A vision of renewable thermal technologies for drying, biofuels production and industrial waste, gas or water recovery

Rapid population growth and the finite nature of fossil-fuel resources have given rise to an urgent interest in sustainable energy development. Thermal technologies include several devices and systems able to improve energy use, recycle resources and waste, and harness renewable energy sources. In particular, thermal technologies applied to renewable sources have been improving over the years in terms of performance costs have reduced, however, several challenges remain that need to be overcome. This vision article is concerned with the prevailing challenges for thermal technologies applied to renewable energy; specifically, solar drying technologies, focussing on medium and large-capacity solar drying systems, thermal devices for waste heat and gas treatment/recovery, and thermochemical technologies for the valorization of biomass to fuels. Firstly, a brief description of each technology is provided while remarking on their importance in energy transition and resource recovery scenarios. Subsequently, key challenges are identified and promising directions and areas for exploration and future research are suggested. The most common critical challenges for the further development and deployment of these technologies include improved designs and material use to decrease final costs and minimize environmental impact. In particular, managing this process within a circular economy perspective would be necessary for improved sustainability. Incorporating renewable energy sources with thermal technologies to reduce the need for fossil fuels is of major interest globally, and optimizing the combined use of mathematical, computational, and experimental tools is the most promising approach for accelerated understanding and development in this space.