https://aest.aut.ac.ir/ Advances in Energy Sciences and Technologies en daily 1 Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://aest.aut.ac.ir/article_6107.html This study investigates the life cycle environmental performance of a large office building (11,400 m²) in Tehran’s semi arid climate towards NZEB. A sequential simulation framework is developed: DesignBuilder for passive optimization (EPS insulation, PCM, multi layer green roof) and HOMER Pro for a 273 kWp grid connected PV system without battery storage. A cradle to grave LCA (One Click LCA, EN 15978) and circularity assessment are performed over a 60 year service life. The best passive configuration reduces total energy demand by 11.8%. Adding PV cuts annual grid electricity purchase by 65.5% (from 271.1 to 171.2 MWh), making the building a net electricity exporter (110.6% annual penetration). Although the active scenario increases embodied carbon by 16% (from 6,887 to 7,990 t CO₂e), it lowers operational carbon by 58.7% (from 30,871 to 12,755 t CO₂e), resulting in a 44.7% lower total life cycle GWP (20,902 vs. 37,758 t CO₂e). The carbon payback of the full passive active package is only 5 years. A negative trade off for PCM is observed (+154 t total carbon vs. EPS only), and circularity improves from 11.5% to 13% material return to cycle. The proposed battery less passive active framework demonstrates a fast repaying, low carbon NZEB pathway suitable for developing countries with unstable grids. The findings also caution against using PCM in climates where EPS already provides effective insulation. https://aest.aut.ac.ir/article_6108.html This study evaluates the smart readiness of the two faculties at Amirkabir University of Technology using the Smart Readiness Indicator framework. To address building energy impacts, it provides a unified tool for assessing technical system functionality. Method B is applied through site inspections, interviews, and operational data. This study examines adapting the EU‑based scheme to Iran, focusing on user‑defined weighting. The results reveal an overall SRI score of 5.3%, indicating a low level of smart readiness in the assessed educational building. While energy-related functionalities achieved the highest performance, grid flexibility and occupant interaction remained particularly limited. The assessment identified significant opportunities for improvement through practical measures such as smart metering, occupancy-based control strategies, and enhanced building management systems. The findings contribute to the localization of SRI applications and provide guidance for future smart-retrofit strategies in higher-education buildings. https://aest.aut.ac.ir/article_6161.html This study investigates the effect of tungsten disulfide (WS₂) thin-film coatings deposited by Radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering on the performance of silicon solar cells. WS₂ layers with thicknesses of 120, 240, 400, and 600 Å were applied, and the photovoltaic characteristics were evaluated through I–V and P–V measurements. The results showed that coating thickness significantly influences cell performance. Efficiency improved for thicknesses between 120 and 400 Å, with the best performance obtained at 400 Å, where the fill factor increased from 0.5 to 0.6 and the conversion efficiency increased from 9.5% to 10.0%. However, a thickness of 600 Å reduced efficiency due to increased optical and electrical losses. The findings indicate that an optimum WS₂ thickness exists and that RF magnetron sputtering is an effective method for enhancing silicon solar cell performance. https://aest.aut.ac.ir/article_6162.html Arid-coastal regions face a paradoxical coexistence of acute water scarcity and abundant atmospheric humidity,demanding low-carbon harvesting solutions. This study develops an exact one-dimensional analyticalframework for a modernized, solar-ventilated underground Qanat equipped with horizontal aluminum fins,designed for passive atmospheric water harvesting in Chabahar, Iran—a hot-humid coastal city subject toIndian Ocean monsoons. Moving beyond conventional lumped-parameter and numerical approaches, werigorously prove the mathematical decoupling of the sensible heat and species transport equations underconstant ground-temperature boundary conditions, yielding explicit closed-form solutions for the spatialevolution of air temperature and humidity ratio. Applied to a 500-m finned tunnel at 20 m depth under peaksummer conditions (40°C, 92% RH), the model reveals two critical design parameters: the thermal andmass penetration depths (𝛿_ℎ ≈ 218 𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝛿_𝑚 ≈ 246 𝑚), demonstrating that over 99% ofcondensation occurs within the first 250 m of the tunnel. At an optimized airflow velocity of 1.5 m/s—analytically determined as the thermodynamic optimum balancing residence time and fan power—the systemyields 𝟑𝟕𝟖 𝑳/𝒉 of freshwater, equivalent to 𝟏𝟑𝟔 𝒎³/𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉 under 12 h/day operation. The specific energyconsumption is merely 𝟎. 𝟑𝟕 𝑾𝒉/𝑳, over three orders of magnitude lower than conventional vaporcompressionatmospheric water generators. A parametric sensitivity analysis confirms the robustness of thedesign and enables rapid optimization without computational fluid dynamics. The proposed modernizedQanat represents a scalable, off-grid, mathematically optimized solution bridging ancient Persian hydraulicheritage with modern renewable energy integration for the water-energy nexus in arid-coastal climatesworldwide.