Role of immersive visualization tools in renewable energy system development

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Hybrid renewable energy systems (RESs) are being widely utilized as an alternate source of energy for mitigating the rapidly increasing energy demand. Explicit representation of the results obtained from the impact analysis made on a newly proposed or an existing hybrid RES is complex, and it requires powerful visualization tools. Over the years, various visualization techniques were developed towards addressing this problem. Therefore, the use of visualization techniques are continuously growing and have been the focus of many researchers across the world. This review article presents a comprehensive analysis of the advancements in the use of different immersive visualization (IV) tools in state-of-the-art RES development. A total of 41 software packages and a collection of recently published research articles in the field of RES development incorporated with advanced IV tools was identified and critically reviewed based on its use-case, accessibility, complexity, robustness, immersivity, and adaptability. Finally, a list of fit-for-purpose software packages that could be used at different stages of the RES development is recommended. A summary of the current advancements in the use of the IV tools in RES development is presented to highlight the broader potential of multidisciplinary applications of the advanced IV tools in RES development.