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Renewable Energy and Electrical Power System

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 321

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering, Università Telematica Internazionale Uninettuno, Rome, Italy
Interests: electromagnetic modeling; transmission lines; lightning; energy efficiency

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The energy sector is undergoing a deep transformation driven by the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve global decarbonization targets. This transition towards a sustainable and low-carbon future requires the widespread integration of renewable energy sources—such as solar, wind, hydro, and biomass—into existing electrical power systems. The paradigm shift from centralized generation to distributed, flexible, and intelligent networks is redefining how energy is produced, stored, and consumed. A key component of this evolution lies in the growing deployment of distributed energy storage systems and electric vehicles, which not only reshape demand-side dynamics but also act as active elements in the grid, providing ancillary services, peak shaving, and load balancing through vehicle-to-grid and battery-to-grid technologies. The interaction between renewable generation, distributed storage, and electrified mobility opens new opportunities for increasing system efficiency and resilience, yet also poses challenges in terms of grid stability, interoperability, and control.

At the same time, the digital transformation of the energy sector—enabled by advances in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and big data analytics—offers unprecedented opportunities to optimize energy generation, transmission, and consumption. The synergy between renewable integration and digital technologies paves the way for the emergence of smart grids, decentralized management systems, and predictive maintenance strategies that enhance both efficiency and resilience.

This Special Issue aims to gather recent advances, innovative methodologies, and case studies addressing the convergence of renewable energy and electrical power systems within the framework of the digital and green transitions. It welcomes contributions that explore novel models, technologies, and strategies to foster a sustainable, intelligent, and interconnected energy ecosystem.

Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Integration of renewable energy sources into electrical power systems;
  • Electric power line performances and optimization;
  • Distributed generation and microgrids;
  • Energy storage systems and grid-scale batteries;
  • Electric vehicles, V2G/B2G technologies, and mobility electrification;
  • Smart grids, digital twins, and real-time monitoring;
  • Artificial intelligence and machine learning for power system optimization;
  • Power electronics and converters for renewable integration;
  • Cybersecurity, interoperability, and resilience of digitalized grids;
  • Techno-economic assessment and policies for the energy transition.

Original work highlighting the latest research and technical development is encouraged, but review papers and comparative studies are also welcome.

Dr. Dario Assante
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • renewable energy
  • electrical power system
  • smart grid
  • energy storage
  • grid integration
  • distributed generation
  • energy transition
  • sustainability
  • decarbonization

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 3081 KB  
Article
The Hidden Short-Term Electro-Thermal–Optical Feedback Loop in Circuit-Level Modeling of PV Hot-Spots
by Marco Balato, Carlo Petrarca, Martina Botti, Antonio Pio Catalano, Massimo Vitelli, Luigi Costanzo, Luigi Verolino and Dario Assante
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 1526; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031526 - 3 Feb 2026
Abstract
Hot-spots represent a significant failure mechanism in photovoltaic (PV) modules, typically attributable to electrical mismatching. However, thermo-optical degradation of the encapsulant, including discoloration and delamination, can both trigger and amplify mismatch by inducing localized optical losses and temperature rise. The present paper proposes [...] Read more.
Hot-spots represent a significant failure mechanism in photovoltaic (PV) modules, typically attributable to electrical mismatching. However, thermo-optical degradation of the encapsulant, including discoloration and delamination, can both trigger and amplify mismatch by inducing localized optical losses and temperature rise. The present paper proposes a compact circuit-level electro-thermal–optical model that explicitly captures the short-term closed-loop interaction between mismatching, cell temperature, and temperature-dependent optical properties. The photogenerated current is formulated as a function of irradiance, cell temperature, and encapsulant degradation, enabling dynamic feedback between heating and optical losses. Numerical simulations are carried out on a commercial 40-cell PV module under four representative operating static scenarios. The results demonstrate that, even in the absence of shading, optical degradation can generate multimodal P–V characteristics, drive cells into reverse bias, and produce hot-spots. When optical degradation coexists with irradiance mismatch, the feedback loop significantly amplifies mismatching and shifts the maximum power point toward thermally unsafe operating conditions. These findings demonstrate that maximizing instantaneous power does not necessarily maximize lifetime energy yield, underscoring the need for thermal-aware MPPT strategies and providing a practical framework for early detection of thermo-optical faults in PV modules. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Electrical Power System)
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26 pages, 3571 KB  
Article
Optimal Electrical Dispatch by Time Blocks in Systems with Conventional Generation, Renewable, and Storage Systems Using DC Flows
by Erika Paredes, Edwin Chilig and Juan Lata-García
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 1372; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031372 - 29 Jan 2026
Viewed by 85
Abstract
Sustained demand growth and the increasing share of renewable energy sources pose challenges for the operation of modern electrical systems. The variability in wind and solar photovoltaic generation causes temporary imbalances between supply and demand, requiring the incorporation of energy management and storage [...] Read more.
Sustained demand growth and the increasing share of renewable energy sources pose challenges for the operation of modern electrical systems. The variability in wind and solar photovoltaic generation causes temporary imbalances between supply and demand, requiring the incorporation of energy management and storage strategies to guarantee supply. In this context, the need arises to develop optimization models that allow for efficient energy dispatch, minimizing costs and promoting the appropriate use of both conventional and renewable resources. This study formulated a time block dispatch optimization model implemented in the IEEE 24-node system, integrating thermal, hydroelectric, photovoltaic, wind, and energy storage systems. The methodology was based on DC power flows and was developed in MATLAB R2024b, incorporating nodal balance constraints, transmission and generation capacity limits, as well as the operating conditions of the storage systems. The model allowed for the evaluation of both energy and economic performance, validating its behavior under conditions of peak demand and renewable variability. The results demonstrate that the inclusion of energy storage systems allows for a reduction in high-cost thermal generation, optimizing demand coverage with a greater share of renewable energy. An average storage efficiency of 85.5% was achieved, and total system costs were reduced by USD 40,392.39 per day, equivalent to annual savings of USD 14.75 million. Furthermore, power flows remained below 85% of transmission capacity, confirming the proper operation of the grid. In this sense, the model fulfills the proposed objectives and proves to be a tool for energy planning and the technical-economic integration of storage in electrical networks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Electrical Power System)
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