This study provides a comprehensive overview of vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) for emerging energy applications by combining a bibliometric analysis and a thematic mini-review. Scopus-indexed publications from 1979 to 2025 were analyzed using PRISMA guidelines and bibliometric tools (Bibliometrix, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer) to map global research trends, and a parallel mini-review distilled recent advances into five thematic areas: aerodynamic strategies, advanced materials, urban integration, hybrid systems, and floating offshore platforms. The results reveal that VAWT research output has surged since 2006, led by China with strong contributions from Europe and North America, and is concentrated in leading renewable energy journals. Dominant topics include computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, performance optimization, wind–solar hybrid integration, and adaptation to turbulent urban environments. Technologically, active and passive aerodynamic innovations have boosted performance albeit with added complexity, remaining mostly at moderate technology readiness (TRL 3–5), while advanced composite materials are improving durability and fatigue life. Emerging applications in microgrids, building-integrated systems, and offshore floating platforms leverage VAWTs’ omnidirectional, low-noise operation, although challenges persist in scaling up, control integration, and long-term field validation. Overall, VAWTs are gaining relevance as a complement to conventional turbines in the sustainable energy transition, and this study’s integrated approach identifies critical gaps and high-priority research directions to accelerate VAWT development and help transition these turbines from niche prototypes to mainstream renewable solutions.

This study aims to map the evolution of pico-hydropower and Michell–Banki (cross-flow) turbine research from 2000 to 2025 through a combined bibliometric analysis and qualitative mini-review. In total, 1036 Scopus-indexed records were initially identified and refined to 922 relevant publications for analysis. Bibliometric mapping with CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix identified publication trends and seven major thematic clusters (dominated by topics such as cross-flow turbine design, renewable energy integration, and asynchronous generators), while a qualitative mini-review of key studies provided contextual depth. The analysis detected 25 keywords with strong citation bursts, indicating a shift in focus over the last decade from traditional electrical regulation toward digitalization and additive manufacturing. The mini-review distilled three dominant lines of inquiry geometric design optimization, hydraulic performance characterization, and socio-economic evaluation and highlighted critical knowledge gaps, including the absence of standardized flow–head–efficiency (Q–H–η) performance data, sparse reporting of economic metrics like levelized cost of energy (LCOE), and limited high-altitude (above 3000 m) validation of pico-hydro systems. This study’s integrative approach is unique compared to prior bibliometric or technical reviews, providing a comprehensive overview of the pico-hydropower landscape and outlining a future research agenda to standardize experimental protocols, integrate economic analysis, and extend cross-flow turbine deployments to high-Andean regions.

In Peru, with the world's largest alpaca population and as the world's leading producer of alpaca fiber, many rural families in high Andean areas depend on alpaca raising and the sale of their fiber as their main source of income. The Cashapata production unit in the rural community of San Antonio, San Mateo district, Huarochiri province, Lima department, is made up of 45 families that sell the fiber at very low prices to the collector. Lack of access to electricity has hindered the transformation of fiber into yarn. This case study focused on the adoption of solar technology to address this transformation challenge. The solar resource and community readiness were assessed. The results showed an on-site solar radiation of 5.26 Kwh/m2.day, with each transformation process such as shearing, terma, dryer, carder and solar spinner being successful. In addition, by recognizing and valuing the traditional knowledge accumulated over generations, it facilitated the adoption of solar technologies for fiber processing. This participatory approach promoted collaborative learning and community empowerment, highlighting the potential of solar energy to drive sustainable development in alpaca wool production.

The main objective of the research was to determine if the National Policy that promotes the development of Science, Technology and Innovation (PNDCTI) influences the business management of the alpaca fiber producers in San Mateo. The methodology used was a non-experimental, cross-sectional and correlational design. Likewise, after carrying out the investigation and subsequent act of statistical processing, it was possible to verify that PNDCTI influences the business management of alpaca fiber producers in the place of study, finally a proposal for a solution to the problem is developed as a contribution of the investigation. , which highlights the opportunity for improvement to guide research in science and technology with the business sector in order to give them sustainability; It should be noted that the research on the matter was the product and thanks to the financing through the stimuli provided by the National Council of Science, Technology and Technological Innovation -Concytec.

The integration of wind energy into urban environments is constrained by low wind speeds, high turbulence, and the recurrent negative torque experienced by lift-driven vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs). This study specifically evaluates a straight-bladed H-Darrieus rotor equipped with a single upstream passive flat-plate deflector for the wind regime measured on the campus of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (Lima, Peru). A three-dimensional transient CFD model using the SST k–ω turbulence model was applied to compare the baseline rotor and the deflector-assisted configuration under identical operating conditions; DMST calculations were used only as a low-order cross-check for the bare rotor performance trend, not as a substitute for experimental validation. The deflector was selected after a geometric sensitivity assessment and positioned at 30° relative to the incoming flow, with a span equal to the rotor height and a length comparable to the rotor diameter. At TSR = 2.5, the maximum power coefficient increased from 0.4459 for the bare rotor to 0.6153 with the deflector, equivalent to an improvement of approximately 38%. Velocity and pressure fields show that the deflector accelerates the flow toward the advancing blade while shielding the returning blade, thereby reducing adverse torque and smoothing cyclic torque fluctuations. The results define the applicability of the proposed passive device for low-to-moderate urban wind environments with a dominant wind sector and provide a reproducible numerical basis for subsequent wind-tunnel and field validation.