Low carbon and renewable energy sources (RESs) are fast becoming a key sustainable instrument in meeting the global growth of electricity demand while curbing carbon emissions. For example, the gradual displacement of fossil-fuelled vehicles with electrically driven counterparts will inevitably increase both the power grid baseload and peak demand. In many developed countries, the electrification process of the transport sector has already started in tandem with the installation of multi-GW renewable energy capacity, particularly wind and solar, huge investment in power storage technology, and end-user energy demand management. The expansion of the Electric Vehicle (EV) market presents a new opportunity to create a cleaner and transformative new energy carrier. For instance, a managed EV battery charging and discharging profile in conjunction with the national grid, known as the Vehicle-to-Grid system (V2G), is projected to be an important mechanism in reducing the impact of renewable energy intermittency. This paper presents an extensive literature review of the current status of EVs and allied interface technology with the power grid. The main findings and statistical details are drawn from up-to-date publications highlighting the latest technological advancements, limitations, and potential future market development. The authors believe that electric vehicle technology will bring huge technological innovation to the energy market where the vehicle will serve both as a means of transport and a dynamic energy vector interfacing with the grid (V2G), buildings (V2B), and others (V2X).

The global transition to renewable energy sources (RESs) is accelerating to combat the rapid depletion of fossil fuels and mitigate their devastating environmental impact. However, the increasing integration of large-scale intermittent RESs, such as solar photovoltaics (PVs) and wind power systems, introduces significant technical challenges related to power supply stability, reliability, and quality. This paper provides a comprehensive review of these challenges, with a focus on the critical role of energy storage systems (ESSs) in overcoming them by evaluating their technical, economic, and environmental performance. Various types of energy storage systems, including mechanical, electrochemical, electrical, thermal, and chemical systems, are analyzed to identify their distinct strengths and limitations. This study further examines the current state and potential applications of ESSs, identifying strategies to enhance grid flexibility and the increased adoption of RESs. The findings reveal that while each ESS type has specific advantages, no single technology can tackle all grid challenges. Consequently, hybrid energy storage systems (HESSs), which combine multiple technologies, are emphasized for their ability to improve efficiency and adaptability, making them especially suitable for modern power grids.

This study presents a method to adapt existing hydronic systems in buildings to take advantage of low temperature district heating (LTDH). Plate radiators connected to double string heating circuits were considered in an optimization procedure, based on supply and return temperatures, to obtain the required logarithmic mean temperature difference (LMTD) for a low temperature heating system. The results of the analysis are presented as the average reduction of LMTD over the heating season compared to the base case design conditions. Two scenarios were investigated based on the assumption of a likely cost reduction in the end users' energy bills of 1% for each 1 °C reduction of return and average supply and return temperatures. The results showed possible discounts of 14% and 16% respectively, due to more efficient operation of the radiators. These were achieved without any intervention in the thermal envelope or to the heating systems, through simply adjusting the temperatures according to demand and properly controlling the plate radiators with thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs)