Laboratory-scale development of hybrid micro-PEC–biovoltaic emergency power systems from organic waste
5 affiliations
- 1Centre for Advanced Mobility and Aerospace, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, 26600, Malaysia
- 2Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Universitas Serambi Mekkah, Banda Aceh 23245, Indonesia
- 3Faculty of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Pahang, Malaysia
- 4Department of Environment Engineering, Universitas Serambi Mekkah, Banda Aceh 23245, Indonesia
- 5Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
Abstract
The increasing demand for reliable and sustainable emergency power systems has driven interest in decentralised energy technologies capable of operating under variable and resource-limited conditions. In this study, a laboratory-scale hybrid Micro-photoelectrochemical (Micro-PEC)–Biovoltaic system powered by organic waste was developed and systematically evaluated for emergency energy applications. The hybrid system integrates a visible-light-responsive Fe₂O₃/BiVO₄ photoelectrode with a biovoltaic unit employing electrogenic bacteria and a proton exchange membrane. Electrical performance was assessed through repeated testing under varying organic waste concentrations, dynamic illumination, and load conditions. The hybrid configuration achieved an average voltage of approximately 0.41 V, an average current of 1.25 mA, and an average power output of 0.51 μW, outperforming standalone Micro-PEC and biovoltaic systems while exhibiting improved operational stability. Load variation tests revealed a well-defined maximum power point at ∼200 Ω, and the system showed rapid, reversible voltage and current responses to light interruption. Progressive improvements in emergency performance indicators, including availability, reliability, resilience, and cumulative energy delivery, were also observed. These results demonstrate that coupling photoelectrochemical and bioelectrochemical processes yields an operationally stable and adaptable energy platform. Overall, the proposed hybrid Micro-PEC–Biovoltaic system offers a low-complexity, environmentally sustainable approach for decentralised emergency power generation from organic waste, with promising potential for future scale-up and further practical feasibility investigation.
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BibTeX
@article{erdiwansyah2026laboratoryscale,
title = {{Laboratory-scale development of hybrid micro-PEC–biovoltaic emergency power systems from organic waste}},
author = {Erdiwansyah Erdiwansyah and Muhammad Nizar and Muhibbuddin and T. Putri Melza Chamela and Sarah Aprilia and Wahyu Khafidah and Rizalman Mamat},
journal = {Next Energy},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.nxener.2026.100994},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nxener.2026.100994},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Laboratory-scale development of hybrid micro-PEC–biovoltaic emergency power systems from organic waste
AU - Erdiwansyah Erdiwansyah
AU - Muhammad Nizar
AU - Muhibbuddin
AU - T. Putri Melza Chamela
AU - Sarah Aprilia
AU - Wahyu Khafidah
AU - Rizalman Mamat
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/10
JO - Next Energy
DO - 10.1016/j.nxener.2026.100994
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nxener.2026.100994
AB - The increasing demand for reliable and sustainable emergency power systems has driven interest in decentralised energy technologies capable of operating under variable and resource-limited conditions. In this study, a laboratory-scale hybrid Micro-photoelectrochemical (Micro-PEC)–Biovoltaic system powered by organic waste was developed and systematically evaluated for emergency energy applications. The hybrid system integrates a visible-light-responsive Fe₂O₃/BiVO₄ photoelectrode with a biovoltaic unit employing electrogenic bacteria and a proton exchange membrane. Electrical performance was assessed through repeated testing under varying organic waste concentrations, dynamic illumination, and load conditions. The hybrid configuration achieved an average voltage of approximately 0.41 V, an average current of 1.25 mA, and an average power output of 0.51 μW, outperforming standalone Micro-PEC and biovoltaic systems while exhibiting improved operational stability. Load variation tests revealed a well-defined maximum power point at ∼200 Ω, and the system showed rapid, reversible voltage and current responses to light interruption. Progressive improvements in emergency performance indicators, including availability, reliability, resilience, and cumulative energy delivery, were also observed. These results demonstrate that coupling photoelectrochemical and bioelectrochemical processes yields an operationally stable and adaptable energy platform. Overall, the proposed hybrid Micro-PEC–Biovoltaic system offers a low-complexity, environmentally sustainable approach for decentralised emergency power generation from organic waste, with promising potential for future scale-up and further practical feasibility investigation.
SN - 2949-821X
ER -