Smart Management of Organic Waste Using a Hybrid Waste-to-Energy and Photovoltaic System

Waste management and waste-to-energy (WTE) are critical components for sustainable environmental practices. Effective waste management minimizes pollution, conserves natural resources, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. Through advanced technologies, waste-to-energy conversion transforms refuse into usable forms of energy, such as electricity or heat, thus reducing dependency on fossil fuels and helping in energy recovery. Smart cities are depending more and more on renewable energies, including photovoltaic technologies. This research investigates the feasibility of using energy derived from organic waste as a primary source, with solar energy acting as a supplementary contributor. A hybrid simulation model was developed using MATLAB, utilizing hourly consumption data from a real-world dataset. The study shows that organic waste can consistently cover a significant portion of daily urban energy demand, accounting for approximately 85% of the load, while solar energy provides limited support during midday hours. The findings support the integration of waste-to-energy systems in urban infrastructure and suggest that even modest solar contributions can enhance overall system performance when paired with intelligent energy management.