with a dedicated energy management system. It also works with each vehicle system, such as drive force control, sound control, and meter cluster, to stimulate all five senses of the driver, greatly enhancing synchronization between the driver's senses and vehicle behavior. This paper explains how the concept of Honda S+ Shift is realized with the e:HEV system. Since there are no mechanical gear restrictions, Honda S+ Shift can select each gear ratio freely and enables fast shifting. On the other hand, there are difficulties in realizing realistic shifting behavior without direct connection between an engine and tires. Furthermore, e:HEV has three specific operation modes: EV, Hybrid and Engine, and Honda S+ Shift has to utilize them to keep its high efficiency. The first part of this paper describes the setting of the gear ratios, drive force and deceleration. Next, it explains engine speed control to realize sharp shifting and traction motor control to produce a realistic shift feel. Then, it describes how Honda S+ Shift utilizes three modes of e:HEV. It also refers to cooperation with sound and meter cluster control to maximize its effects.
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are rapidly transforming the automotive landscape, offering a cleaner and more sustainable alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles. As EV adoption grows, optimizing energy consumption becomes critical to enhancing vehicle efficiency and extending driving range. One of the most significant auxiliary loads in EVs is the climate control system, commonly referred to as HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning). HVAC systems can consume a substantial portion of the battery's energy—especially under extreme weather conditions—leading to a noticeable reduction in vehicle range. This energy demand poses a challenge for EV manufacturers and users alike, as range anxiety remains a key barrier to widespread EV acceptance. Consequently, developing intelligent climate control strategies is essential to minimize HVAC power consumption without compromising passenger comfort. These strategies may include predictive thermal management, cabin pre-conditioning, zonal climate control, and integration with renewable energy sources. By implementing such energy-efficient solutions, EVs can achieve better range performance, improved user satisfaction, and greater environmental benefits. Modern EV climate control systems increasingly rely on intelligent features such as Auto mode, which dynamically adjusts fan speed, airflow direction, and temperature settings based on real-time cabin and ambient conditions. By leveraging sensor data and adaptive control algorithms, Auto mode optimizes thermal comfort while minimizing unnecessary energy expenditure. This automated regulation plays a crucial role in reducing HVAC-related power consumption, thereby contributing to overall range improvement and enhancing system efficiency without compromising passenger comfort. This study focuses on the development of three distinct Auto mode calibration levels for each set condition, designed to achieve the same cabin temperature with varying dynamic responses and energy consumption profiles. In Auto mode, the cabin temperature is regulated through intelligent control of compressor speed, blower speed, and evaporator temperature. While all Auto levels can maintain the desired setpoint, the time required to reach this temperature and the system’s responsiveness to sudden thermal loads can vary significantly. This study introduces three distinct calibration profiles, each engineered to achieve the same cabin temperature under different dynamic conditions and energy consumption levels. These profiles allow users to choose between faster thermal response or reduced power usage, effectively enabling a trade-off between immediate comfort and extended driving range
In the context of increasing global energy demand and growing concerns about climate change, the integration of renewable energy sources with advanced modelling technologies has become essential for achieving sustainable and efficient energy systems. Solar energy, despite its considerable potential, continues to face challenges related to performance variability, limited real-time insights, and the need for reactive maintenance. To overcome these barriers, this work presents a Digital Twin framework aimed at optimizing solar-integrated energy systems through real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and adaptive control. This work presents a Digital Twin framework designed to address the challenges of designing, operating, maintaining, and estimating renewable energy systems, specifically solar power, based on dynamic load demand. The framework enables real-time forecasting and prediction of energy outputs, ensuring systems operate efficiently and maintain peak performance across diverse conditions. The proposed methodology mirrors the physical system using real-time data inputs, environmental conditions, and physics-based models to create a high-fidelity virtual replica. This allows for dynamic analysis of energy flows, load forecasting, system performance prediction, and scenario testing to optimize design and operational strategies. By integrating predictive analytics, Digital Twin adapts to changing conditions, enabling proactive maintenance, fault detection, and system calibration to meet future load demands. Experimental validation demonstrates that the framework improves system efficiency, adaptability, and reliability, with scalable applications for both centralized and decentralized energy systems. Additionally, its integration with cloud-based platforms and IoT technologies enables real-time monitoring, facilitating continuous optimization and data-driven decision-making. This Digital Twin approach provides an intelligent, data-driven solution for the renewable energy sector, facilitating sustainable, resilient, and efficient energy infrastructures that can reliably meet evolving load demands while optimizing performance throughout their lifecycle.
