Vol 6 - Special issue

Entropy: Thermodynamics – Energy – Environment – Economy

List of Articles

This study is based on an in-depth SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesse, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to examine the developpement of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy in Tunisia. It explores specific economic challenges, such as currency volatility and inflation, which increase costs and hinder capital investment. Additionally, environmental conditions, including dust and sandstorms, are identified as factors that reduce the efficicency of solar panels. To overcome these obstacles, the paper propose several mitigation strategies : large-scale awareness campaigns to strengthen public engagement, the creation of mini-grids to improve energy distribution, practical trainig programs tailored to develop local expertise in photovoltaic technology and the use of micro-grids as experimental platforms to test regulatory and policy frameworks. By combining these elements, this research offers a comprehensive view of the conditions necessary for the successful deployment of photovoltaics in Tunisia. It highlights the significant potentiel of solar energy to contribute to the country’s sustainable development and promote energy independance, provided the strenghts and opportunities identified are fully leveraged. These include the average global horizontal irradiance (GHI), direct normal irradiance (DNI), levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and the possibility of mobilizing a grant of over $7.88 million from the African Development Bank (ADB) vian the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa.

This research project proposes an innovative approach to the co-design of green façades as drivers of urban sustainability and socio-ecological regeneration. Rooted in a participatory design framework, it explores how residents, in collaboration with designers and public stakeholders, can take an active role in transforming their living environments through vegetated interfaces. Here, the façade is reimagined as a thermodynamic system with multiple functions: climate regulation, air quality improvement, and the strengthening of the connection between city and nature. The project draws on the principles of regenerative urbanity — ecological restoration, positive life cycle, social inclusion, urban resilience, and co-evolution — to embed interventions within a systemic logic. It relies on transdisciplinary methodological tools (participatory workshops, sensory mapping, interactive devices) that foster the collective appropriation of greenery and the activation of a sustainable sense of togetherness. At the intersection of urban ecology, biophilic design, and spatial justice, this work redefines the façade not merely as an architectural element, but as a living, social, and environmental interface.

This present work reports the effect of nanoparticle concentration on the electroluminescence decay from exciton dissociation in organic-inorganic layers. The theoretical method for electroluminescence decay is based on the exciton dynamics of both the Frenkel exciton and Wannier exciton density. The results show that the electroluminescence intensity has been significantly influenced by the Förster transfer mechanism. In particular, we have found good agreement with experimental results observed in organic MEH-PPV and inorganic CdSe nanoparticles. These findings suggest that this hybrid material could be a promising candidate for optoelectronic devices.

A 2-D numerical investigation was carried out to study the nanofluid flow and heat transfer inside a horizontal ribbed micro-channel. The alumina oxide nanoparticles were suspended in water as based fluid at different volume fraction 0, 2 and 4%. The finite volume method was used to solve the continuity, momentum and energy equations. The effects of different parameters such as nanoparticles volume fraction, Reynolds number, and the larger of ribs has been reported. It was found that the heat transfer and the Poiseuille number increases with increasing nanoparticles volume fraction and Reynolds number. Using a small rib improves the heat transfer. Increasing ribs number enhances the heat transfer rate.

As part of the development of high-resolution studies on past vegetation changes, palynological data allowed the reconstruction of vegetation evolution in Holocene sediments collected around the Sidi Ali el Mekki lagoon (N-E Tunisia). Our results show that over the last two millennia, vegetation changes in northern Tunisia reflect a complex relationship involving both natural forcings and human activity. The study of lagoon sediments highlighted that the maquis with olive and pistachio trees, which constituted the dominant vegetation around the Sidi Ali el Mekki lagoon during the first millennium of our era, have significantly declined in favor of grass and sagebrush steppes over the last 1000 years, indicating an increasing anthropogenic impact in the study area.

In light of the critical climate situation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions has become a global imperative. The digitalisation of the construction sector, and in particular the adoption of BIM (Building Information Modelling), offers an interesting alternative. By integrating multi-scale data for energy simulation, BIM enables us to anticipate environmental impacts and optimise technical choices. In this context, we propose to reflect on how BIM can be the catalyst for this energy transition. How can BIM tools reconcile energy efficiency, user comfort and sustainability? What technical and organisational challenges remain to be overcome? This study analyses the potential of BIM as a lever for innovation, illustrating its role at each stage of the building’s life cycle. It is based on a methodical review of the literature on BIM and on practical cases to evaluate BIM as a tool that can transform practices towards truly sustainable construction.

This article explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) integration on business models through a quantitative study conducted with 214 Tunisian companies. The results reveal a positive association between AI adoption and several dimensions of performance: operational optimization, organizational improvement, and personalization of the customer experience. However, the study also highlights several barriers to widespread adoption, including ethical concerns related to data protection and organizational resistance to change. These findings underscore the need for companies to combine technological investments with proactive management of human and ethical impacts in order to fully leverage the strategic potential of AI in an evolving economic environment.

Testour, a Tunisian town founded in the 17th century by the Moriscos, serves as a case study for examining the dynamics of territorial resilience in the face of contemporary challenges. This research explores how its architectural heritage, which blends Hispano-Andalusian heritage with local Mediterranean adaptations, can act as a catalyst for sustainable ecological transition. Traditional construction techniques, which use local materials and ancestral bioclimatic principles, offer innovative solutions that combine heritage preservation and environmental performance. The study analyzes the evolution of heritage enhancement strategies, moving from traditional conservation to integrated approaches to sustainable development. It explores how this heritage can become a driver of economic revitalization, creating synergies between responsible tourism, the circular economy, and ecological transition. The central question concerns the development of participatory governance involving local actors to ensure the sustainable enhancement of this exceptional architectural heritage.

An experimental study on mortars made from crushed limestone aggregates, where Portland cement is replaced with limestone fines, slag, and natural pozzolana, reveals that the mechanical properties of these mortars is affected by the concurrent inclusion of these three additives in their cement matrix. The additives are proportioned in the cement as follows: limestone fines at 30%, slag at 10%, and natural pozzolana at 10%, compared to a control binder without any mineral additions. For continuous immersion tests, the sulfuric acid solution is maintained at a 5% concentration. Limewater is used as the reference medium. It has been demonstrated that mortars containing these quaternary binders, when immersed in sulfuric acid, exhibit superior compressive strength compared to the control mortar.