This study investigates the current status of photovoltaic water pumping systems (PVWPSs) in Iran, a country endowed with significant solar irradiation potential, notably in its southern and central regions. Despite this potential, there is a scarcity of comprehensive studies on solar water pumping systems within the country. This purpose of this study is to conduct a thorough review of the existing literature to assess the state of solar water pumping in Iran. The adoption of PVWPS across various provinces demonstrates the system\'s versatility, proving effective in both highly sunny and less irradiated regions. Iran\'s widespread utilization of PVWPS is attributed to its ample irradiations, even in its northern areas, which possess lower solar irradiance levels. There are limited comprehensive studies encompassing technical, economic, environmental, and social aspects of solar PV water pumping projects in Iran. Most of the research has been conducted during the last few years, indicating an increased recognition of the possible advantages of this technology. Finally, this review provides valuable insights for researchers and farmers, showcasing the benefits of solar PVWPS. It sets the stage for further innovation and implementation in the country\'s agricultural landscape, emphasizing the need for continued exploration and adoption of this sustainable approach.

Solar-driven water-electricity cogeneration is a promising strategy for tackling water scarcity and power shortages. However, comprehensive reviews on performance, scalability, commercialization, and power density are lacking. This Perspective presents an overview of recent developments and insights into the challenges and future outlooks for practical applications in this area. We summarize recent advances in high-efficiency water production, focusing on rapid evaporation and condensation. Then we categorize power-water cogeneration systems by power generation mechanisms like steam, evaporation, salinity gradient, photovoltaics, and temperature gradient, providing a comprehensive summary of the performance and applicability of these systems in different scenarios. Finally, we highlight challenges in current systems, considering nanoscale mechanisms and large-scale manufacturing, while also exploring potential trends for future practical applications.

In the quest for effective solutions to address Environ. Pollut. and meet the escalating energy demands, heterojunction photocatalysts have emerged as a captivating and versatile technology. These photocatalysts have garnered significant interest due to their wide-ranging applications, including wastewater treatment, air purification, CO2 capture, and hydrogen generation via water splitting. This technique harnesses the power of semiconductors, which are activated under light illumination, providing the necessary energy for catalytic reactions. With visible light constituting a substantial portion (46%) of the solar spectrum, the development of visible-light-driven semiconductors has become imperative. Heterojunction photocatalysts offer a promising strategy to overcome the limitations associated with activating semiconductors under visible light. In this comprehensive review, we present the recent advancements in the field of photocatalytic degradation of contaminants across diverse media, as well as the remarkable progress made in renewable energy production. Moreover, we delve into the crucial role played by various operating parameters in influencing the photocatalytic performance of heterojunction systems. Finally, we address emerging challenges and propose novel perspectives to provide valuable insights for future advancements in this dynamic research domain. By unraveling the potential of heterojunction photocatalysts, this review contributes to the broader understanding of their applications and paves the way for exciting avenues of exploration and innovation.

The active silicon cell of a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel is covered by an ethylenevinylacetate (EVA) adhesive and a protective top glass layer. Separating this glass-EVA layer from the underlying silicon represents a bottleneck for recycling PV panels. Previous work has shown that the EVA-Si bond can be weakened by applying a continuous source of heat to melt the EVA. In this paper, a new method using nanosecond laser pulses is demonstrated to induce transient melting selectively at the EVA-Si interface. This impulsive heating method can cleanly separate the glass-EVA layer from the silicon in both model and commercial multicrystalline PV panels. The dependence of this debonding on parameters like laser pulse fluence (laser pulse energy per area), wavelength, applied pressure, and scan speed were characterized. For model PV panels, the single-pulse laser fluences required for spontaneous separation of the assembly under the force of gravity, were 0.23, 0.32 and 0.78 J/cm2 for 355 nm, 532 nm and 1064 nm, respectively. The use of shorter wavelengths reduces the laser fluence needed for debonding, while higher fluences can compensate for faster laser beam scanning rates. Optical and electron microscopy images of the Si surfaces before and after laser irradiation show that the textured antireflection layer is destroyed but the silver metal grid remains intact. Preliminary experiments using 532 nm pulses showed that the laser debonding method could remove the glass-EVA layer from sections of decommissioned commercial PV panels, even when the top glass layer was densely cracked.