Letter from the Guest Editors
New approaches to make SoC and SoH parameters more accurate will be required as battery demand keeps growing in the coming years. As the demand for accurate, reliable, and intelligent battery management systems continues to grow, overcoming state of charge (SoC) and state of health (SoH) estimation errors becomes more relevant than ever. The battery performance topic is getting especially critical, as electric vehicles, renewable energy storage systems, and portable electronics are now commonplace. This growing demand puts additional pressure on battery performance while also reinforcing the need for accurate SoC and SoH parameters. However, precisely estimating SoC and SoH parameters remains challenging, as their accuracy depends on several factors. Among these are hardware malfunctions and data quality issues that stand in the way of accurate SoC and SoH estimation.
As countries race to expand renewable energy infrastructure, balancing clean electricity production with land use for food remains a pressing challenge — especially in Japan, where mountainous terrain limits space. A recent study led by researchers from the University of Tokyo explores a promising solution: integrating solar panels with traditional rice farming in a practice known as agrivoltaics.
Why smart electrical distribution is the new frontier in sustainable manufacturing. From transitioning to renewable energy, embracing the circular economy and pursuing carbon offsets, today's automakers are actively working to become more sustainable. Many OEMs have big goals to become fully carbon-neutral by 2050. Some believe they can get there even earlier. But look past the cars and sources of energy right into the factories in which the vehicles of today and tomorrow are born and focus on a key question: how can carmakers make significant strides inside their plants to cut waste and improve sustainability?
New smart sensors can help detect dangerous internal failures in lithium-ion batteries before they escalate into fires or explosions, say researchers from the University of Surrey. Lithium-ion batteries are at the heart of the global shift to electric vehicles and renewable energy — but when they fail, the results can be devastating.
Renewable Energy with Zero Emissions
To create the new batteries needed for EVs, mobile devices, and renewable energy storage, researchers have explored new materials, new designs, new configurations, and new chemistry. But one aspect — the texture of the metals used — has been historically overlooked.
An Army-funded research project has led to the development of more efficient materials for developing thermoelectric generators that convert waste heat to clean energy for a variety of applications. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA Thermoelectric generators that can convert waste heat to clean energy could soon be as efficient as other renewable energy sources, like solar, according to a team led by Penn State scientists. Using high-entropy materials, the researchers created more efficient thermoelectric materials than previously possible, an advancement that they said could even help make long-distance space exploration possible. In a study partially funded by the U.S. Army with results published in the journal Joule last year, the researchers demonstrated how thermoelectric devices - including the radioisotope thermoelectric generators that produce energy for NASA's space exploration vehicles - can convert differences in temperature to electricity. When they are placed near a heat source - like a steam pipe in a power plant - charge carriers, like electrons, move from the hot side to the cold side, producing an electric current.
Thermoelectric generators that can convert waste heat to clean energy could soon be as efficient as other renewable energy sources, like solar, according to a team led by Penn State scientists. Using high-entropy materials, the researchers created more efficient thermoelectric materials than previously possible, an advancement that they said could even help make long-distance space exploration possible.
Recent advances are reducing the cost of space launch, high specific power solar cells, and the production of satellite systems. Modular architectures with no moving parts and distributed power systems would minimize assembly and maintenance costs. Together, this may enable space-based solar power to provide decarbonized dispatchable power at a lower cost than equivalent technologies such as nuclear power stations. Space-based Solar Power for Instantaneously Dispatchable Renewable Power on Earth discusses the advances in emerging technologies, like thin film solar cells, reusable launch vehicles, and mass-produced modular satellite systems that would make economic space power feasible. Click here to access the full SAE EDGETM Research Report portfolio.
Letter from the Guest Editors
Efuels, synthetic gasolines made from captured carbon dioxide and renewable energy (usually wind and solar power), are “a valuable part of the solution,” said Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark at a press briefing in New York on January 31. He described the process of creating the fuel as “really clean,” but also cited a rather off-putting price: $31 a gallon in the U.S. Still, Hallmark thinks eFuels could be a way for Aston to continue producing at least a few V12-powered cars in the coming electric future. Other automakers agree, but the battle over eFuels has by no means reached a cease-fire.
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