PSS (Photovoltaic Solar Systems) are a key technology in energy transition, and their efficiency depends on multiple interrelated factors. This study uses a systematic review based on the PRISMA methodology to identify four main categories affecting performance: technological, environmental, design and installation, and operational factors. Notably, technological advances in materials such as perovskites and emerging technologies like tandem and bifacial cells significantly enhance conversion efficiency, fostering optimism in the field. Environmental factors, including solar radiation, temperature, and contaminants, also substantially impact system performance. Design and installation play a crucial role, particularly in panel orientation, solar tracking systems, and the optimization of electrical configurations. Maintenance, material degradation, and advanced monitoring systems are essential for sustaining efficiency over time. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the field by reviewing 113 articles and analyzing three key areas—materials, application of sizing technologies, and optimization—from 2018 to 2025. The paper also explores emerging trends, such as the development of energy storage systems and the integration of smart grids, which hold promise for enhancing photovoltaic module (PM) performance. The findings highlight the importance of integrating technological innovation, design strategies, and effective operational management to maximize the potential of PM systems, providing a solid foundation for future research and applications across residential, industrial, and large-scale contexts.

This article addresses the technical, aesthetic, and strategic problem of the limited attention paid to design and selection of materials in photovoltaic system (PSS) support structures despite their direct impact on the efficiency, durability and economic viability of these systems. As the costs of modules and electronic components continues to decrease, the structural elements acquire greater weight in the total cost and long-term performance. Our research comprehensively analyzes the mechanical, environmental, and regulatory factors influencing material selection and structural design in PV mounting systems. The PRISMA methodology was used to perform a systematic review of 122 articles published between 2018 and 2025, which were classified along two axes: materials (mild steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, polymers, and composites) and structural design (angle, orientation, loads, support typology, and adaptation to the environment). The results show that an adequate match between design and climatic conditions improves system stability, efficiency, and service life. With the support of digital modeling and advanced simulations, we identify trends towards modular, lightweight, and adaptive solutions, particularly in architectural applications (BIPV). This work provides a robust and contextualized technical framework that facilitates informed decision-making in solar energy projects, with direct implications for the sustainability, structural resilience, and competitiveness of the PSS sector in different geographical regions.

The construction sector is responsible for significant global energy consumption and CO₂ emissions, largely driven by carbon-intensive materials such as ordinary Portland cement and steel. In response to increasing decarbonization and circular economy demands, several strategically relevant categories of sustainable construction materials have been developed, particularly natural and bio-based systems, recycled and waste-derived materials, low-carbon cementitious binders, and emerging multifunctional composites. However, research remains fragmented across material classes and performance metrics. This systematic review evaluates advances published between 2018 and 2026 following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 methodology. Peer-reviewed studies were systematically identified and analyzed to compare mechanical performance, durability, embodied carbon reduction, and life-cycle environmental impacts across these selected material pathways. The results indicate substantial decarbonization potential. Low-carbon cementitious materials report CO₂ reductions of approximately 10–75% relative to conventional systems, while engineered timber and bamboo demonstrate 28–70% lower carbon footprints due to reduced embodied energy and biogenic carbon storage. Recycled aggregates and industrial by-products enhance circularity but remain sensitive to transport distance and processing intensity. Trade-offs between mechanical capacity and environmental performance are evident in lightweight and bio-based systems. Overall, sustainability gains are maximized through integrated hybrid construction strategies rather than isolated material substitution. This review provides a comparative evidence-based synthesis and identifies key research gaps and implementation challenges for accelerating low-carbon construction.

The transition toward low-carbon and circular Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) systems requires integrated evaluation approaches that consider environmental performance, technological maturity, and governance capacity. This study presents a structured, systematic review of MSW disposal and treatment practices published between 2018 and 2026, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. A total of 71 studies were included and analyzed. Due to heterogeneity in methodologies, system boundaries, and reported indicators, no formal meta-analysis was conducted. Instead, the review provides a comparative and qualitative synthesis of key environmental indicators and structural determinants. Results indicate a transition from open dumping toward engineered landfills and advanced treatment technologies, including waste-to-energy and biological processes. Open dumping is consistently associated with high greenhouse gas emissions and environmental risks, while engineered systems improve containment and enable partial resource recovery. The findings highlight that environmental performance is not determined solely by technology but by the interaction between infrastructure design, operational quality, governance capacity, and economic conditions. The proposed analytical framework supports context-sensitive waste management strategies aligned with circular economy principles and climate mitigation objectives.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly applied to the design and optimization of solar thermal collectors, particularly in the development of selective absorber coatings. This systematic review analyzes recent advances (2020–2026) in AI-driven modeling, optimization, and sustainability strategies for solar thermal technologies following the PRISMA 2020 methodology. The results indicate that current research is largely dominated by Artificial Neural Networks and metaheuristic algorithms, mainly focused on short-term performance prediction and system-level optimization. However, durability, degradation mechanisms, and life-cycle sustainability metrics remain significantly underrepresented in AI-assisted design frameworks. From a materials perspective, recent studies highlight the emergence of multifunctional absorber surfaces, including thermochromic, self-cleaning, and multilayer coatings, often combined with AI-enabled monitoring and digital twin approaches. In addition, sustainable processing routes such as green sol–gel synthesis and low-temperature deposition show strong potential for reducing environmental impact when integrated with AI-based optimization. Nevertheless, the holistic integration of AI with sustainability metrics at the early design stage remains limited. Future research should therefore focus on hybrid and physics-informed AI frameworks capable of simultaneously addressing performance, durability, economic viability, and environmental impact in solar thermal collector design.

Paper-based colorimetric assays offer a low-complexity strategy for transforming enzymatic reactions into measurable optical responses. In this study, individual colorimetric assays for glucose, cholesterol, and dopamine were evaluated using glucose oxidase (GOx), cholesterol oxidase (ChOx), and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) immobilized on chitosan macrospheres. Immobilization efficiencies of 79%, 70%, and 70% were obtained for GOx, ChOx, and MAO-A, respectively, with saturation times of 20 min for GOx and ChOx and 10 min for MAO-A. The enzymatic reactions generated concentration-dependent chromatic responses under controlled laboratory conditions. Color measurements were performed under standardized instrumental conditions and expressed using CIE XYZ tristimulus coordinates, while the Euclidean distance relative to the corresponding blank was used as the analytical response. Glucose showed an approximately linear response over the evaluated calibration range, whereas cholesterol exhibited a nonlinear saturation behavior and was described using an exponential saturation model. For dopamine, quantitative linear calibration was restricted to the low-concentration region using the non-blank standards. The limits of detection were 32.01 mg/dL for glucose, 1.62 mg/dL for cholesterol, and 0.00047 µg/mL for dopamine, with corresponding limits of quantification of 96.99 mg/dL, 4.91 mg/dL, and 0.00142 µg/mL, respectively. The results demonstrate the feasibility of combining chitosan-immobilized enzymes, paper-supported chromogenic reactions, and quantitative color analysis for the individual determination of glucose, cholesterol, and dopamine under controlled laboratory conditions. A paper-based microfluidic architecture is additionally proposed as a proof-of-concept for the future integration of the individually characterized assays.