In this review and synthesis, we argue that California is an important test case for the nation and world because terrestrial biodiversity is very high, present and anticipated threats to biodiversity from climate change and other interacting stressors are severe, and innovative approaches to protecting biodiversity in the context of climate change are being developed and tested. We first review salient dimensions of California\'s terrestrial physical, biological, and human diversity. Next, we examine four facets of the threat to their sustainability of these dimensions posed by climate change: direct impacts, illustrated by a new analysis of shifting diversity hotspots for plants; interactive effects involving invasive species, land-use change, and other stressors; the impacts of changing fire regimes; and the impacts of land-based renewable energy development. We examine recent policy responses in each of these areas, representing attempts to better protect biodiversity while advancing climate adaptation and mitigation. We conclude that California\'s ambitious 30 × 30 Initiative and its efforts to harmonize biodiversity conservation with renewable energy development are important areas of progress. Adapting traditional suppression-oriented fire policies to the reality of new fire regimes is an area in which much progress remains to be made.

The imperative shift towards renewable energy sources, driven by environmental concerns and climate change, has cast a spotlight on solar energy as a clean, abundant, and cost-effective solution. To harness its potential, accurate modeling of photovoltaic (PV) systems is crucial. However, this relies on estimating elusive parameters concealed within PV models. This study addresses these challenges through innovative parameter estimation by introducing the logarithmic spiral search and selective mechanism-based arithmetic optimization algorithm (Ls-AOA). Ls-AOA is an improved version of the arithmetic optimization algorithm (AOA). It combines logarithmic search behavior and a selective mechanism to improve exploration capabilities. This makes it easier to obtain accurate parameter extraction. The RTC France solar cell is employed as a benchmark case study in order to ensure consistency and impartiality. A standardized experimental framework integrates Ls-AOA into the parameter tuning process for three PV models: single-diode, double-diode, and three-diode models. The choice of RTC France solar cell underscores its significance in the field, providing a robust evaluation platform for Ls-AOA. Statistical and convergence analyses enable rigorous assessment. Ls-AOA consistently attains low RMSE values, indicating accurate current-voltage characteristic estimation. Smooth convergence behavior reinforces its efficacy. Comparing Ls-AOA to other methods strengthens its superiority in optimizing solar PV model parameters, showing that it has the potential to improve the use of solar energy.

Bangladesh is blessed with an extensive range of solar energy generation possibilities; however, the primary impediment to attaining its full potential in the solar energy industry is the inadequate budget in the energy sector. As a result, determining the most economical and efficient solar module configuration for each specific scenario has become a critical necessity. This study offers a comprehensive techno-economic analysis and environmental impact assessment of four distinct solar modules: monofacial, bifacial, dual-axis solar tracker, and seasonal tilt solar module, in an open area of South Sakucia Union, Bhola district, in the southwest part of Bangladesh. By integrating energy-generation capabilities, financial metrics, and environmental benefits, this research provides a holistic evaluation framework to ensure optimal economic performance and minimal adverse environmental effects for sustainable solar solutions in Bangladesh. Utilizing PV*SOL, PVsyst, and System Advisor Model (SAM) software, this study assesses energy-generation capabilities and economic viability. Despite the dual-axis solar tracker exhibiting the highest average energy generation (149,070.3 kWh/year), its higher initial cost renders it less financially viable compared to other configurations. Financial metrics reveal that the seasonal tilt configuration is the most cost-efficient, with the lowest Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) at $0.0452/kWh and the highest Net Present Value (NPV) of $52,887.70. Additionally, it has the shortest Discounted Payback Period (DPBP) at 12.69 years, a favorable Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 9.460 %, and a Profitability Index (PI) of 1.459, indicating robust returns on investment. These findings emphasize the importance of considering both energy-generation capabilities and financial metrics when evaluating solar module configurations in the southern part of Bangladesh, serving as a valuable reference for policymakers. Moreover, meticulous environmental impact assessments assist in choosing configurations with minimal adverse effects on the environment.

