Integrating photovoltaic technology has undergone significant development in recent years, owing to its manifold advantages. One of the most recent domains where this technology has found application is within the transportation sector. The utilization of this technology possesses the potential to initiate a new revolution in transportation by enhancing the range and reducing fuel consumption in vehicles. The performance of these systems is influenced by numerous factors, which have been thoroughly examined in this study. These factors have been categorized into three broad groups: installation site, solar cell characteristics, and environmental conditions. It is important to note that these conditions are inherently interdependent, so this study reveals that the radiation incident on the roof of a van can be 1.09–3.85 times greater than the radiation incident on its sides, according to varying meteorological conditions and different seasons. The current research serves as a valuable foundation for future investigations in this field, offering a targeted and practical overview of the work conducted thus far and summarizing the current state of research.

Environmental energy harvesting is a major operation in research and industries. Currently, researchers have started analyzing small-scale energy scavengers for the supply of energy in low-power electrical appliances. One area of interest is the use of piezoelectric materials, especially in the presence of mechanical vibrations. This study analyzed a unimorph cantilever beam in different modes by evaluating the effects of various parameters, such as geometry, piezoelectric material, lengths of layers, and the proof mass to the energy harvesting process. The finite element method was employed for analysis. The proposed model was designed and simulated in COMSOL Multiphysics, and the output parameters, i.e., natural frequencies and the output voltage, were then evaluated. The results suggested a considerable effect of geometrical and physical parameters on the energy harvesters and could lead to designing devices with a higher functional efficiency.

This study focuses on Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaic (VIPV) strategy adopted as an energy supply vector in disaster scenarios. As a matter of fact, energy supply may be a very critical issue in a disaster context, when grid networks may be damaged. Emergency vehicles, including ambulances and trucks, as well as mobile units such as containers and operating rooms, can be equipped with photovoltaic modules and can serve as mobile emergency energy sources, supporting both vehicle operations and disaster relief efforts. A methodology was developed to estimate energy production under unpredictable disaster conditions, by adapting existing VIPV simulation approaches. Obtained results show that VIPV strategy, even under minimal daily energy generation, can be a useful aid for disaster resilience and emergency prompt response. Ambulance performance, analyzed for worst-case scenarios (e.g., December), shows that they can power medical devices for 1 to 15 h daily. Additionally, the ambulance can generate up to 2 $\mathrm{M}\mathrm{W}\mathrm{h}$ annually, reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 0.5 tons. In optimal configurations, mobile operating rooms can generate up to 120 times the daily energy demand for medical devices.

Airports are among the most energy-intensive infrastructures, and the decarbonization of ground operations is essential to achieving sustainable aviation goals. Vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) offers a promising strategy to complement electrification by enabling on-board renewable generation. While previous studies have mainly focused on fixed PV installations such as rooftops or carports, the potential of VIPV in airports has largely been overlooked, and no structured methodology has been established to investigate it. This study addresses this gap by proposing a two-scenario framework for assessing VIPV performance. The first scenario, named the Generalized Approach, estimates annual energy production based on irradiance data, vehicle surface area, and driving-to-standby ratios. The second scenario, named the Data-Driven Approach, incorporates detailed GPS-based driving data to capture the dynamic effects of orientation, speed, and operating conditions. Applied to European and Middle Eastern airports, the framework showed that VIPV could cover 1700–5500 $\mathrm{k}\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{y}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{r}$ for buses, 650–5000 $\mathrm{k}\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{y}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{r}$ for minibuses, and 840–6180 $\mathrm{k}\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{y}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{r}$ for luggage tractors, with avoided emissions strongly influenced by local grid intensity. Grid parity analysis indicated favorable conditions in sunny, high-cost electricity markets. The framework is transferable to other VIPV applications and provides a practical tool for evaluating their technical, environmental, and economic potential.