Interview with Prof. Dr. Tassos Stamatelos—Winner of the Energies 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award

We are pleased to announce Prof. Dr. Tassos Stamatelos as one of the winners of the Energies 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award.

The following is an interview with the winner:

1. Could you please briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
   I am a professor of thermal engines and energy systems at the University of Thessaly Mechanical Engineering Department with over 35 years of experience in applied research, development and teaching a variety of subjects.

2. What is your current research focus, and why did you choose this research field? As a reviewer, what kind of manuscripts would you prefer to review in the future?
   During my earlier years, my focus was mostly on thermal engines and the reduction of their emissions. During the most recent years, I have found myself more involved with modern energy systems, building energy systems, energy storage and smart grids. The motivation was from the gradual electrification of vehicles which was soon followed by building electrification, and the demanding problems of increasing the penetration of renewables into the energy mixture.
   As a reviewer, I am pleased to review interesting, multidisciplinary approaches to solving the above problems, as well as assisting in the rejection of low-quality articles to further improve overall article quality in Energies.

3. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
   All topics associated with the Green Deal and the transformation of the energy mixture consumed by the world economy, the electrification of the building sector and the evolution of smart grids with advanced storage technologies will gain impetus during the coming years.

4. We are an open access journal. How do you think open access impacts authors?
   I consider open access as a more legitimate approach to the reader, especially to help our views and research results reach gifted researchers and professionals in less developed regions of the world. This also positively affects the author by increasing his/her outreach to a broader audience.

5. Which qualities do you think reviewers need?
   Nowadays, a reviewer must have a sound theoretical foundation to quickly screen manuscripts and reject those with scientific errors. But, especially in applied research, he/she should also have the experience and ability to understand multidisciplinary or unconventional approaches.

The Energies Editorial Board and editorial team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers to checking the manuscripts submitted to Energies. For more details about the award, please visit the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/energies/awards/2413.