Organic-inorganic nanocomposites have the potential to be used in photovoltaic materials due to their eco-friendliness, suitable band gaps, and high stability. In this work, we integrated gold and Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles with poly-m-amino benzene sulfonic (m-ABS) to synthesize Fe3O4@Au@poly-(m-aminobenzenesulfonic acid) (Fe3O4@Au@m-ABS) magneto-plasmonic nanoparticles (MPNPs) to enhance the performance of the organic photovoltaic (OPV). These MPNPs exhibit broad UV-Vis absorption and a low band gap of 2.878 eV, enhancing their suitability for photovoltaic applications. The MPNPs were introduced into the ZnO electron transporting layer (ETL) and active layer to investigate the influence of MPNPs on the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the OPVs. When 0.1 vol% MPNPs were incorporated in the ETL, the OPVs achieved a PCE of 14.24% and a fill factor (FF) of 69.10%. On the other hand, when 0.1 vol% MPNPs were incorporated in the active layer, the OPVs showed a PCE of 14.11% and an FF of 68.83%. However, the OPVs without MPNPs only possessed a PCE of 13.15% and an FF of 63.69%. The incorporation of MPNPs increased the PCE by 8.3% in the OPV device. These findings suggest that Fe3O4@Au@m-ABS MPNPs are promising nanocomposite materials for enhancing the performance of OPVs.

Liquid silicon-based carbon dots (CDs) with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 50% were prepared using N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (DAMO), citric acid, and n-butylamine as raw materials. Firstly, the optimized characters have been determined, namely, the optimal DAMO, citric acid, and n-butylamine addition amounts of 1 mL, 0.9 g, and 1 mL, a reaction time of 3 h, and a reaction temperature of 160°C. Further research has confirmed that the increase in fluorescence intensity of CDs is mainly due to the introduction of DAMO, in which the two amino groups in DAMO play a major role. In addition, the Si-O-Si group generated by the hydrolysis of siloxane groups is connected to the surface of the CDs and forms a core-shell structure, which modifies the defects on the surface and enhances the fluorescence intensity of the CDs. Finally, luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) based on liquid silicon-based CDs were assembled by spin coating. The obtained device has a transparency of up to 80% and an optical efficiency of 2.4%.

Dual functional materials can be beneficial for simultaneous application in different fields. Herein, tubular graphitic carbon nitride (TCN) was anchored on natural diatomite (DT) by performing a simple hydrothermal-calcination method and the as-obtained composite (TCN/DT) was utilized in both photocatalytic remediation and thermal energy storage. The optimal sample, TCN/DT/3, could degrade 88.9 % of tetracycline, which was about 2.87 times than that of the pristine TCN. This could be due to extended light absorption ability, altered band structure and enhanced separation rate of photoinduced carrier. The photocatalytic efficiency remained 78.0% after fifth cycle, indicating its reusability feature. The reaction was mainly driven by superoxide radicals as well as holes and hydroxyl radicals mediated the reaction. The TCN/DT/3/Vis system showed good performance at near-neutral pH, also the system could be efficiently performed under tap water and drinking water. On the other hand, the usage of TCN/DT/3 catalyst as a framework for shape-stabilized stearic acid (SA) based composite phase change materials (PCMs) was explored. The composite PCM exhibited higher thermal energy storage capacity accompanied with improved thermal conductivity in comparison with DT/PCM composite. This study presented a novel composite materials which exhibited a synergistic effect between TCN and DT, resulting in high photocatalytic activity and effective thermal energy storage capacity.